Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-02-22


fingers he succeeded i'm making cup OF
hasty-pudding for breakfast. and also
cup OF coffee, which. by reason Of the
large amount of fish-skin that settled it.
bore an unpleasant resemblance to chow
der. As he was sitting at this frugal re-
past his sister Phob- flOunced in.
elias Laviny left you, Reuben? 1t can't
be-"
Mr.. Hinkle nodded his head sOlemnly,
his mouth not being available just then as
an organ of speech.
The worst is her Own,' StOrmed Miss
Phebe. raininga shower OF hair-pins from
her falling chignOn. Il guess we shan
die on her account"
This reflection seemed to convey no con-
ISOLATION to Mr.. IIinkle.
"You never felt right toward Laviny."
said he, sorrowfully. ~ don't lay this
up agin her. her clearing out 4; blame 1t
on t. Miss Niddlins. She alwaS had a
dreadful faculty for Onsettling Laviny.'
Miss Phebe had cOntemptuOus nose,
turned upward at the end like sled run
ner. 1t curled higher yet at this remark.
IL wish you had some of my spirit
Reuben Hinkle," said she. cOiling her
back hair with a rapid circular motion, as
if she were winding herself up; II you
had, you wouldn't go nigh Lavlny for one
while. She's contrary, and depend upon
it she'll be great deal more apt to come
back if you don't tease her. Ill keep
house for you, so don'tyo be mite con-
cerned."
Mr. Hinkle grOaned in answer. As
dough is without yeast, so was he with
out Laviny. "IIe needed her to keep him
up" he said pathetically. and though tor
lures would not have wrung from her the
confession, it was equally true that La
vny needed him to keep her down. Some
leaven is safest hidden in its three nlea-
sures of meal. Certainly, in her hus-
bands presence, Mrs. Hinkle had been a
patient Griselda compared to what she
now was, freed from home restraints.
She fretted and fumed in an explosive
manner. raising an unwOnted fermenta-
| ton in tn. Tripp household. She hated
| his folks. she hated Reuben for not hating
them, she hated herself for having borne
their interference so long, and declared
she had not had the temper OF fly
which. indeed. was quite true. But as
the week wore on without bringing
the coveted vision of her husband a!
her feet, the effervescence OF her mood
was fast subsiding. when the rumor that
Miss Phebc was welding her domestic
scepter agitated it anew. Pretty work II
was to be crowded out of her own home
BY his folks. She knew now why Reuben
did not come. They had been settins
him against her. What if he should never
Gomez For the first time this thought in
truded itself. and in her anguish sh'
soupht relief in the camphOr bottle
What right had Phebe in her kitchen
solacing Reuben with delectable cookery
when he should have been hungering II
solitude after his wife? She declared
such conduct would provoke saint
though she did not give her authority 10
this conviction. One thing was sure
Phebe should not have the washing o
her teaspoons, and without delay Mrs
Hinkle sent a juvenile Trip to remov
these and other personal valuables, chOOs
inp the dinner hour for the errand, tina
the scenic effect might be greater. Whe
Mr.. Uinkle was forced to stir his tea Wit
a fork. perhaps he would be in more hast
TO conciliate his wife. The plan was we
; laid, though it failed in the executio
through the tardiness of little Joe, who
having a wOOdchuck to attend to on tn
way. did not reach his uncle's till the n
mains of the dinner lay cold on the pantr
shelf. and Mr.. Hinkle was half mil
away at his afternoon plOwing.
Miss Phebe sent the spoons obedientl,
, inwardly resolving that Reuben shOul
! not know of this proof OF "Lavlny s u:
l liness,' for she was well aware that onl
her own repeated assurances that Lawn
!, would soften toward him II LETT 10 herst
! had kept him passive thus lar.
e ..Seem's if wasn't doing the handson
q thing not to 90 nigh her." he often SAT-
i i IL wonder whether or no she amt coun
L | 6. 70,
Eff she comes of her free.will she'll
u likely to stay put" Miss Phebe wOu
n answer: but try to drive her, and "
Is know what Laviny is.'
D Mr.. Hinkle did know, unfOrtunatel
and. knowing, schooled himself to patie
70 waiting.
he Thus the days wore on, and he plOdd
X through the spring work, cheered lit
il i'm spite of himself by Miss Phebe's eal
he est efforts at making him comfOrtab
n while Laviny, mortified and then alarm
ra by his non-appearance, worried hers
ne into course of exasperating sick-he;
", aches. and i'm every sense shut out the 81
On lipht from the house of the Trips.
nd the midst of paint-scrubbing Mrs. Trl
fnund no leisure to devote to her co
[r. nlainjnp sister. but left one of her childl
TO wait upon her. Mrs. Hinkle felt abus
'p, When had Reuben been too busy to pa
ar, her aching temples? Little Joe made
lat nervous as a witch, and one day she
him so, and moment after had the sa
ice faction of hearing him say to his mot
ed in the kitchen that he couldn't get ale
I'd with Aunt Laviny nohow."
Ike Why. that was just what Reuben
said-Reuben, who had never spo
&" hastily to her in his life! was sne an
for comfortable person to live with!
AN "'Tain't in the power OF mortal maj
get along with you. Laviny." Inc We
CHI came back to her with the startlng Il
of a nroOf-text. and haunted her af
mt ward continually.
his II must have been in rhubarb time.
me. dandeliOn greens had gone by, when
w morning little Joe rushed in with the
nix. rible tidirgs that ''Uncle Reuben
fallen ker-chunk from a beam In
his barn."
and Mrs. Hinkle tore the bandages from
head and started up.
rvs "Where's my bonnet, Susan! I'm g
,us- homev :,
,cS- 'c Maybe he isn't badly injured.
'ar, till we hear further" urged Mrs. III
!, II II tell you Pm going home, 5
me- Tripp! Where's my bonnetT
' snatching it by the string, Mrs. Hl
his sprang into the wagon just vacated o
, to nephew, and drove away at doctors
yore Little Joe turned series OF somers
the the and then lay writhing on the grass IN
the t of uncomfortable giggling. ..0.
ings Dloh A9nI Ia LID Psnhen wasn't
mite, but she wouldn't let me tell
Tee-hee-hee!"
Yet, though no bones were broke
the fall. it is fact that Mr.. Hinkle
= to his two hundred pounds avolrdupol,,
filed siderably shaken, and he was actuail
nv is cording to his wife's prediction, "t
vely. ing down on the lounge tho,r ~ ri'1 r.s, ~
. the her frightened face in the doorway.
, his "Why, bless your heart! come rig
,orch Laviny.'' said he. And she went II
shut the door.
that Five minutes afterward. as Miss
early lifted the iatch' size hs'i' i''i ''7
,f her ! law say -