South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-09-10

menus afe 70 We kept up 10 the Gay, and
Tomorrow you 60 to the Rolly's who
live nearly opposite to them. and tell 'em
to keep an eye on the widow, or we shall
loose another machine"
You needn't be afraid, father" he
said, coldly; they're honest enough.
only poor"
was just in that humor that I want
ed to quarrel with somebody. and that
did it.
when / ask you for your opinion,
young man, you give it to me. and when
tell you to do thing. you do it, I
says. in as savage a way as ever spoke
to the lad. lyon go over tomorrow and
tell Rolly's to keep a strict lookout on
those people--dO You hear?"
Father" he says, looking me full in
the face, II couldn't insult them by do.
ing such a thing" when without, anoth-
er word. he walked quietly out of the
shop, leaving me worse than ever.
1t was about 8 o'clock that was sit
ting by the parlor fire. with the wife
working and very quiet, when Luke
came In from the workshop with book
under his arm, for he had been toting
up the mems piecewor<, and what was
due to them, and the sight OF him made
me feel rs if must quarrel.
He saw it, too, but he said nothing,
only put the accounts away and began
to read.
The wife saw the storm brewing. and
she knew how put out was. for L had
not yet lit my pipe, noryet had my even
So she did what she knew so we'll how
to do-filled my pipe, forced it into my
hand, and just as was going to dash il
to pieces in the ashes, she gave me one
of her old looks, kissed me on the fore
head as with one hand she pressed me
back into my chair. and then with the
other she lit splint and held it to my
tobacco.
/ was done. She always gets over
me like that, and after smoking in ST.
lence for half an hour, was lying back,
with my eyes closed, dropping off to
sleep, when the wife said (what had gone
before hadn't heard y
Yes, he's asleep"
THAT woke me up, of course, and If |
didn't lie there shamming and heard all
they said in n whisper!
How came you TO make him more
vexed than he was, Lullc?" says the wife
and he told her.
Il couldn't do it. mother" he said. ex-
citedly. 1T was heart breaking. She's
living in a wrctched room there with her
daughter, and, mother, when saw her
felt rs if-there! l can't tell you"
Go on, Luke" she said.
They're half starved he said in n
husky way. "Oh mother, it's horrible.
Such sweet, beautiful girl. and the
poor woman herself dying almost with
some terrible disease
The wife sighed.
"They told me-" he went on, how hard
they had tried to live by the ordinary
needlework, and failed. and that rs last
resource they had tried to get the ma
chine"
Poor things!' said the wife; ''but
are you sure the mother was a LADY,"
"A clergyman's widow" said Luke
hastily; There isn't doubt about it.
Poor girl and they've got to learn to
use it before it will be of any use
Poor girl, Luke?" says the wife, soft
ly; and L saw through my cyelashes that
she laid n hand upon his arm, and
was looking curiousy at him, when if he
didn't cover his face with his hands,
rest his elbows on the table, and give q
low groan Then the old woman got up,
stood behind his chair like the foolish
old mother would.
Mother" he says, suddenly, "will you
go and see them?'
She didn't answer for minute, only
stood looking down at him, and then
said, softly:
They paid you the first money!"
NO" he says. hotly. IL hadn't the
heart TO take it,
Then that money you paid was yours,
LiIke?"
Yes, mother" Inc says, simply; and
those two stopped looking one ut the o.
Their, till the wife bent down and kissed
him, holding his head afterward, for n
few moments, between her hands for
she always did worship that chap, our
only one and then ! closed NY eyes
tight and went on breathing heavy and
thinking.
For something like new revelation
had come upon me. knew Luke was
five and twenty, and that was fifty -four,
but be always seemed like boy TO me,
and here was | waking up TO the fact
that he was grown man, and that he
was thinking aud feeling as | first thought
and felt when l saw his mother, nigh
upon eight and twenty years ago.
lay back, thinking and telling my
self | was very savage with him for de-
ceiying me, and that / wouldn't have
him and his mother laying plots togeth-
or against me. and that wouldn't stand
by and see him make a fool OF himself
with the first pretty girl hc set eyes
! ON, when he might marry Maria Turner.
the engineers daughter, and have n nice
bit Of money with her, 20 put into the
business. and then be my partner.
+ NO ] says; 'if you plot together.
. I'll plot all alone " and then pretended
to wake up, took no notice, and had my
} supper.
kept rather uruf the next morniny