The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-05-11
NABBY's HUSBAND.


An eager come in" from the squire,
TO whom any outside diversion is an in
estimeble boon, he having just reached
that uncomfortable stage of masculine
convalescen ;e when life becomes bur-
den not only to the so-called patient"
himself but also to those unlucky femi-
nine relatives whose duty it is to Off
ciate as his ministering angels"
Mary, the servant, came in.
"Please, Mr.. Hosley, there's woman
downstairs who says she must see you.
She's been here to see you before since
you were sick, and now she won take
no foron answer"
"Show 1>er riert up. Mary" said th,
~ ire, fsstly, byightening up visibly
IKE the war horse who scents The battle
afar off. Not all the cozy comforts of
his surroundings. the Sleepy Hollow
ness" Of his chair, the pleasant pictures
on the.wall, the wood fire which now,
that the wintry twilight was settling
down over the bit of gray sky, left Wis
ible by the curtains heavy folds, danced
and flashed all over the room in rosy
shadows, could not reconcile the squire
to his enforced seclusion. Secretly he
and chafed at the doctors restrictions,
which as yet forbade all thoughts of
business But now the moral police
force, represented by his wife and
daughter, being luckily off duty, there
was nothing to prevent this probable
client
"Show her up, Mary" and the
Squire cheerfully Strengthened himself
and assumed as much of legal dignity
as dressing-gown and slippers permit
tod.
Mary disappeared. Presently the
door opened again. "Why, Nabby," said
the squire, sis it you? How do you
do?" --.--,'
Yes, squire it's me-" said Nabby
NSdropping down with heavy sigh into
the chair, "and / don't do very well.
Nabby was short, squarely-built
woman Of fifty, with considerable gray
lin the coarse, black hair drawn stiffiy
land uncompromisingl back under I
bonnet about fifty years out of date
She had sharp, black eyes, and a reso
| lutte, go-ahead manner Evidently
Woodworking woman yet in looking
at her you could not help the conviction
that something more than hard worl
had plowed the deep wrinkles whiel
ran across her forehead, and threatene,
to lift her eyebrows up to her haiI
Nabby had lived with the squire
mother fifteen years-from the tim
j when Mrs. Hosley took her in, ten-yeal
old orphan, who was, as the good oil
A lady sometimes expressed it, "mor
plague than profit, until she grew int
the steady and reliable hand-maiden VIII
finally, with every ones good wishes
married young Josiah Gould, and set u
in the world for herself OH Mr.
Hosley had long since gone TO he
reward, but her family still kept up
friendly interest in Nabby and her fol
tunes, the squire in particular being fC
her " guide, philosopher and friend "
all the emergencies OF life.
"Why, what's the matter now, Nal
by p said the squire, good-naturedl,
care you sick p
eyes, 1 am" said Nabby, emphat
cally, with snap of her black eye
"Tm sick to death of Josiah. 1 can
stan it anv longer, and I've come
talk with ou about gettin' a divorc
You see he's been a CROWN worse al
worse now for a good while. I've ke
it to myself pretty mucL because 1 W
ashamed ont, and then KEEP ,hopin' he
do better. I've talAed an talked to hi
and said and done everything a wom
could, but it seemed as if the more
talked the worse he grew"
The squire looked at Nabby's rath
sharp, hard face, and perhaps was hard
so surprised as Nabby expected I'll
Josiah lad not been reformed by I
"tallkins to he had undoubtedly
eeiyed.
"He grew more and more shiftl
and good for nothmQ," continued Nabl