Connecticut western news., 1880-08-11

| J as it would be, and that is never dark 1T the fine nights of summer.
 "For him to lose his tea," ran hel thoughts, "of all things! It must be some uncommonly urgent business tc induce James to forego meal of any kind. I do wonder what secret they have between them. Not word, fol your life, mind, to Dinah Ann,' cries he No fear, answers Harry, I know what women are, and she'd be revolutionizine the house, and herself, too, she emphat. ically pronounced. "It may be that old love affair cropped up again :! that woman who threatened to bring an ac. tion for breach of promise when James married me. Perhaps she has been Mtiting letters to him. Mind you don't let Dinah Ann find it, says Harry. Or perhaps perhaps. James has been foolish enough to let her meet him Harry not married man himself, and lawyer, would lend himself to any earthly being without scruple. All law yers do."
 This rural district, remote from the haunts of willy men of the world, was given over entirely to farmers and farm ing interests; simple-minded and sim ple-mannered people, who lived out their uneventful lives in the routine of daily duties. The small market town of Northam, four miles distant, was sleepy and primitive, never awakening from its glumbers save on the weekly market day. It had it's parson, its doctor, and it's lawye1-Harry Leete; all three of them being nearly as simple as the farmers. Not simple in point of intel lect, it must be understood but as to l life and manners.
 This Thursday was market day. James Harbury had gone to it in the gig of 8 brother farmer, Peter Hall, his own mare, which he either rode or drove gen. erally, being sick. He was a tall, slen- der man of nine and thirty years, very fair, with exceeding handsome features and mild blue eyes, looking as unlike the popular notion of farmer as @ man could look, and presenting marked con- trast to his agricultural neighbors. So far as appearance went none of them, poor or rich, could vie with James Har- bury; and his temper and his bearing were alike gentle.
 He had one fault, though perhaps all people would not call it fault, love of l ThoH 1ox rf4 est" farmers in the the district was uni versally believed, and the most saving of men. Too saving, his wife would tell him, and where was the use Of 1t, she would ask, considering she had neither chick nor child? And every now and then she would make the money fly, for she was dear lover of smart attire, and of having pretty things about her. James would vince and bid her be care ful; but he never went the length of telling her she had spent too much. He was fond of her, and she was of him.
 "Neither chick nor child" In that fact had lain a sharp sting. They had been married eight years now, and the sting was wearing itself away. Time softens all things. He had never given her cause for an unhappy thought until tonight. He had never had any secrets from her, except that he never could be brought to tell her what the exact sum was that he was enabled to put by at the end of each year. Dinah Ann Harbury did not care for that she knew that, however much it might be, it was all for her.
 But she did care for this this mysteri- ous secret which had come to her hear ing tonight. She knew how good-look- ing James was, how universally he was liked by man and by woman, and what a kind heart he had-she put it "soft , and something like jealousy began to torment her spirit.
 l When James came in again the supper tray was at one end of the table, and Dinah Ann, an unusual light in her eyes, sat at the other end, near the lamp, having taken up her knitting. The farmers general manner was easy and placid, though he had certainly seemed restless after leaving the gig, but now he was calm again.
 "Well," she said, as he cut himself a slice of the cold boiled beef, "and how did you find White Bess ?''
 "Oh, she seems comfortable" he re- piled, looking around for the mustard pot.
 "You deceitful villain You know you did not go near the stable," thought his wife. "You are sure you think SOP she added, aloud
 "Ay. White Bess will be all herself again tomorrow, Dinah Ann."
 "It's more than shall be-" thought Dinah Ann, "unless I can come to the bottom of this.''
 He ate his supper nearly in silence, like man who is mentally preoccupied. And he enjoyed it, too, for he was very hungry.
 "James, do you ever hear anything now of that Emma Land?"
 James Harbury laid down his knife and fork in surprise at the question, and looked across at his wife, whose face was bent over her knitting.
 "Did ever hear anything of Emms Land P he repeated. "What can make you ask that, Dinah Ann ?''
 "What can make me ask it? don' know. The query happened to come into my mind. Why should I not asl it?"
 "There's no sense in it-that see ?
 "But do you?" Do what ?'