Litchfield enquirer., 1875-02-18

4nO HUH tu0 OObbttSO Ca10 tO our house one day, and finding Jim outside l about the day he took her cousin over the water. Jim sort of seemed bothered, but answered what she asked him plain enough. i sIt E. Ega ,.aYr4a. 4ar -,ss /.
 Had he taken Mir. Fletcher over the water to St. Mary's that day?' Had MT. Fletcher said where he was goin' to?'
 "'No. he hadn't
 "'Had he sent back no message by Jim to any one?:
 "tNone whatsomever.' "And when he'd spoke so far, Jim got up and said, with the lady's leave, he must go now. He never looked at us, but struck off to the beach; and when he came back that night he went to the Kings Head instead of comin' home. ''The lady said she asked this because they had not heard from her cousin since he left. He had posted two letters at St. Mary's when Jim landed him there, to some other friends, savin' he was goin' to stay with them, but he had never been.
 'The family left the Cottage soon after, and after bit two strangers came and put just the same sort of questions to Jim again. and he answered just as before; and then we heard no more of Mir. Fetch er
 "Rhoda seemed more of woman after that summer, and was careful and thought full beyond her years. She kept to me wonderful, and didn't go much along with the girls of the place.
 'Jim was wait1n' and watchin'; and by- and-by he come to me one day, and told me he'd got what he'd been waitin' for. Rhoda had promised to wed with him in the spring. I felt troubled, fearin' she did 1t for the sake of me, seein' wasn't likely ever again to be the man used to-, and thinkin', perhaps, that when my say
 Wsn dons 1ska ga d sb3Rgd Rsl sSs asd d1 Ro En had set his heart on havin' her, and he was a good man, and ought to have what he wanted; and so the matter was settled.
 "In Whitsun week they married, and for months things went on after the old ways, comfortable enough. Rhoda had changed her name, but nothin' else, I thought, for she kept to me just as she did before.
 "Jim grew restless after a bit. Perhaps he wanted her to make more fuss of him; he couldn't want her to be more careful of his comfort. There wasn't a mans house in Brightland better kept than his, still he often went to the tap-room, and sometimes broke out into strange talk, if anythin' crossed him; and he never used to do that before Rhoda before they were married. So, to my sorrow, they seemed more parted after they married than they did before. She never blamed him, but he did blame her; and he was specially vex- ed because he had no child
 "When they had been wed two years, however, a child was born to them; and the Sunday after my girl was about again, and had been to church, her husband by her side and her baby carried close by, I looked at 'em both, and hoped from the bottom of my heart that bit of babe was bringin' peace along with it. She sat rockin' 1t in the evenin' by the doorway, lookin' out over the water, and then back at the baby's face; and Jim he sat smokin' |, and never took his eyes of the two. Thought I to myself, Now we shall get on.' But what's the use of us forecastin' when we know naught of what's to come? That year was hot and dry beyond any years could remember, and when the drought broke up in June, then we had a bout of wet, and all at once fever took our place, and the people sickened and died in way that was awful. "Jim come home one night. Master, he says to me, my head is bad;' and Rho- da, who came in just then, took and felt his head and his hands, and then she looked at him more lovin' than ever I'd seen her do. Come up to bed, says she, and kept his hand as they went mp the stairs.
 ''Three days and nights he lay and tossed about in the fever. The doctor said from the first that he die; but Rho- da wouldn't hear of it."
 "Its because l never cared for him as he deserved that now he's to be taken away. Oh. baby, what shall we do with out him?' And her hot tears fell on the little ones hands as she sat nursin' it. She wouldn't give the child back to our neighbor again; who would have gone back to her home with it, but she carried 1t with her up stairs, and went too
 ''Jim's strength seemed gone, and he was as helpless as his child. Poor chap, for all he did, can't never think of him so bad as ought. He'd been off his mind for the last. two days, but of sudden he l opened his eyes and spoke sensible again
 'Rhoda; and she went mp to him quick and tender. and, kneelin' down, she | Ao1N ACA AACC dShIuS6 HIS uduu. 1lQOUa, he says once more, and looked in her eyes so pltiful that she gave great sob and kissed his hand, 'are you beginnin' to care for me, my lass?' he said. "And she, holdin' her baby tight with one arm, stretched out the other over him, and said, Jim, dear, love you now "'How much?' says he, trvin' to lift himself up bit; he spoke so sharp I thought the fever fit was comin' on him again. Because, he says, I've given my soul away for you, and now Hush, Jimp said she; and, gettin' up, she slnoothed back his hair and tried to cool his poor head; but he caught her arm and held it fast
 "'Do you love me better than you loved the painter?' he said.
 "'Oh, Jim, she sobbed out, .how can you taunt me now?'
 "'It isn't tauntin',' said he. "Which do you love the best?
 Oh, you, you, your she cried out, passlonately; and her eyes shone on him, and he knew she spoke the truth.
 Then may the Lord help me! But I'll tell you all,' said he.''
 Dick Mussett waited minute before he went on:
 ''He told us, still holdin' on his wife's arm, how the painter had said, when they were midway between the island and St. Marys. that he would have swim before he went ashore; how he took off his things. as he had often done before, and plunged into the water from the boat. Jim told us, with the sweat droppin' off his face, how the devil had gone into him, and put before him the idea of gettin' rid of the man he was so jealous Of; for might he not come back and stop Rhoda from hay in him?
 'Quick as the thought he had1ooked round and see there was no other boat within hail, scarcely within sight; quick as the evil thought had entered in him he had pulled away from the man strugglin in the waves.
 "'For Gods sake, man, have done with fools play!'' cried out the voice.
 But made answer. May, you've had fools play for many week; it's my turn now" and so went on.
 "'I heard a cry or two, and durst not nKs xrvHn IT 1.