The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1873-02-27

: down the broom, Reuben; you've
made tracks enough. You- folks shall
never have that handle, that I spend
your money on hired help"
"YOu're rather hard On'em, La.
viny," said Mr.. Hinkle 'they mean
well by you. Here's Phebe now been
and sent you something stiiling.
: told her what a fiZz your nerves had
, been in lately"
$50 you've been running me down
to your foIksr' cried Mrs. Hinkle,
glaring at her husband. "After all
stood from you, Reuben, its too
much.n
Mr.. Hinkle was n mild man-mild
as milk; but even the sweetest of
milk will sometimes turn sour in a
thunderstorm, and oft-recurring
matrimonial tempests had had their
effect upon him.
'I've always male excuses for you,
Laviny, and tried my best to live
Ipeaceable," said he, slowly "but /
believe faint in the power OF mortal
man to get along with yOu.p
Then, in a state of great amaZement
at himself, he went out to untackle
DObbin and SOW the turnip seed.
Listening in vain for the dinner horn,
he returned to the house half an hour
past noon to find the fire out, his I'M
lucky mud-prints dried upon the floor,
and his wife absent.
"GOne Offin a hUT to her sister
| Tripp's, L guess said ne, patiently
! setting out the Sunday remnant Of
beans. "pd have hitched up If I'd
have knowed she wanted to 20. She
wouldn't speak to me, s'pOse, cause
! I'd riled her. hadn't Oughter done it
that's a fact"
Having relieved his mind by this
last confession, Mr.. Hinkle ate his
dinner with an excellent appetite, and
Pin due time his supper also, his wife
hot having appeared.
81 expect she calculates for me to
go for her, and I'd better be off," said
he, as he strained the milk with ex-
treme care and deliberatiOn, and by
this means let slow stream trickle
down the out side of the pail upon the
spOtless pantry floor. "Why, if there
amt Ezra Tripp now ~ and as he
spoke, in at the west door came his
wife's brother-in-law, with unwilling
feet, as though gOaded on by the
spears OF the setting sun behind him.
"Laviny amt sick, I hope ?n said
Mr.. Hinkle, anXiOuslY.
mo, 'tisn'G that,n replied Mr..
Trip, twisting his fQrefinger under
his collar, as if his cravat choked |
"tisn'C that-but-"
'tShe's getting most out of patience
waiting for me, l suppose" suggested |
the unsuspecting Reuben. "Well, I'd 1
oughter gone afOre, only the of OK
broke through the fence, and"
"Laviny says she won't come |
back" interrupted Mr.. Trip, desper-
ately "fOr she's lived with you as
long as she can stand it ~
Mr.. Hinkle hopped down like a
starchless dicky.
81 might have knOwei she couldn't !
bear what do" groaned he. "This |
morning, when she was blowing OF 1
me, I spoke hash to her L don't see
how come to. But, Ezra, you don't |
think, now, she won't never come
round ?"
Mr.. Tripp muttered something about (
his sisteT-in-law being "pTetty resn- /
Inte,'' ssraG JvaEs4sd s--vs---
81 wish you'd carry over L9Viny'3 4
cough medicine" said Mr.. Hinkle, |
rousing himself. "Lord to think of |
her hacking in the night, and me not |
hearing her And Ezra, I'd take il .
kindly of you if you'd step in, in the .
morning and tell me how she Tested.p /
Mr.. Tripp consigned the bottle to his /
coat pocket, while Reuben, returned .
to the deserted kitchen, which already /
wore 4 masculine air, tilted his chair 4
against the wall, and listen ed to the |
dirges of the frogs, or gave expression 1
to his feelings by singing,
"As on some lonely buildings top
The sparrow tells her moan,
Far from the tents ofiOy and hope
Isit end grieve alone"
"a dreadful poor hand should be
to sit alone" commented he, as he
shuffied about to fasten the windows.
i'Laviny is q master-wOman for
making things lively. Somehow
can't bear to lock her out ~ and it is
fact worthy of note that the faithful
Reuben, for the first time in his mar
ried life, went to bed leaYing the porch
door un6olted.
If he had cherished q 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-
tiOn reign ed.
Seems if was just a framework, |
with nothing inside" said the poor
man, moving about the chaotic kitch- I
en- in d hushed manner, like a person .
at funeral; "the pith is all Knocked I
out Of me-"
But notwithstanding this alarming /
internal condition, by dint of burning I.
three fingers he succeeded in making /.
a lumpy hasty-pudding for breakfast, /
and also a cup of coffee, which, by /
reason of the large amount of fish
skin that settled it, bore an unDleas-
ant Tesem blance to chOwder. As he I
was sitting at this frugal repast his
sister Phebe fiOunced in.
"Has Laviny left you, Reuben ? II /
can't be-"
Mr.. Hinkle nodded his head solemn
ly, his mouth being not available just .
then as an organ Ofspeech.
"The worst is her Own,n stOrmed /
Miss Phebe, raining q shower OF hair
pins from her falling chignOn. "I
guess we sha'nt die on her account ~ /
This reflection seemed To convey no /
consolation to bIr. HinIle.
'You never felt right toward Law
my" said he, sOrrOwfully. 4 don't /
lay this up again her, her clearing out; /
I blame it on to Miss Niddlins. She /
always had a dreadful faculty for OF
settling Laviny."
Miss Phebe had q c0ntemptuous .
nose, turned upward at.the end like n /
sled runner. 1t curled higher yet at
this remark.
az wish you had some OF my spirit, /
Reuben Hlnkle," said she, cOiIing her /
back hair with rapid circular motion, /
as if she were winding herself up 'if 1
you had, you wouldn't 90 nigh Laviny |
for one while. She's contrary, and de- !
pend upon it she'll be n great deal /
more apt to come back if you don't /
tease her. I'll keep house for you, so I
don't you be a mite concerned
Mr.. Hinkle grOaned in answer. As /
dough Is without yeast, so was he 1
without Laviny. ale needed her to .
and though tOrtures would not have
equally true that Laviny needed him .
safest hidden IN its three measures of /
Llcdls NGL ldLuAls III lltE nuSDduu' ) f
presence, Mrs. Hinkle had been a I
patient Griselda compared to what she /
now was, freed from home restraints. /
She fretted and fumed in an explosive Z
manner, raising an Unwonted fermen-
tatiOn in the Trip household. She
hated his folks she hated Reuben for 1
not hating them; she hated herself !
for having borne their interference so /
long; and declared he had not had /
''tbe temper Of q hy''-which, indeed,
was quite true. But as the week wore
on without bringing the coveted /
vision Of her husband at her feet, the
Of her mood was fast sub
siding, when the rumOr that Miss
Phebe was welding her domestic
seeptre agitsted it tanew. Pretty work
it was, to be crowded out Of her own
home hy his folks, she knew now