Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-04-15

IRE. He wants To- hife Qua during
sFest ] have hands enough. but
pose The more help have the bet
shall get along. sol told him to 20
80 e work. IdDh't suppose he has
ITO breakfast yet. bis folks are 30
.4eks % y0u might set ouia Bit Tor him
81 eat. Try and have the lunch ready
zf heli-past niaes y0u can blow the
ofn. and ! will send one cf them down
.lIE Il. teF gEiNzealea siss &ai -
PooF Jennie twas like the last
raw That broke the camel's back. She
A.EhEgied hard. hns the tears would
7e. Mr.. Graham turned bark and
- q ili.asEzhen he saw
thaA she was IN trouble. =
"Nhst is the matter, dear y he
asked. cempassionately, while his large.
kind hand glided down her haIr with
a soft, ctressing touch. "If you are not
feeling veil, win slip down and get
Miranda Powers to come out and help
you. guess I'd better any way, hadn't
II"
Mrs. Graham mastered her emotion
with an effort.
"Oh, no." she said. "There isn't
anything"
Mr.. Graham hesitated; he was not
satisfied with this explanation.
"There l'' she said. "Now do GO
along TO your work, or | shall be foolish
enough 10 cry again ~ and indeed she
looked very much as If she might.
Hiram Graham bad faint idea as to
what the matter was, and was very
willing to do as she bade him. He felt
considerably annoyed that his wife
could not see the advantage Of the pro-
posed purchase that would so material
" add to their mutual property. And
then be began TO wonder what she was
thinking so silently about while she
stood looking of toward the distant hill.
A little jealousy crept in with the
thought. The owner of that fine man
sion had once been formidable rival
of his. There could have been no rea-
son for her choice but the one she so
shyiy confessed to him IN the soft twi-
light OF a summer evening ten years
ago. How proud and happy he had
felt He vowed she should never want
for anything which he could procure.
But he had changed since. He had but
little to commence with. They had 10
practice such rigid economy, and to
watch every dollar SO closely, and to be
able to meet the payments on the farm
that he had learned to love money, moi
so much for the good it could purchase
as for its own sake.
81 Whep he game to dinner, followed by
his troop Of hands. be could not helF
noticing how flushed and tired she
looked, but she was as cheerful as ever
The morning cloud passed; and with
the sweet spirit of self-sacriice thai
characterized her, she had buried heI
dead hopes and taken up the burden OI
life again as best she could.
Hiram Graham was moi ignorant o
this sacrifice, and il touched him keen
ly: the thought of it troubled him dur,
ing The afternoon. He even forgot tC
estimate what the probable yield pei
acre would be as the heavy sheave:
were showed of the rear platform and
lay so near together on the shorn ground
He could not deny that has wife haC
worked as hard as be during the years
past, and the economy that he had prsc
ticed had been mostly ia her domain
He began to wish that he had tTeatet
her wishes more respectfully at least
But then be could not help looking Owe
to where that forty acres lay. What |
choice piece of land il was ! How Ion;
he had wanted il And now, when i
was almost within hIs grasp, must hi
let II gos And even were he to yielt
to Jennie's wishes now, would not sh,
know that he had done so reluctantll
and against his better judgments Ans
during the afternoon he thought the mat
ter over and over.
Powers" he called out, as that IN
dividual was leaving the field at night
.'if the folks at home can spare Miriam
da, let her come up in the morning AM
helpmy wife,"
'All right, she will be glad to come,
was the answer.
Harvest was over, and Mrs. Graham
spoke of discksrging the girl. 'tHo'
had better keep her to help you" ad
vised her husband.
mo-" said Mrs. Graham; "whel
there is none but ny family, | can d.
The work easy enough alone. believ
like the work." added she, smiling
sat least I am always happy when ! an
busy"
"How long has it been since you hav
been home 10 your fathers on aVisits
he asked abruptly.
give years ago last June, when SIS
ter Ellen was married"
How prompt was the answer. Per
haps she bad counted the time.
"How would you like to go out an
see the folks this fall 20
What glad light came into her face
and then faded, as she said, hesiiating
ly: "How can | 60"
"Neyer mind about that. You hav
earned a play-day, and none of m
transactions shall hinder You from eu
loving one. You bad better take th
children with you; the folks will war
to see them. We viii go to town tc
morrow, and you can get what thing
you need. and Miranda can stay an
help you TO get ready. You will war
to get Of as soon as you can, for 20
will want to make good long Wis
while you are about it."
He appeared to be anxious to haste
her departure, but Mrs. Graham NJ
too happy at the thought Of seeing Ii
home Of her childhood again to motto
Il IT the time.
i saa