The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-11-29
HOW {!

| little too ready to nght up at q minute
notice but there are some words that
seem to me to carry an especial grain OF
| cunpowder in them, and the above Is
one O the sort TO have person, after
yon've been through long explanation,
to put his fingers to his mental ears
and query you thus, or worse still,
| " Haow2' is too eXasperatlng Tor
human nature to bear. But that's what
John Stringer did to me, bending his
head little nearer, and speaking III an
absent, aggravating manner that tanta-
lied me beyond words.
You see John Stringer and | were en-
gagged we'd been engaged for a long
time, and perhaps had got to be little
too matter of course to each other.
We were sitting there over the fire,
after the old folks had gone to bed,
and | fell to telling him of Sophie
Mills wedding-her white silk dress,
her bride cake, and her bridemaids
frosted all over to match it, and | end
ed this way:
"But it don't make any difference,
John, to people that love each other !;
all that's o no more account than last
years snow-drift. They could be mar
ried III calico and nomespun, with
their feet on a rag carpet like this, and
love each other just as we'll"
"How?" said John, absently. He
was watching the Goals flicker up and
die out again, and picking up stray
chip now and then to fling on the en-
bers-a fashion he had when he was
thinking.
Now [ had had the headache all day,
r 7 1, 1
than usual, though [ didn't think so
then; but when John bent his great
broad shoulders over, as if he hadn't
heard word [ said, and. in fact, had
something better to occupy his mind,
Just fired up, first, and then the blaze
died down into sulks, and when
we parted that night John and | had
our first and last quarrel.
Ny heart did not misgive me that
when | saw Johns tall figure going out
the door, it was the last time he'd lift
the latch for many year; but 50 it
was.
You see | held NY head pretty high
in those days, and [ wouldn't show that
was bit cut up about it, SO L paired
off with Mrs Plumbers Jesse, a likely,
spruce young fellow enough, but no
more to be compared with John than a
cockle-shell is to a brigantine.
Oh, well, mother sighed, and tried
right hard to bring us together again,
but it wasn't to be.
John was a powerful, muscular man,
and used to see him go up the road
many time when [ was in the shed
milking, and, peeping out at him
through the chinks, | thought his
broad shoulders stopped more than
ever, and his figure was growing more
slalky-ike. Such an awkward fellow
as John was | came near rushing
ont to him once, with my sunbonnet
on, and my sleeves rolled up, and fling
ing my arms around his neck, but John
liked to see folks tidy, aud SO l never
did it.
Jesse Plumber was the beau o the
yillage-~dapper, neat, and dainty as
you please; and all the girls thought
had come to my senses when | clustered
'em o Jesse. And by and by it was Jess
that come sparkin o nights, and sat o
winter evenings over the embers, and
he was so soft spoken and pleasant that
even mother forgot her vexation. (She
always set store by John, mother did.
Well, III the spring We were married,
and had string o pearls and a real
silk bridal dress, and felt kind O lifted
!. like when the girls crowded round me
and hoped Ia be happy. | hoped SO,
too; wasn't sure of it.
Remembering the day that came
after, | can't recall one hard word |
ever heard from Jess. We weren't near
enough to each other to quarrel we
Just LAID apart like two odd volumes :;
there wasn't any fire 'twixt us, nor any
thing 'twixt us, either love or laughing,
whereas John and [ had always been
bubbllng over one way and another.
[ worked hard, for my silk dress and
necklace were all had OF riches !; and
[ cut up my gown one day TO make a
cloak for the baby. You see [ couldn't
give up my pride, and was just as high
spirited as ever. But our farm didn't
prosper, and Jesse didn't prosper and
Mrs. Plumber came to live with us, to
look after things, she said and she
got to pitying him every now and then
for marrying a poor wife, and-oh we'll,
what's the use of talking ?-sometlmes
L couldn't help.wishing John Stringer.s
strong shoulders were at the wheel,
when / was working myself 70 death
morning and night for nothing.
Then when the baby grew bigger |
took to teaching an A B class as L
used to before | was married; put