The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-09-23

1cuO ulIub0u 10 dIly car lilly bll1llS H1bIOub
scruple. All lawyers do"
This rural district, remote from the
haunts of willy men of the world, was
ing interests simple-minded and simple
hammered people, who live out their un-
eventful lives IN the routine OF daily du-
ties. The small market town of Northam,
four miles distant, was sleepy and
primitive, never awakening from its
slumbers save on the weekly market
day. It had its parson, its doctor, and
its lawyer-Harry Leete; all three of
them being nearly as simple as the
farmers. Not simple in the point Of in
tellect, it must be understood but as to
life and manners.
This Thursday was market day. James 4
Harbury had gone to it in the gig OF q
brother farmer, Peter Hall, his own
mare, which he either rode or drove
generally, being sick. He was tall,
slender man of 80 years, very fair, with
exceedingly handsome features and mild
blue eyes, looking as unlike the popular
notion of farmer as a man could look,
and presenting marked contrast to his
agricultural neighbors So far as ap-
pearance went none of them, poor Or
rich, could vie with James Harbury, and
his temper and his bearing were alike
gentle.
He had one fault, though, perhaps,
all people would not call it fault, love
of money. That he was one of the
'swarmest farmers in the district was
universally believed, and the most saw
ing of men. Too saving. his wife would
tell him, and where was the use of it,
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 at
tire, and of having pretty things about
her. James would vince, and bid her
be careful; but he never went the
length of telling her she had spent too
much. He was fond of her, and she of
him. o.
"Neither chick nor child" In that
fact had lain 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: t..
But she did care for this-this mys-
terious secret which had come to her
hearing tonight She knew how good
looking James was how universally he
was liked by man and by woman, and
what kind heart he had-she put it
"soft and something like jealousy
began to torment her spirit.
When James came In again the sup
portray 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.
''Wel," 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 round for the mustard
pot. Ia.
I" You deceitful villain You know
you did not go near the stable" thought
his wife. "You are sure you think so ?"
she added, aloud.
"Aye. White Bess will be all herself
again tomorrow, Dinah Ann"
/" It's more than shall be-" thought
| Dinah Ann, s'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. z4ss44i izsssszas.=sa
"James, do you ever hear anything
| now of that Emma Land ?'
f. James HaTBury 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 Emma
Land v,he repeated. "What can make
you ask that, Dinah Ann?"
"What can make me ask it? I don't
know. The query happened to come
into my mind. Why should I not ask
it?"
"There's no sense In it-that I see. y
| "But do you Pr
"Do what?"
"Ever hear of her?"
"Why, you know she went out to-
|
to her friends there-ever SO long ago
Nigh upon eight years it must be. You
know she did, pinah Ann"
"But she may write from the West
Indies. Perhaps she does. Does she
write to you ?"
He shook his head to imply a mega
tive, and occupied himself with his sup
per again. Emma Land had once upor
q time been a somewhat subject be
tween them, for Dmah Ann aDas Jealous
in the old days. 80 s. y -
"Deyou oversee her. James 2 -
"See who? % Y : & - b
"You know. Emma Land - =
81 can't think what has put all thi
into your head tonight, Dinah Ann
How is it ?"
! "But do you?"
"Do I what ?" t.
"See her?"
"Why, how could I see her ?" re
| turned he, in sort of helpless tone
that his wife fully thought was put on
"She is in the West Indies, and I ar
here"
s 'she may not be in the West Indie
now."
/ "I don't know where she is. She
3 there for all know and I'm sure it doe
not matter"
: "'Ask no questions, and you'll hea
no stories, thought his wife, quotin
5 the line familiar to her in her school-gn
t days;
s "I should not at all wonder, james
4 but Emma Land has come back again.
"May be. Two or three years ae
r we heard she was married out there
3 "Who heard it? Who said it ?"
D 81 know I heard it remember
7 quite well. But as to who said it, I fo
? get that-your brother, I think. Thi
r she had married cousin"
!. "Oh not that that's unlikely, ft