The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-11-07


Mrs. Plumber came to live with us, to
look after things, she said; and she goi
to pitying him every now and then fo,
marrying a poor wife, and-oh, well,
what's the use O talking ?-sometimes
l couldn't help wishing John Stringer's s
strong shoulders were at the wheel,
when l was working myself to death
morning and night for nothing.
Then when baby grew bigger 1 took
to teaching an A B G class as 1 used to
before 1 was married; but what little l
knew had run wild since then, and I
couldn't keep the boys straight some
how; and the girls didn't care about
samplers, for the sewing machine had
ridden right over everything. Then
Jess fell i'll o the fever, and with all the
tuning and fretting and nursing of his
mother, and with all my watching day
and night, somehow he slipped off be-
tween US. And found myself widow,
with the ill-fared, wasted farm on my
hands, and Mother Plumber drizzling
and maudering after Jess in a way to
break my heart.
But l kept my spirit up yet, and 1
advertised half the place for sale at the
Court House; for if could sell it we
should skin through somehow on an
acre or two, thought.
Well, who do you suppose came over
one sunny afternoon as / was sanding
the kitchen? Who, to be sure, but
John Stringer, large as life-s little
gray mayhap, and little more angular,
but keen and strong as ever. He'd a
use for that bit O. land, it seemed, and
had had his eye on it along back. al
ways was wanting what wasn't his,
Mother Plumber said. She owed him
grudge for being more forehanded
than Jess.
1t took a deal of looking after and
lawyering and surveying to settle it
and 1 used to see John Stringer's stoop-
ing shoulders and broad felt hat down
just beyond the rise of the meadow time
and again. But he scarce ever came
near the door, till one day can't tell
how it was-when the settlements were
to be made. l just took my baby up
stairs and had good cry for that bit
O land had been Jess favorite piece,
and mother Plumber had been marrying
me all day about it.
"The ways O Providence are so
strange y said Mother Plumber, laying
her specs down atop O the big Bible,
and putting on that awfully patient air
which was wearing me to skin and bone
-"past finding out. Now if Jess had
married Sophie Mills that was, and you--"
But l did not wait to hear any more
ASH say, just caught up baby and
went off to the garret. And while sat
by the cobwebbed window, Mrs. Barrett
Sophie Mills that was-went riding
by in their new spring wagon, she and
her half dozen children, round and rosy
as barrel of apples. Sophie nodded
and smiled to some one coming up the
road; and looking along, / saw John
Stringer walking, thoughtful like, right
up to our gate, just as he used to come
in counting days-for John never had
any foolish ways about him. l saw
Sophie look back at him as she and the
children, with their fiuttering ribbons
and gay ginghams, disappeared at the
turn o. the road. Then l smoothed my
hair and washed my face and went down.
The time of settlement had come, 1
knew.
"Mary Ann," said John, gravely,
"the lawyer will De here presently but
reckon we can make it all clear in our
own minds without his help. And I've
I've settled it, in fact, that there are
certain conditions on which I'll take the
land-if you agree"
Then feV into passion. louve
been long enough making up your
mind" says I. 81 don't throw my land
at anybody's feet, and 1 haven't asked
any favors of you, leastways, John
Stringer."
"Softly, there, softly!" says John,
putting out his hand. "Don't be in
furry, little woman"
"John Stringer," says |, all in heat,
" you're Just the same man you was
years ago when you thought was al
ways firing up every time you got out O
temper yourself.
"And weren't you. little woman?"
said John, quite gravely. Don't wo-
men foil always like their own way bet
ter that anything else? ?"
"You don't know anything about wo-
men ?" 1 cried, "any more than you
did then. You thought l wanted silks
and furbelows more than-than-"
Ethan You did me, )" said John; ;"and
right enough you was, too, if you could
ha' 60. 'em. / always said so, Mary
Ann"
"Any man with half an eye would
have known BETTER" says i, hotiy.
"How? ?" said John. His great hulk
ing figure lifted itself up, and he looked
at me with those sharp brown eyes that
used to give me a start in the old times.
d" How? p he repeated, softly. "Doyou
mean to say / was mistaken years ago"