The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-11-30

and ogle for places and power and
| money"
"Then it's business! 4" said I, admir-
ingly; for I was determined 10 lure
Jacob out q his moodiness. "Well, |
never have seen business look 50 fair
and desirable, Jake-unless, | added,
laughing, "whcn I've caught a glimpse
Of You working afield In your old straw
\ hat. H. -~-r~a
"Ah, that's different story-a diff
ferent story indeed" was the grave re-
ply. =. 1hqf,s business of another sort,
Matte; grinding hard work, and TOO
much uf II. And this summer, con-
| found it (! failure at the end Of II all. All,
Matte, you don know what a load I've
carried under that old straw hiatt"
All, but did. Many time had
looked from the quiet doorway and seen
Jacob working afield with shadow on
his face that was not made by the brim
of that old straw hat.
He was revolving bitter things now,
knew, as he stood there spectator Of
the revelry.
"Little Mattie." said he, presently,
ssyou've as good right to be there as
the best of them, my wee woman"
laughed. did not want to be there,
and had no desire to represent COM
mercial interests. But Jacob was grasp
ing my arm with an almost painful grip.
by heavens 4" he said, his gray eye
lighting up with strange fire, ~
thought so. There's Stephen Risdale
yonder! the villain that robbed me--the
villain that got my land in his grip, with
his mortgages and his trust-deeds, and
the best Of 'em-the man that got fore
closure on me, and left me TO scrape and
screw with the flag end Of all my acres,
and to grind living out of the rocks
A gentleman is he, with diamond
stud and gold chain bought with the
money for which I've been bond-slave
for life. And, by the living God, I'll
have it out of HIM" As Jacob uttered
these words he lifted his hand and
struck sharply the broad window-sill
My heart gave great throb. Thought
that every one in that great assembly
must stop and stare at us. But the
music sounded loudly, the dancing went
on, and no one seemed 10 heed US. As
we went down the steps saw "Jigger
JIM" the village idiot, grimacing and
gesticulating and mimicking the dane
ing. with group Of village folk nod
ding and applauding and urging him
on, and was glad that no one had
heard Jake's words.
For TO me those words were appalling
This was the first time since we had
been married that had ever heard ia
cob utter any thing approaching an
oath. 1t startled me like the light of a
flame suddenly glaring up red and lurid
In the midst Of quiet woodland.
Jacob had been reputed little wild:
q good many wise old folk had shook
their heads when we came together. 1t
was said he had run through with all
his thrifty fathers money, had been
wasteful and speculative and dissipated,
and had none Of the thrifty qualities and
forehandedness deemed so essential
among the orderly farming people of
Laurel neighborhood. Some said l
would surely repent If | married him.
Had the time for repentance come now?
Well, we had not been prosperous this
year, and Jacobs farming had been
marred by drought and blight.
Well do remember the aspect Of that
bligh,ed corn-field, from which we had
expected so much. 1t reminded me Of
a troop of weather-beaten soldiers that
! saw once returning home in the latter
days OF the war, jaded, dispirited, and
with ragged banners trailing in the dust.
No music, no cheers of welcoming
voices, no hats off, to welcome their re-
turn. So, YEARLY, with detected heads
and thin long leaves uplifted, our corn
field trailed on the hill side.
Something of this decentralization had
perhaps entered into our household-a
sort Of nameless shadow, a bleak and
blighting something, against which no
energy and no activity could avail. We
were young, You see, and had, as 1t were.
just commenced life. and it was hard to
know that things were going wrong
with us from the beginning.
But Jake was still hero in my eyes,
and loved him well, and Il was to lure
him little from the impalpable gloom
that was settling around Us that had
proposed this evening stroll. | did
not take naturally to moodincss, and
that sort Of quiet that settles like mold
ON some married lives; and the music,
the moonlight, and the stirring people
were like wine TO me, and should have
gone back 70 our quiet little cottage
gay Is lark il il had not been for those
words. They seemed like lead To my
heart Of hearts, and weighed il down
as we walked silently homcward.
II was late when we returned, but
Jacob seemed in no wise inclined ~ NO.
tire. lie walked about. restless and ret
iccnt. The place seemed too small for
him. his tall figure seemed to contract
It's limited space, as he moved 70 and
fro, till II was almost relief "a see him
step from the doorway and silently
stride down the road. II was no new
thing for him 70 walk of the /" blues il
that way; and | never intrndcd upon
these moods, when he appeared 10 men.