Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-03

and leaving me in the carriage at the gate
went ND to the house on foot to zee Wal
er's mother. She never stopped yer,
long, though am sure that if Mrs. Cover
had liked 70 have had her she would nav
taken up her abode there to watch ant
nurse by night and day. But the slcf
mother cared for no one; only counting
the hours before her son should come, ant
fretting that Scot had not made hin
hasten The Gay when Walter might have
arrived had passed, and only then couit
see how urquestionabiy Pennie had de
pended on his coming. She seemed De
wildered, unable to believe he was lot IL
the train, and she stood on the platform
SIS il rolled away, her yearring eyes tol
lowing il piteoUsly.
"There were so many hindrances pos
siDle,' | told her; $50 many unforseeI
things might have occurred to delay him.
| But she never answered me word; anc
| when that whole week went by and still
! he did not come, her silence grew more
! distressing TO me than passionate grief OF
anger.
On the last day the post brought two
letters. One for Pennie, which she read
/ with cold. tight lips, then threw across to
me and one for Scot, which ne had taken
away with him unopened.
| The old lady was so ddgety. Walter
/ wrote, that 1t would be ridiculous to sup
| pose that she really meant him to come
! home from such distance, and have the
| bore and expense Of going back when her
| little attack of fear had subsidized. She
wanted him with her. In the meantime
| he had written to her and it would be ali
right
read no more / folded the letter, and
passed it back to Pennie, asking her if she
did not think it would be better for Scot
to have holiday for time, that ne might
not feel his duties pulling him two differ
ent ways.
mo, Charlie" she said, at once. Papa
and both think las you would if you had
been TO see Mrs. Cowen) that it is better
| for Scot 70 have his old work. If he were
constantly with her, fretting as she always
is for Walter, it would harass and weary
MIN more than this change does. She
never expresses a wish to have him al
! ways there; yet he is tender, cheerful
nurse, Charlie"
did Lot answer, for just then Scot
came in, greeting us both With his gentle
smile. He had been to the station-a
| fruitless errand now, and Pennie had new
er been since that first hopeful day-and
could see by her glance at his solitary fig
ure as ne came up, that the old hope had
| been with her this morning. l had
thought it would be so, because by this
| time Walter might have arrived, in answer
| to the letter she herself mad sent urging
him to come.
IL think my letter must have miscar-
| ried, Scot p she asked, with quiet wist-
fitness; "don't your"
"Oh, he would be sure to come" Scot
said, looking quickly away from her face.
There was no placing dependence on
foreign posts.
"Supp,se you were to write again!"
proposed Pennie, deferentially.
That was exactly what he had been
thinking. There must have been some
mistake in the last address.
"Woi ldn't it have come back in that
cases" suggested.
ave certainly ought not to expect it
back so soon" he decided. But he would
not wait for it; he would write again, at
once.
And after he had left us, could not help
telling Pennie what had heard at the
post office-that every night letter went
from Scot to his brother with large
Immediate on the envelope.
| Pennie turned away from me in angry
heat
What does he write, them Why does
he not write what will bring Walter home,
and not fret and worry him, yet keep him
there while his mother is-dying?" Then
her wrath and courage broke down, and
she leaned her tired little head against me,
and sobbed out the fear, and love, and dis
appointment which she had hidden 50
long.
After that she was very petulant with
| Scot; more petulant even than in old times.
And when the subject which knew to be
always uppermOst in her thoughts was
mentioned, she would say impatiently that
we all made ridiculous fuss, that Mrs
Cowen was not really very i'll, only fancy
! ing it; that Walter, of course, would come
as soon as he could and that she was tired
to death Of the worry there was in the
house just through the stupidity of Scots
letters.
Saying nothing of her own letter, which
had been equally unavaliing, would try to
tempt her TO read to me, or play, or drive !;
but she would only refuse me with a quick
mo-" and leave me suddenly, coming
back presently to throw her arms around
me and sob that she was a wretched, un-
grateful girl, and did not deserve to be
loved by me or-Walter. And as this
wearying time went On, she went about
the house with small, tight lips and rest
less hands, and grew always harder and
more contradictory to Scot whenever she
spoke to him at all.
Four weeks had gone by since Pennies
last letter had been sent to Walter, when
early on one sunny August morning, Scot
sent messenger TO tell US that his mother
was dead. had to tell Pennie myself
and when had done so In few sad words.
she broke from me and ran up stairs.
Through that long, lonely day she never
came hear me, aud began to realize what
1t would be to live without either Pennie
or Scot.
sent telegram off to Walter at once.
announcing his mothers death-though |
felt sure Scot had done so. And at last
my father came in, and Pennie crept into
her place among u.s.
Not once did she mention Walters
name TO me; and on the night before the
funeral, when-following the arrival of the
] ii