The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-04-11
HOW 2

little too ready to light up At . mo
ment's notice; but there are som,
words that seem to me to carry espec
ial grain of gunpOwder In them, and
the above is one of that sort. To have
. person, after you have been through
. long explanation, put his fingers ia
his mental ears and query you this
worse still, ''Haow 2" 10 too exasperat'
ing for human nature to bear. But
that is what John Stringer did to me-
bending his head . little nearer, and
speaking in an absent, aggravatine
manner that tantalized me beyond
words.
You see John Stringer and I were
engaged, we'd been engaged for . long
time, and perhaps had got to be lit.
tie too matter o. course to each other
We were sitting there over the fire
after the: old folks had gone to bed
and fell to telling him about Sophie
Mills wedding--her white silk dress
her brids-cake and her brides-lnaidi
frosted all over to match IT, and end.
ed this way; "But it don't make any
difference, John, to people that love
each other; all that's o. NO more &C.
count than last years snowdrif
They could be married In calico and
home-spun, with their feet ON . rag
carpet like this, and love each Other
just ~ WE'LL
How ? said John, absently. He wal
watching the Goals flicker up and die
out again. and picking up stray chip
now and then TO ding on the embera
"A fashion he had when he was think
ing. %
Now l had had the headache all day,
and I guess was rather more tindery
then usual, thought I didn't think 20
then but when John bent his great
broad shoulders over, ~ If he hadn't
heard . word 1 said, aud, in fact, had
something better to occupy his mind,
1 just fired up, first, and then the blaze
died down into sulks, and when We
parted that night John and 1 had our
first and last quarrel.
Ny heart did not misgive me that
when I saw Johns great tall figure
going out Of the door, it was the last
time he'd lift the latch for many . year,
bat 50 Il was.
You see, held my head pretty high
in those days, and I wouldn't show
that was bit cut up about it. so
paired of with Mrs. Plumbers Jesse,
, likely, spruce young fellow enough,
but no moro to be compared with
John than cookie shell is to brig.
antine.
Oh, we'll, mother sighed, aud tried
right hard to bring us together again,
but it wasn't to be.
John was powerful, muscular man,
Ind 1 used to see him 60 up the road
many time when 1 was in the shed
milking, and, peeping out at him
the chinks, I thought his
'road shoulders stopped more than
'ver. and his figure was going more
talky.like. Such an awkward fellow
% John was! l came near rushing out
n him at once, with my sun-bonnet,
nd with my slseves rolled up, and
ling my arms around his neck, but
|ohn liked 10 see folks tidy, and l
lever did it.
Jesse Plumber was the beau o. the
'illsge-dapper, neat and dainty 20
'ou please; and all the girls thought
had come to my senses when GUST
ID 'em o. Jess.
And by.and-by it was Jess that
anne sparkin' o. nights, and set O. win
or evenings over the embers, and he
vas 90 soft and pleasant that even
mother forgot her yexation. (She al
Vays Get store by John, mother did,
Well, In spring we married, and had
! string o. pearls and . real elk bridal
lress, and felt kind o. lifted like when
he girls crowded round me and hoped
ID be happy. l hoped 80 too wasn't
ure of ii.
Remembering the days that came
'fter, can't recall one hard word
'ver heard from Jess. We weren't
,ear enough to each other 10 quarrel;
~ just laid apart like two odd vol
,mes there wasn't any fire twixt ne,
aot anything 'tWixt ua, either lOye or