The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-02-20
CHAPTER II.
Six months had gone by.

his givisg up the drink, and his wifo had
thought nothing more of it; indeed, it
was five months and three weeks, at least,
since she had forgotten all about it.
She was not very likely to think of it
to-day, for she had too much to think of
already, she thought. The poor woman
never felt so bothered in her life. There
was new baby and it was teething, and
she had had only sleep enough for the
last two nights to leave her irritable and
cross in the morning. Everything was
going wrong. The weather was damp and
heavy, so that the clothes had hung for
two days without drying. Besides, she
wanted to bake, and there was scarcely
coal enough to keep the fire 10 she had
heard the goldman every day, as long as
she could remember, but this morning he
had kept far away. And the bakers
stupid boy had only brought half as much
flour as she ordered, so that she would
have her trouble over again before the
week was done. Wearied, worried. vex-
ed, she had nearly reached that womanly
climax-"sitting down and a good cry"
AS if troubles, like gloomy clouds, must
pass away in showers
Its always the way" she declared to
herself; ;"if you don't want thing, you'll
have plenty Of it, but sure as you want
it, you may as well whistle for it,"
The climax was almost reached but
as just then the baby began to doze. and
there was chance of laying him down,
she deposited him in the cradle, and hav-
ing rocked him into an infaut:le snorc,
she got up and expressed her determine
tion to use the opportunity and "get her
hands in the dough-"
The cloud was passing away. The
nimbe fingers and fair arms Of Harry s
wife were well ut it, when there came a
knock at the door-a quick, loud, impa-
tient knock, that didn't care if the baby
woke, and the bread were spoiled.
This, like a change of mind. brought
the clouds clustering back again. Leav-
ing behind as much as she could, she
thrust out one hand under her apron, and
another behind her back, and opened the
door. 1t was ouly one eye that could
look out through the sightly-opeued
door, and it was tho worst half Of her
temper that asked-"Who's there 2"
What she saw was horse and cart,
and the milers man. What could any
of them want Of her? She went to the
baker, aud brought her little lot of -four.
"Here, missis. open the door. I've
brought the -four" and as the millcr's
man spoke, he set his mealy shoulders
beneath the weight.
Stop" cried Harry's wife, you've
made mistake. It's not for me-"
"lts all right, missus-all right" said
the man, with his head bent beneath the
weight; aud he set it down inside the
door.
"But who ordered it ?" asked Harry
wife, convinced the man was wrong.
"Dunno Master sent t, and l brought
it."
I'm sure it's wrong, and you'll emily
have to como bothering back after it."
But the miller's man was of'-the
smack Of his whip and the rumbling
wheels half-drowned his cherry-"Good-
morning, missis, it's all right"
Harry's wife turned in again to work
at the bread. Here was a new subject
for her troubled spirit to brood over. She
thought Of people who could afford to
buy whole sack at once like this, aud
not bo worried by bakers boys only
bringing half what you order.
She reckoned how long it would last,
and wondered how much it COST and then
interrupted her own thoughts with a
harsh speech
That isn't for me. nor for the likes Of
me, so | needn't go thinking about it."
AT once with female perversity, she set
to work thinking Of it more than ever.
Her whole thoughts were swallowed
up in this sack as completely as the -four
itself, when there came the slow rumbling
Of wheels that stopped at her door,
"Ah he's come again" she cried 81
know he would :" ano not waiting for the
knock, she opened the door. with a tri.
umphant didn't tell you"
Before the sentence was half finished
she saw it was neither the miler's man
nor the miller's cart.
drought you ton of coal, mum,
said tho dusky driver,
al want to buy bushcl," she said fol
thinking about the millcr's man, she had
not noticed the coalhenver's message
"lve been looking for you all the morn
ing"
"Buy a bushcl why, mum, the Who'll,
lot is bought and paid for. Where'll "
have it put ~
THAT lot for me !" cried Harry's wifi;
im2atieutly. BLESS me, here's another
mistake Never was truer word thai
that troubles never come single. tel
you its all wrong they arc TOR sonebod,
of the same name, perhaps; but not fo
, me there's no such luck"
"Nay now, mcm, you wouldn't 20 70
to make out az any other woman wa
your Harry's WIFE" and the white teetl
and white eyes grinnrd out from tn
smutty face.
: "Well, but know there is mistak
somewhere" she persisted, rather NOR
good.humoredly.
Anyhow I'll leave them here, missus
: till Harry comes" said the coalheave
!, quietly and emptying them under tn
shed. he left such pile of black diamond
, as Harry's wife had never seen the lik
= of.
= = Half amused at the sbsurdity of tn
=. mistake, yet half vexed at tho interrup
. ton, she muttered to herself as she finish
T.. cd her bread
" "Well, now, it is really aggravatiDa
g Here am ! awanting bit of tlour, an
r the fire agoin' out for want os bit G
g coal. and here comes this great lot @
somebody elsc's. as il a-purpose to max
me think that haven't got amy. neve
!, saw anything so pcrverse in all my Dor
4 days"