The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-12-16
SEE he meek as Moses, "Where shall

~
round my house"
"Well,'' queried the squire, as Nabby's
narrative came to pause.
"Well," said Nabby, in rather sub
dued tone, she went off. And he hasn't
come back. And want a divorce
CHOW, Nabby,'' demonstrated the old
squire. "you can't want a divorce. I
know you better than that. You are
not the woman to give Josiah Up, and let
him go to the bad without struggle.
You feel a little vexed with him now, and
I don't blame you. It is hard, very hard.
But you know you took him for better,
fo- worse Do you think, yourself, it is
quite right to break your part of the
contract because it proves the worst for
you-because you are the strong one and
he the weak one Of the two2 That
| doesn't strike me as good Bible doctrine,
| Nabby. We that are strong ought to
bear the infrmities IF the weak, and not
to please ourselves, you know"
"Well, dunno, said Nabby, twisting
the corner Of her shawl obviously. II
hadn't thought ont in that light, I must
say. It's SO aggravating to have such a
man for husband. Besides, I dunno as
he'd come back if I wanted him to-
"Hasn't he been back at all?''
"Why, yes, he came back once for a
pair of pantalooons. But I didn't take
no notice of him."
"Now, Nabby, you may depend upon
it, it wasn't the pantaloons he was after.
He wanted to see if you would not re-
lent. If he comes again be little
pleasant to him, and warrant he'll stay.
Give him another chance, Nabby. Jo-
siah isn't the worst fellow in the world
by any means. He has his redeemlng
traits, after all. I believe he will do
better If you try to help him. You
know Josiah is one that bears encour-
agement, Nabby.'
swell, squire, I'll think it over. Any
how, I'm obliged to you. You talk SO
sorter comforting to a body. Your moth
er's own son; just the same good heart.
Would you be able to eat some Of my
cheese, squire?''
"Try me and see, Nabby,' said the
squire, smilingly, not impervious to
Nabby's compliments. Nabby made
her exit just as Mrs. Eosley
rushed in, full of wifely in
dignation that the squire had been per-
mitted to see Client
Nabby's home was over at the ''Cor-
ners," three miles from the village. She
walked rapidly along IN the fast thicken-
ing darkness, with the steady, strong gait
becoming the self-reliant woman that she
was. Yet even her unimaginatlve mind
was not proof against the depressing
influence OF the chilly, raw November
evening. The wind whistled through the
bare tree branches, which creaked and
moaned monrnfully, and waved wildly
up and down in the dim branches over
head. The wind seemed to cherish a
special spite against Nabby. It blew
her bonnet off and her hair into the eyes,
struggled madly with her for her shawl,
took her breath away, and firmly resisted
her every STEP. Finally it began to send
spiteful dashes Of cold rain-drops in he1
face-a rain that seemed almost to freeze
as it fell. s
"Josiah used to come after me with an
umbrella when I was caught out in the
rain," thought Nabby. "He was always
kind and real good to me, after all. ]
dunno's he ever gave me a cross word in
his life, even when he'd been drinkin'."
| Here the driving sleety rain and pierc'
ing wind pounced down upon Nabby
with renewed ferceness, hustling he1
madly in fendish glee.
San awful night TO be homeless, Nab
by something seemed to say.
II don't care,'' said Nabby to herself
beginning to feel cross again and gene
rally ill-used, as she grew wetter enc
colder. SIT serves him right. He's made
his bed, and he can lie in it.''
At the'' Corners light streaming
cheerfully out into the night from othe
homes, made Nabby's little house par
ticularly gloomy and ''ninviting. Nabby
fumbled under the l. It for the door key
fumbled with stifened fingers for tn
key hole, and finally succeeding in I'm
, locking the door, and felt her way il
|, through the little entry.
f There is always something 'suncanny
f about going alone at night into darl
and shut-up house. Even people Of tint
i best regulated minds experience vagu
t suspicion of something behind them,
3 sense Of possible ghostly hands to clutc
them in the darkness. Nabby was
r woman like Mrs. Edmund Sparkler, viii
, ssno nonsense about herr but, neverthe
t less, cheerful tale she had read onl
g yesterday in the Chronicle, about burg
: lar and a lone woman, kept coming u
in her head, and she carefully avoide
/ the blackness of the corners and the par
;, try door, as she CROPPED around th
t kitchen for a candle. Of course til
+ fire had gone out.
: Two heads are better thas one if one
9 q sleeps hesd,'' Nabby might hav
j. been heard muttering out in the WOO
i house as she stopped painfully dow1
/, picking up chips, by which oracular vi
' terance I suspect she was thinking VIII
! a GOOD supply of kindlings Josial
!. always kept On hand for her, and no
D much more comfortable it was in the Of
t times coming home to q house brigl
I with light and warmth, and Josiah
D. welcome.
n For Josiah cherished the most pr
d found admiration for Nabby-an adm
IS ration not unmixed with awe. He thougl
e her most wonderful woman. She v,
e. Just as beautiful to him now as in Il
le old counting days, before the brightne
n and quickness Of the black eyes had d