Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-15


al might have knowed she couldn't bear
what 1 DO" grOaned he. This morning when
she was blowing of me, spoke hash to her: I
don't don't see how VI comefo; But, Ezra, You don't
Mr.. Tripp muttered something about his
sister-in-law being "pretty resOlute," and
al wish you'd carry over Laviny,s cough
medicine" said Mr.. Hinke, rousing himself.
Lord to think of her hacking i'm the night.
and me not hearing her! And, Ezra, I'd take
il kindly Of you il you'd step in in the morning
and tell me how she rested"
Mr.. Trip consigned the bottle to his coat
pocket, while Reuben. returning to the deserted
kitchen, which already wore a masculine air,
tilted his chair against the wall. and listened to
the dirges OF the frogs, gave expression to his
feelings by singing,
"As on some lonely buildings top
The sparrow tells her moan,
Far from the tents of joy and hone
sit and grieve alone"
80 \ dreadful poor hand should be to sit
alone" con mented he, as he shuffied about to
fasten the windows. "Iayiny is a master-wo-
man for making things lively. Somehow
can't bear to lOck her Out;' and it is a fact
worthy of note that the faithful Reuben, for the
first time in his married life, went to bed leay-
ing the porch door unbolted.
II he had cherished vague hope that his
wife might steal home in the early morning, he
certainly saw no traces of her ruling presence
on rising. Instead, the abomination of desola-
ton reigned.
..Seems's if i was just a framework. with
about the chaotic kitchen in hushed mannef'
IKE person at funeral; "the pitch is ali
knocked out of me-"
But Notwithstanding this alarming internal
condition, by dint Of burning three fingers he
succeeded in making a lumpy hasty-puddiny
for breakfast, and also a cup of coffee which,
by reason OF the large amount of hsh-skin that
settled II, bore an unpleasant resemblance TO
ehowder. As he was sitting at this frugal re-
past his sister Phebe founced in.
HAS Layiny left YOU, Reuben? IT can't be-
10 "a hfS hoo
month being not available just then As an or
gan of speech.
The worst is her own :" stormed Miss Phebe.
raining shower of hair-pins from her falling
ehignon SCI guess We sha'nt die on her ac-
COUNT"
This reflection seemed tc convey no consols-
% You never felt right toward Lavinv,n said
he, sOrrOwfully. 81 don't lay this up agin her.
her clearing out; blame it on TO Miss Niadlins
She always had dreadful faculty for onset
Miss Phebe had contemptuous nose, turned
upward at the end like a shed runner liz
curled higher vet at this remark.
81 wish you had some of INV spirit Reuben
Hinkle.' said she, coiling her back hair with "a
rapid circular motion, as if she were winding
aShr 9 5pi o." You bad yon wouldn't go nigh
pend upon it she'll be great deal more apt to
come back if you don't tease her. III keen
house for you, so don't you be a mite concerned y
MI HlnkIe groaned in answer. As dough is
without yeast, so was he without Laviny. " He
needed her to keep him up" he said, patheti-
caliy, and though fortunes would not have
wrung from her the confession, it was equally
true that Laviny needed him to keep her down.
Some leaven Is safest hidden in its three mea-
sures OF meal Certainly, in her husbands
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
hated his folks, she hated Reuben for not hat
ing them, she hated herself for having borne
their interference 30 long, and declared she had
not had 1.-THE temper of hy"-which, indeed,
was quite true. But as tue week wore on with
out bringing theroveted vision of her husband
at her feet, the effervescence of her mood was
last subsiding, when therumor that Miss Phebe
was welding her domestic scenter agtatcd il
anew. Pretty work il was, to be crowded out
OF her own home by his folks. She knew now
why Reuben did not come. They had been
setting him against her. What If he should
never come? For the first time this thought in
trItded itself, ami in her anguish she sou ght re-
lief IN the camphOr bottle. What right had
Phebe IN her kitchen. sOiacing Reuben with de-
leetable cookery. when he should have been
huagering In solitude after his wife? She de-
claTed such conduct would provoke saint,
though she did not give her authority for this
CONVECTION One thing was sure, Phebe should
Eot nave the washing OF her teaspoons, and
without delay Mrs. Hinkle sent a juvenile TIipp
70 le1oye these and other personal valuables,
choosing the dinner hour for the GRAND, that
the scenic effect might be greater. When Mr.
Hinkie wasforeed to stir his tea with a fork
ne NOult De III more haste to cIliate
Ms VIE! The plan was well laid; but it failed
IN the execution thrOu IN the hardness of little
Joe, who. having woodchuck to attend to on
the way, did not reach mis- uncle's till the re-
mains OF the dinner lay cold on the pantry
shelf. and Mr.. Hinkle was half a mile away at
his afternoon piOwing.
Miss Phebe sent the spoons obedcntly, in
wardiy resolved that Reuben should not know
OF this proof Of "Lavinys ugIness, ~ for she was
well aware that only her own repeated assur-
anees that Layiny would soften toward him if
ieit 70 herself had kept him passive thus far.
" Seems II i wasn't doing the handsome
thing not TO go nigh her," he often said ..
fetching her?'' =
III she comes of her free-will she'll be likely
to STAY put" Miss Phebe would answer; '.but
Try to drive her, anu you know what Laviny
AIR. Hinkle did know, unfortunately. and.
knowing. schooled himself 70 patient waiting.
Tbus the days wore on, and he plOdde
through the spring work. eheered little in
making him comfortable, while Laviny morti-
fed and then alarmed by his non-appearance,
worried herself into a course Of exasperating
sick-Aeadaches. and in every sense shut out the
sunlight from the house of the Trips. In the
m idst Of paiRt-scrubbing Mrs. Trip found no
leisure to devoee 10 her complaining sister, but
LEFT one OF her children to wait upon her. Mrs.
Hlnkle felt abused. When had Reuben been
too busy 70 battle her aching temples? Little
Joe made her nervous As q witch, and ono day
sue tsid him so, anil moment after had fhe
VI hOdhh1S nm soy W nis InUSucf III
the kitchen that he Couldn't get along with
Amt aviny hohOws
NY, that was just what Reuben had said
keuten, who had never spoken hastily to her
in his life: Was she an uneomfortable person
to live with?
.'Tain't in the power o. mortal man to get
along with you, Laxiny," The words came
back 10 her with the startling force Of proof
text. and haunted her afterwaEd continually.
III must have been in rb nbarb time, for Aaide-
lion greens had gone by, when one morning
little Joe rushed in with the terrible tidings
that 'Vncle Reuben had fallen ker-chunk
from a beam I'm the barn"
Mrs. Hinkle tore the bandages from her head
and started up.
"where's my bonnet, Susan? I'm going
home!"
. :. Maybe he isn't badly injured. Wait till We
hear further urged Mrs. Trip.
tell you I'm going home, Susan Trip!
Where's my bonnet?'' and matching il by the
string. Mrs; Hinkle sprang into the wagon just
vacated by her nephew and drove away at a
doctors pace.
Little Joe turned a series of ann area ults and