Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-02-22

! was tak1n IN WaSIlu ANU d-sla'lu
early and late. to be kinder decent and
forehanded, and him no better adead
man on ,ay hands, SO for as helpln' any
was concerned, and so | told him, time
and again. He worked just enough to
keep himself in drink He knew he
could'n get any Of my money for that.
" But | stood it till about fortnight
ago Ia been workin hard all day
helpin' Miss Barber clean house, and
1t seemed as If every bone IN my body
ached, | was so tired. / come along
home thinkin' how good my cup oftea d
taste. The first thing see when | OPEN
ed the kitchen door, was old Hank Sla-
ter settin' there in my rockln' chair 80
He and Josiah were both drunk as-as
hogs" said Nabby, slandering an in
nocens animal in her haste for asimile.
They'd tracked the mud all over
my clean floors. the cookin' stove was
tanned full of wood roarin' like all
possessed. / wonder they hadn't burh-
ed the house up before | got there
And they'd got my best teapot out to
heat some water and the water billed
away. and the bottom came out. But
the worst was to see my husband a con
sortin' with such scum of the earth as
that miserable, low-lived Hank Slater.
! tell You, squire, ! was mad. just
flung that kitchen door wide open, and
seq
80 Git out of this house, Josiah
Gould and don't never lot me zee your
face inside ont again.
"Sez he, meek as Moses, Where
shall | go to, Nabby ~
"Sez IL don't care where you
60 to, 50 longs you don't come near
me. I've always been a respectable
woman, and | don't want any of Hank
Skaters friends round my house
"Welll" qucried the squire, as Nab
| by's narration came to a pause.
" Well" said Nabby, in rather
subdued tone, he went off. And he
haiu't come back. And | want a dl-
1 worse
CHOW Nabby," demonstrated the
/ squire, "you don't want divorce. |
I know Won better than that. You are
not the woman to give Josiah up, aud
let him 20 10 die bad without strug-
gle, You feel little yeXed with him
now, and | don't blame you. 1t is
hard, very hard. But you know you
took him for better or worse DO
YOU think, yourself, 1t is quite right to
break your contract because it proves
the worse for you-because you are the
stronger one and he the weak one of
the twol That don't strike me rs good
Bible doctrine, Nabby. We that are
strong ought to bear the intirmitioa OF
the weak, and not to please ourselves,
you know"
Well, / dunno said Nabby, twist
ing the corner Of her shawl obviously
" / hadn't thought ont in that light, !
must say. It's so aggrayatin TO have
such a man for husband. Besides /
/ dunno's he'd come back now if | want
ed him TO.
/ " Hasn't he been back at all ~
! " Why, yes, he did come once, for
par of pantnlooDs. But | didn't take
no notice of him"
Now, Nabby, you may depend upon
it, it wasn't the pantaloons he was af-
I ter, lie wanted to see If you wouldn't
relent If he comes again, be little
pleasant to him, and I'll warrant he viii
stay. Give him another chance, Nab
by. Josiah isn't the worst fellow in the
world, by any means. He has his re-
dCemlng traits, after all. | believe he
will do better, If You Will try to help
him, You know Josiah is one that
bears q good deal of encouragement,
Nahby.'
Well Squire, I'll think it over
Anyhow I'm obliged to YOU You talk
SO sort of comfortin' to body. You're
your mothers own son just the same
good heart Would you be able to eat
some of my cheese, Squire ~
" Try me and see, Nobby,n said the
Squire, smiliugly, not impervious to
Naboy's compliments. Nabby made
hor exist, Just as Mrs Hosley rushed
Il, full OF wifely indignation that the
Squire had been allowed to see a
client
Nahby's home was over at tho cor,
ners, three miles from the village.
She walked rapidly along in the fast
tmckcuing darkness, with the steady,
strong gait becoming the self-reliant
woman that she was. Yet even her
imaginative nature was not proof
against the depressing influence OF the
emily, raw November evening. The
wud whistled through the bare tree
/ branches, which creaked and groaned
moummlly, and waved widely up and
down IN the dim light overhead. The
wind seemed to cherish n special spite
against Napby. 1t blew her bonnet of
and her hair into her eyes, struggled
madly with her for her shawl, took her
breath away, and firmly resisted her
every step. Finally, it began to send
spiteful dashes of cold rain drops in
her ioce-raiu that seemed to freeze
her rs it Tell.
n Insinh nsnl u rnrnn 49,, -, rr.AI,