Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-10-30


lika-looking woman in very shabby
widows weeds. She wanted a ma
chine for herself and daughter to
learn, and said she had heard
would take the money by installment
Now just half an hour before, by
the shop clock, l had made vow
that I'd give M all that part of the
trade, and | was very rough with
her-just as / am when Pm CROSS
and said No
But you will if the lady gives Sc
curity 2 said my wife hastily.
The poor woman gave such woe
be.gone look at us that it made me
more out Of temper than ever, for
could feel that If stopped / should
have to let her have one at her own
terms. And so it was for there, if
didn't let her have a tirst-cla ma
chine, as good as new, she only paying
seven and one half down, and under
taking to pay half crown a week, and
no more security than nothing!
To make the thing worse, too, if
didn't send the thing home without
charge Luke going with it, for he
was back at home now keeping my
books, being grown into fine young
fellow of twenty.tiv and sat and
growled the rest OF the day, calling
myself all the weak-minded idiots
under the sun, aud telling the wife
that business was going to the dogs,
and | should be ruined.
you ought to be ashamed of your
self, Tom,' she said
so ] am, says /. 4 didn't think
could be such fool,
Such fool as to do kind action
to one who is evidently lady born,
and come down in the world
Yes, says /, 'to living in Benefits
place, where I've sunk no less than
ten machines in five years.
Yes, says the wife, 'and cleared
hundreds of pounds, Tom, I'm
ashamed of you-you a man with
twenty workmen busy up stairs,
couple of thousand pounds worth of
stock in the bank, a.
Hold your tongue, will you?' I
said roughly, and went out into the
shop to try and work it off.
Luke came back soon after looking
very strange, and I was at him di-
rectly.
Where's the seven an six ? | says,
angrily.
He didn't answer, but put three
half crowns down on the desk, took
out his book, made his entries-date
of entry. first payment, when the 9th
ers' due and all the rest of it. and
was then going into the house.
Mind l said sharply, those pay
ments are to be kept up to the day !;
and tomorrow you go down to the
Rollys, who live nearly opposite to
'em, and tell 'em to keep an eye on
the widow. or we shall lose another
machine
You needn't be afraid, father, he
said coldly they're honest enough,
only poor
l was just in that humor that
wanted to quarrel with somebody,
and that did it.
when | ask you for your opinion,
Young man, you give it me; and
when tell you to do anything, you
do it, | says in as savage way as
ever ] spoke to the lad. You go
over to morrow and tell the Rollys
to keep strict lookout on those PEG.
pie; do you hear?'
Father he says, looking me full
in the face, i couldn't insult them by
doing such thing when, without
another word, he walked quietly out
of the shop, leaving me worse than
ever.
For that boy had never spoken to
me like that before, and should have
gone after him feeling like mad, only
some people came in, and ] didn't
see him again until evening, and a
good thing, too, tor I'm sure should
have said all sorts of things to the
boy that should have been sorry
tor after. And there / was, tuning
and fretting about, savage with every
body, giving short answers, swapping
at the wife, and feeling as man
does feel when he knows that he has
been in the wrong and hasn't the
heart to go and own it.
1t was about O'Clock that was
sitting by the parlor fire, with the
wife working and very quiet, when
Luke came in from the workshop
with a book under his arm, for he
had been jotting up the mems piece
work, and what was due to them, and
the sight of him made me feel as if |
wanted to quarrel.
He saw it, too, but he said moth.
ing, only put the accounts away and
began to read.
The wife saw the storm brewing.
and she knew how put ont I was, Tor
| had not lit my pipe, nor yet had
my evening nap, which / always have
after tea. She did what she so we'll
knew how to do-flled my pipe,
forced 1t in my hand, and just as |
was going to dash it to pieces in the
ashes, she gave me one of her old
looks, kissed me on the forehead, as
with one hand she pressed me back
into the chair and then with the
other she lit a splint and held it TO
my tobacco.
was done. She always gets over
me like that; and after smoking in
silence for half an hour, / was living
back, with my eyes closed, dropping
off to sleep, when the wife said what
had gone before / hadn't heard):
Yes, he's asleep now
That woke me up of course, and if
| didn't lie there shammlng and
heard all they said in a whisper
How came you to make him more
vexed than be was, Luke 2 says the
wife; and be told her.
4 couldn't do it, mother he said
excitedly. 1T was heart-breaking.
She's living in wretched room there
with her daughter and, mother.
when I saw her | felt as if--there,
can't tell YOU
go on, Luke she said.
They're half starved he said in a
hasky way. oh, mother it's hor-
rifle. Such sweet, beautiful girl,
and thu raa- ramou barraif dy;no 81