The Osceola times., 1880-07-31
WHERE JOHN ALLEN REFORMED.
BY MRS. ". NJ. QUICK.

snapped and plowed fiercely in the stove
in John Aliens kitchen. The ironing.
table, with its snowy cover, occupied the
centre of the room, between the open
doors, through one of which the bright
sunlight was streaming. Before the
table, ironing as though her very life
depended on her briskness, stood a little
ordinary looking woman in faded
brown calico dress. Never once did she
look up from her occupation, except
when she stepped quickly to chair
with an ironed garment and returned
with an unironed one. Even when a
door behind her opened she raised not
her eyes from the ironing table.
The newcomer, a man about forty.
tall and good-looking, advanced toward
the woman with the question:
where's the list, Susan? / am ready
TO go"
Without looking around, Susan an
swered
81 didn't have time to write it, John"
Didn't have time! That's always the
tune with you! Wen, | s'pose | can
write it, then"
And John Allen jerked chair up to
the table. regardless of the clothes that
soiled envelope and stub of a pencil
from his pocket sat waiting for his wife
to begin an enumeration Of the articles
she needed from the store.
Come, hurry up! l can't wait all
dav."
salt"
For an instant the pencil scrawled on
the paper.
Coffee"
"I'll get two coffee and one chickory,"
commented John Allen, as he wrote the
word. That's good en.ugh for hired
men,"
Tea"
"Whatl Tea2 Why, it's only six
weeks since | got that last quarter of a
poundl 1t can't he possible you've used
it all up already! No wonder you're so
weak and nervous Quarter of pound
of tea in six weeks! And now teas gone
up. shouldn't wonder if had to pay
fifty cents for it. just like woman!
They are always throwing out more
with a spoon than man can bring in
with shovel. Well, anything else?"
"Id like TO have some calico for
dress, John. Something light and pretty.
! want il Tor a dress-up occasion, YOU
know" and now the woman's eyes were
raised in pleading manner to the man
before her; and very pretty gray eyes
they were, too.
"Well," impatiently exclaimed John,
chow much do YOU want? Seven yards?"
"Why, John, | want twelve yards"
Twelve yards" and the man glanced
at the small figure before him with i'll
concealed surprise. "What in the world
can you do with twelve yards of calico?
NV mother is a great deal larger than
YOU, and she never gets more than nine
yards. Twelve yards-preposterous!
and John Allen wrote on the list, nine
Yards brown calico. "Is that all?'
YES, unless you would get me Just
one orange. My appetite is so poor, and
it scenes TO me would relish an orange.
especially if thought it grew near my
old home"
"Susan Allen are you getting insane?
Oranges are five cents apiece, and If
that's all YOU think about | might as well
be going"
So, hastily examining the list in his
pocket. he strobe out of the open door,
and jumping into a small market wagon
standing before the door, gathered up
the lines, and, as he bent forward to ap-
ply the whip, he called back over his
shoulder:
"Say, Susan, if | don't get back before
dark you will have to help Henry do the
milking. And be sure you finish those
horse nets tonight"
After he had driven a rod or two away
another idea seemed to occur TO him,
and he called back again:
"Oh, susan, can't you have a straw
berry short-cake for us when we get
back"
And Susan, after watching Johns re.
treating form until il had disappeared
around bend in the road, resumed her
ironing with an abstraction painful
to watch. Was she thinking of that other
home, hundreds of miles away, that she
had left sixteen years ago, to share the
"better or worse" of this man, eight
years her senior? Who can read the
mystery Of woman's mind?
Presently the last piece in the basket
reached its destination on the back of
chair, and Susan, removing the ironing
blanket, pushed the table back into It's
place between the windows, and hasten
ing into the diuing-room, deity spread
the white table cloth on the long exen-
sion table, and, laying plates for twelve,
soon had ready very tempting supper.
Then she ran down celler to skim the
seventy waiting pans of milk while
every place at the table quickly filled up
with carpenters John employed on barn
IN process of building, farm hands and
chore boys.
Rapidly the wholesome food disap-
trudged upstairs to replenish the empty
plates.
After the milk was strained she again
set the table, this time for two, and with
the addition of a large fruit dish of lusci-
ous straw berries, and a creamer of thick
cold cream. -
Then she took up her sewing-the lust
commenced hy.nets- and the needle
sped in and out with dilligt nee truly
commendabie, while the silence was
only interrupted by an occasional laugh
from some men now enjoying themselves
on the grassy lawn. just as the clock
struck nine, Susan's listening ear caught
the increased swell of sound incident
upon an arrival, and in few minutes
the arrival, consisting OF John and his
sister Amanda, announced itself TO
snsan's vision as well as hearing.
Il say. Mandy, this isn't fair, you
know. TO drag a fellow of home"
"Johnl'
Susan sprang to her feet With the
word, her worst fears fully realized as
Ler eyes fell on the swaylng form Of the
once NOBLE looking mau leaning against
the door-frame
At the sound IF susaps voice John
ceased his TRADE, and as the little woman
slipped her arm within his, he, through