The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1875-10-07
Roberts Wife.

Roberts Wife.
81 am real sorry about Uncle
james 90
There was real sorrow i'm Robert
Franklin's voice and eyes as ne spoke,
and the lady who listened drew her
merry, sauoy face into d0loFOus puck
ers TO suit the occasion.
''BeeaUse you sep," continued Rob-
ert, i'he faneies because you have
twenty thousand dollars that you are
fine lady, affected and useless, not
the wife for poor farmer" go
I'VE must show him bis mistake, |"
was the reply.
"But he will not see you. He posi-
lively forbids your coming over tO the
farm"
"Does does be know We are mar
ried ?p
81 have not dared to tell him. Cow
ardIy, is it not? He is my only
relative and love him dearly. 1t is
not because he owns the farm and can
leave little money, Daisy"
"Hush, love, I know" Daisy an
swered, putting a soft, white hand
over her husbands lips.
al have had no other father or
mother, either, for that matter, in all
my life," continued Robert, land IL
the farm is dreary, it is home"
"And you do not like to be ban
ished Well, you will keep your
promise, and send Jane over to see
me, you shall not be. Now, talk Of
something else. Oh, how can / let
you 90 for two long months ~
For Robert Franklin had underta-
ken to gofn person Co see aUodl some
Western lands in which his uncle had
invested, and which threatened to in
volve him in loss. Daisy could not
well take the long journey, and be-
sides, Daisy had other schemes in her
wise little head. Loving Robert well,
she resolved to remove the only shad.
Ow from his life-the resolute OppOsi-
ton Of his uncle to fine lsdy wife.
Robert franklin had been gone
from the farm three days wher his
uncle yielded most reluctantly to the
panRs OF his old enemy, chronic rheu-
matism, and told Jane, his old ser
want, that he must remain in his
room. The old woman answered
promptly:
'If you are going to be laid up, Mr..
Franklin, l must have some help.
Pm getting old, too, sir, and tr0tting
up and down stsirs isn't so easy as il
was twenty years ago !'' %
"But who will come, Jare? Girls
are not plenty here, as you know"
"I've a niece, sir, who would come to
NJ e, though she never lives out"
''Send for her, then, and-oh-rub
my leg, will you ?"
Late in the afternoon a little hustle
below stairs told the invalid of the ar
rival of the niece.
She came with one trunk, in u
wagon, from the railway station, and,
standing in the wide, dreary-lOoking
kitchen, looked picture of healthful
beauty. Soft, Drown curls gathered
in rich knot left crinkey ringlets on
her forehead aud caressi1g the round,
white throat; large brown eyes lighted
q sweet, fair face, and the heat dress Of
blue woOlen covered dainty figure.
''Will you go up stairs, Miss-?"
Jane hesitated.
margaret !" said tha new conner /;
dOl 4 OoiA y wi nACCC lcca
you do. My name is Margaret. Has
Mr.. Franklin had his supper 2n
mot yet There's dinner, you see,
scarcely tasted.
Margaret looked at her big tray, the
blue plate with food hesped upon it,
the two-pronged fork and .haif-soiIed
napkin and did not wonder at the
neglected food.
"Show me where things are and
will get the supper" she said.
Jane led her from closet to closet.
In one was set OF gilt-edged china,
some fine table linen, table silver and
glass.
"Those were bought thirty years
ago." whispered Jane, "when Mr..
Franklin expected to be married. She
died and they have never been used. /"
With her pretty face ssddened by
the hidden tragedy of those few words,
Margaret took a small tray FROM the
shelf and covered it with a snowy
napkin, selected what she wanted
from the closet and went again to the
Kitchen.
James franklin, weary with the eff
fort to hold book in his aching hands
was now sitting in a deep arm chair
musing, when Margaret tapped at the
door.
"Come in"
But he started as she Obeyed. Such
q sweet, bright face was new in the
dismal old farmhouse, strongly in
contrast with the bare, meagre room
and desOlate air surrounded her.
81 have brought your supper,n she
said, drawing a little table near the
arm chair and covering iJ with q
white cloth. Then, going to the door,
she entered again with tray. Upon
q white, china dish wa half chicken,
delicately Drowned, potato roasted
in the ashes, and a slice of buttered
toast and besides this, a delicate cup
full of fragrant tea.
"You must not scOld il have any
thing wrong" said a clear, sweet
voice, "because Aunt Jane is too busy
to look after me. / cleaned the fork
and spoon, for silver gets dreadfully
blaokn-then more tenderiy as she
marked the painful effort to move the
tortured fiBgers-''Let me cut the
chicken, sir"
Grimly wondering, the old man suf-
fered himself To be fed, finding appe-
tlte as the weli-prepared food was
eaten, and listening, well pleased, to
the CHEEKY voice so unfamiliar t. his
lonely life.
"Jane, p Margaret said. sitting down
the tray in the kitchen again. al
don't wonder he Is sick. No eIrpet,
no curtains, that great hearse Of = bed
and nothing pretty near him.
"It's all clean, said Jane.
ssClean as wax, but oh so doleful.
Can't we dx up cosy room 90
rrhere's rooms enough. Six on
that floor" said Jane, ''and none used
but the one Mr.. FrSnklin's in, and
Mr.. Roberts, the little one next to
it."
"Well, we'll see Tomorrow. Can ]
have q man to send to tDwn If I wauit
anything ?"
@Tbere's men enough. viii yor
sleep down here tonight, or in one o
the rooms up stairs ?"
"Down here in the room next tC
yours" E -rs a-
ats all ready. III go up now ane
make Mr.. Franklin comfortable foI
the night.
"Comfortable ~ Margaret said, ,shiv
sring. 500 fl lIIe
But the next morning, after putin;
tempting breakfast before the inva
lid, Margartt selected the vacant bed
room she meant to besutify for hi
use. 1t was large, with four windows
light and cheerful and well suited q
her purpose. In the intervals OF di
rectipg Jane. sending the man to tow
with her orders, aud giving her owl
, dainty touch to everything, Margare
visited the invalid, reading to him
chatting with him and making tn
long hours fly by. 1t was late In tn
I afternoon when she came in to say:
eMr. Franklin the roo1n aeroaz th