The Newtown bee., 1880-08-11
" NOT A WORD, MIND, TO DINAH ANNE

"Not a word, mind, to Dinah Ann!" Dinah Ann herself, the speakers wife, | having strolled down the garden in the sweet stiffness of the summer night, | heard these suge estive words as the gig | pulled up at the gate, and her husband | descended from it. She was 8 pleasing | little woman of seven or eight and | thirty, with a dark brown eye, a bright, l fresh face, and natural propensity to | take her own way, in the house and out of it. Drawing back from the gate be- l hind the well-kept hawthorn hedge, she waited for what was to come next.
 Mot word, tor your life, mind, to | Dinah Annr
 No fear!" replied voice, which she l recognized as that of her brother, Harry | Leete; q know what women are. She'd be for -revolutionizing the | house, and herself, too, once let her get an inkling of this. No fea-, J ames! Take care on your side that you don't lose | that-or let Dinah Ann find it" "I'll take care. When are you com ing to smoke quiet pipe with mep l shall want your advice as to-" "One of these evenings, interrupted the lawyer. as he drove on up the lane. Goodnight"
 James Harbury, substantial farmer | and agriculturist, came through the gate | and turned to fasten it. Had he turned l the other way, to the left instead of to l the right, he would have seen his wife, I standing against the hedge as close as | she could stand, almost into it. He did | rot see her, and went straight up the path to the house. When his footsteps had died away, Mrs. Harbury wound her light summer gown oyer her black silk apron, caught hold of her lilac cap, strings, lest the cap should fly off, and ran swiftly up the narrow sidewalk got got round to the back, went through the | house, jet drop her gown and entered the sitting room, all calmly, nearly as soor as her husband.
 "Got back!'' she exclaimed, with : look of surprise.
 "Just come," replied the farmer "Harry drove me up in his gig.'
 "What brings Harry up here in hi' gig at this timer and why did you no come back with Hallp" inquired Mrs Harbury, who liked to be at the begin ming and the end of everything.
 Harry had to come" said th' farmer" who seemed to be walking about rather restlessly-and who neve thought of such thing as refusing t satisfy his wife's questions. "He got message from the Down farm to go owe there without loss of time. thought might as well come with him, Dinal Ann. As to Hall, left him stuck in tn tap-room of the sTawny Lion;' h didn't order his gig to be ready befor ten o'clock
 taken the reins yourself, James, reckon, had you come back with him.
 "Oh, he'll not get as bad as all thas But, 1 say, Dinah Ann, it's a sad thin about Partridge at the Down farm. day or two ago he went cut with hi haymakers-and you know what a ma he is to work when he does set about got into heat and drank 8 lot of col cider. It struck to him, for death, the say; and Harry is gone to make h will"
 "What a dreadful thingm exclaime Dinah Ann, who had Q feeling hear with all her curiosity.
 "Ay, 'tis. I think I'd like 8 snack cold beef, Dinah Ann, though it is lat I got talking to your brother in :, n office and missed my tea; 80 I've hf nothing since one o'clock dinner. Whi Phoebe puts it, I'll just go and take look at White Bess."
 "White Bess is all right" said MT Harbury. .' So much better that Eva . thinks you might have ridden her. need to go and see her now"
 Better, is she! l should like to gi her 8 look.o
 He took up his hat, which still | on the table, and went out. Mrs. Hs bury's eyes followed him; they were f, of speculation, and her mind also.
 s'I don't believe he is gone to look
 the marc," soliloquized she. < He
 not disturb her, now he hears she is
 right. And how absent and fidgetty
 seemed! There is some mystery, an6
 should like to know what it is. I wo
 der whether-I should not think-no
 should not think he can have stolen C
 to meet somebody she concluded, |
 tone dubious, in spite of the stress ls
 on the mot"
 Stepping lightly into the kitchen, a
 giving her orders to Phoebe about
 supper tray, she caught up an old wat
 proof cloak that hung in the back pa
 age, threw it on to hide her light dre
 and crept out after her husband. Itv
 very light and beautiful night; in ia
 it could not be said to be yet as dark
 it would be-and that is never dark
 the fine nights of summer.
 For him to lose Lis tea, ran }. thoughts, sof all things! 1t must ,st M uncommonly urgent business to ind1 "a James to forego & meal of any kind. or. do wonder what secret they have of between them. Not word, for "
 life, mind, to Dinah Ann,' cries he.
 fear, answers Harry, l know VI women are-and she'd be for revO