The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-05-22

boys straight somehow, and th
girles didn't care for samplers
the sewing machine had ridden righ
over everything. Then Jesse fel
i'll o. the fever, and with all the fun
ling and fretting and nursing of hi
mother, and with all my watchin,
day and night, somehow he Slipped
off between us. And found mysel
a widow, with the ill-fared, wasted
farm on my hands, and Mothe
Plumber drizzling and maunderin!
after Jess in a way to break m!
heart.
But 1 kept my spirits up, and
advertised half the place for sale a
the courthouse; for ifI should sci
it we should skin through somehow
on an acre or two I thought.
Well, who do you suppose came
over one sunny afternoon as I was
lstanding In the kitchen? Who, to
be sure, but John Stringer, large as
Ilife-a little gray mayhap, and lit
tie more angular, but keen and strong
as ever. He'd use for that bit OF
To- land, it seemed, and had had his
ieye on it long back. Always want
ing what wasn't his,'' Mother Plum
Der said. She owed him a grudge
for being more beforehand than Jess.
1t took a good deal of looking after
and lawyering and surveying, and
the Lord knows what, to settle it;
and l used to see John Stringer's s
stooping 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-I can't tell how it Was-when
the settlements we're to bemade, I just
took baby up stairs and had a good
cry; for that bit O. land had been
Jesse's favorite piece, and Mother
Plumber had been harrying me all
day about it.
"The ways of Providence are so
stranger said Mother Plumber, lay
ing her specs down on the Bible, and
putting on that aWfully patient air
which was wearing me to skin and
hone-"past finding out. Now if
Jess had married Sophie Mills that
was, and you''-
! But l did not wait to hear any
more. AS say, 1 just caught up
baby and went off to the garret.
And while I sat by the cobwebbed
window, Mrs. Barret-Sophie Mills
that was-Went riding by in their
new spring -Wagon-she and her half
dozen children, round and rosy as a
barrel Of apples. Sophie nodded
and smiled to some one coming up
the road; and looking along 1 saw
John Strlnger walking, thoughtful
like, right up to our gate, just as he
used to come in our courting days
for John never had any foolish ways
about him. L saw Sophie look back
at him as she and the children, with
their futtering ribbons and gay
Iginghams, disappeared at the turn
of the road. Then l smoothed my
hair and washed my face and went
down. The time of settlement had
come, Iknew.
"Mary Ann" said John, gravely,
"the lawyer will be here presently
but I reckon we can make it all clear
lin our own minds without his helm.
And Tve-T've settled it, in fact,
there are certain conditions on which
I'll take the land-if you agree"
Then I few into passion.
l"You've been long enough in making
lup your mind" says l. 81 don't
throw my land at anybody's feet,
and I haven't asked any favors of
YOU, leastWays, John Stringer."
"SOftly, there, softly!" says John,
Iputting out his hand. "Don't be in
a hurry, little woman"
"John Stringer," says I, all in q
heat, 'you're just the same man you
was years ago when you thought I
was always firing up every time you
got out o temper yourself"
"And weren't you, little woman :
said John, quite gravely. 'Don't
women folks always like their own
way better than anything else?"
You don't know anything about
women" 1 cried, "any more than
you did then. You thought 1 want
ed silks and furbelows more than
than
ethan you did me-" said John;
"and right enough you was, too, if
you could ha' got 'em. 1 always
said so, Mary Ann
"Any man with half an eye would
Ihave known BETTER" says 1 hotly.
"How?" said John, His great
lhulking figure lifted itself up, and
lhe looked st me with those SHARP
Ibrown eyes that used to give me q
start in the old time.
"How?" he repeated softly. "Do
you mean to say l was mistaken
! years ago?" His big, brown hand
was all OF q tremble as he held il
Iout to me. "Little woman, little
woman" says he, "let's ha' dont
with it all now, and let it all be a
if it never was"
Presently Mother Plumer put he
head in the door. "'Pears to m,
that lawyers making a long spell o
it," says she. "Ben't you amos
tired O waitin' for him, Mr.. String
ler?"
81 guess we've settled it prett,
much without the lawyer" says John
rising; "and that is the condition
I had to propose, Mary Ann-to tax
, you and the meadow land together! ?
And he did.
How Conee Came to be Used
I II L.