Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-12-30
NO. 3oe.
JEALOUSY VI. INDUSTRY.
CONTINUED FROM YEsrHRpAY.1

people SeluOm pald ner compliments. IL
seemed so natural to her, this clear, white
skin, and peach blossom color of cheek
and lip
And this was the vision that distressed
and disheartened our poor, troubled Ham
nah.
She sat watching the little figure of the
girl with tightening lips, and swift coming
breath. / dare not say it was hatred that
stirred the worn bosom, because hatred is
akin to murder, and it is hard to think so
harshly of a woman who had been the low
ing wife and mother Hannah had, but
some way, the woman had to struggle
with fierce thoughts and heart that she
considered outraged.
As for timid. pretty little Bessie, plough
ing up the dry dust with substantial shoes.
she had tried her best to get acquainted
with Hannah. She admired her very
much, and wanted to be friends with the
two sturdy, handsome rogues of boys, and
that 'angelic baby" as she rapturously
called it. Rut Mrs Wells was such
strange woman!
''She had such beautiful eyes, too only,
some way, she frightens me with them.
can fancy maniac having just such eyes,"
she said to her mother, one day.
81 suppose it RUNS in the family" re-
sponded broad-faced Mrs. Bright.
"What runs in the family ?"
"Why, her brother-hark! there's your
father calling you, Bessie, he's got his
hands full with the bees, go quick"
And Bessie ran off, her curiosity unsat.
isfied till evening, when her mother told
her the story.
Now. as she plodded rather slowly to.
ward the Wells hosse, she thought of that
story, and it made her nervous. When
she reached the gate, she paused a moment,
her heart in her mouth as the saying is,
SO that at last her slow. conscious, ap-
proach. had in it something of the color of
dread of guilt She came toward the
door. Hannah looking fixedly afar off, the
baby moving carelessly about, as babies
will. held by sheltering arms.
Good morning, Mrs. Wells" said Bes-
sic, playing with her hat ribbon, and
thinking of that story, as she looked with
those large, hungry, angry eyes. "Good
morning. Miss Bessie" returned Hannah,
almost without opening her lips.
'Baby pretty!" murmured Bessie, des-
perately, half forgetting her errand in her
nervousness, and she held forth caress.
ing finger.
Perhaps Hannah did not know what she
did, but she drew the baby instantly back,
and then trembling, lifted her upon her
feet, to be out of Bessie's reach.
''Oh, Mrs. Wells" said Bessie, gravely,
more hurt than offended, '.your-Mr.
Wells sent word, that is by me, you know,
that you needn't wait dinner for him; he
won't be home"
What made her so confused as to Jerk
out her message in schoolgirl fashion, she
could not tell she only felt that with that
. hor he >kol
away and cry like child. Nor did the
answer re-assure her. Hannah's eyes
blazed now. and she was imprudent.
Pm sure l don't care," she tried to
speak lightly, but agony weighed her
tongue, .'if he don't come home to-day.
Perhaps he'd better stay at your house all
the time"
Something was choking Bessie, and
everything before her wavered under her
hot, burning tears. The innocent girl
never dreamed of the seething fire that
made Hannah so unwomanly and rude.
"rll never go there again, never. nev.
er!" she articulated with clenched hands
under her silken mantle. II don't Won
der that poor man leaves his home. l
never pitied him before, but l do now"
And Hannah went into the house, max
ing no pretence of eating. ITO send her
here to send her here ~ she kept repeat
ing breathlessly, as she set away the din.
ner things and put the table back.
Hannah was furious, but her fury was
like the dead heat of iron alter the crimson
had died out. She was very still. She
sat and looked at her baby who talked and
laughed in its infantle way to statue,
for Hannah never heard it. Her seething
thoughts were anywhere but there, and
her mind was made up She rocked the
baby asleep with strange lullaby; it
might be its last. Then she laid it down,
white and pure in its sweet slumber. and
stood over the cradle for a moment. The
boys were gone, and the husband was
gone, the baby was unconscious. "Let
its father come home and wake up it."
and she laughed bitterly. Her sorrows
had eliminated at last, she said, and she
was not responsible.
She looked in all the closets, putting
few trifling things to rights. She laid out
a square of gingerbread, a piece for john
ny and Ned; she drew the clothes-horse
into the sun, she picked up a few stray
shreds on the floor Then she took the
vial from her bosom and looked at it, and
went slowly up stairs.
No sooner had she set her foot on the
sill of her chamber door than she heard
her name called at the bottom of the stairs.
Trembling, unbalanced. how could she
answer? She knew the voice. at is
better to wait till she is gone" she said.
She threw on q white apron, pinned
clean collar around her neck, and came
downto see cheerful little Mrs. Appleby.
the minister's wife.
Mrs Appleby staid an hour.
"That poor woman seemed 50 sad, or
so Sick" she said to her husband that
night, THAT longed to comfort her."
Did she comfort her?
Hannah's resolve was like iron, forged
and hardened.
After the ministers wife had gone, Han
nah said grimly, Now" and she pro-
ceeded to go up to her room again. But
the mercy of Heaven was not so sorely
tried, and her babe walked up with pitt
full cry The mothers heart was touched.
though its purpose remained unchanged.