The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-05-26
"They'd tracked the mud all over

was crammcd full OF wood, roaring like
all possessed. / wonder they hadn't
burned the house up before l got there:
And they'd got my best teapot out to
heat some water and the water'd all
billed away and the bottomt came out
But the worst was to see my husband
consortin' with such scum of the
earth as that miserable, low-lived Hank
Slater. l tell you, squire, | was mad.
l just hung that kitchen door wide open,
and sez l
Get out Of this house, Josiah Gould,
and don't ever let me see your face in
side ont again"
"Sez he meek as Moses: Where
shall l 60 to. Nabby?'
''Sez ], i don't care where you 60 to,
so longs you don't come near me. Eve
always been respectable woman, and
| don't want none Of Hank Skaters
friends round my house,"
"Well?" queried the squire, as Nab
by's narrative came to a pause.
"Well," said Nabby, in a rather sub
dued tone, che went off. And he hasn't
come back. And want a divorce"
"Now Nabby," demonstrated the old
squire, "you don't want divorce. |
know you better than that. You are
not the woman to give Josiah up and
let him go to the bad without strug-
gle. You feel little vexed at him
now, and l don't blame you. It's hard
very hard. But you know you took
him for better, for worse Do you
think, yourself, it's quite right to break
your contract because it proves the
worst for you-because you are the
strong one and he the weak one of the
two? That doesn't strike me as good
Bible doctrine, Nabby. we that are
strong ought to bear the infirmities OF
the weak, and not to please ourselves,
you know"
"Well, Dunno" said Nabby, twist
ing the corner of her shawl, obviously,
~ hadn't thought ont in that light, |
must say. It's so aggravatin' to have
such man for husband. Besides, |
dunno's he'd come back i'll wanted
him to-"
"Hasn't he been back at all?'
"Why, yes, he came back once for a
pair of pantaloons. But | didn't take
no notice of him."
"Now, Nabby, you may depend upon
it, it wasn't the pantaloons + e was after.
He wanted to see if you wouldn't re-
lent. If he comes again be little
pleasant to him, and I'll warrant he
will stay. Give him another chance,
Nabby. Josiah isn't the worst fellow in
the world, by any means. He has his
redeeming traits, after all. | believe
he will do better if you will try to help
him. You know Josiah is one that
bears encouragement, Nabby."
"Well, squire, I'll think it over.
Anyhow, Pm oblceged to you. You
talk so-sorter cCmfortin' to body.
Your mothers own son; just the same
good heart. Would you be able to eat
some of my cheese, 'squire?'
"Try ME and see, Nabby," said the
squire, smilingly, not impervious to
Nabby's compliments. Nabby made
her exit just as Mrs. Hosley rushed in
full of wifely indignation that esquire
had been allowed to see "client.'
Nabby's home was over at the "Cor.
ners." three miles from the village. She
walked rapidly along in the fast thick
ening darkness, with the steady, strong
gait becoming the self-reliant woman
that she was. Yet even her unimagina
tive nature was not proof against the
depressing influence of the chilly, raw
November evening The wind whistled
through the bare tree branches, which
creaked and groaned mournfuly, anC
waved widely in the dim light overhead
The wind seemed to cherish specia
spite against Nabby. 1t blew her bon
net Oft and her hair into her eyes, strug
gled madly with her for her shawl, took
her breath away and firmly resistec
every step. Finally it began to senC
spiteful dashes of cold rain drops in hel
face-rain that seemed to freeze as il
fell.
"Josiah used to come after me will
an umbrella when 1 vas caught out il
the RAIN" thought Nabby. "He was
always real kind and good to me aftel
all. l dunno's he ever gave me d cross
word in his life, even when he's beer
drinking"
Here the driving sleety rain, ant
piercing wind pounced down upon Nab
by with renewed ferceness, hustline
her madly in fendish glee.
can awful night to be homeless, Nab
by" something seemed to say.
Il don't care" said Nabby to herself
beginning to feel cross again; and gen
orally ill-used as she grew wetter anc
colder. ut serves him right. He's
made his bed and he can lie in it."
At the Corners" light streaming ou
cheerfully into the night from Other
homes made Nabby's little house par
ticularly gloomy and uninviting. Nab
| by fumbled under the mat for the door
key, fumbled with stiff fingers for the
key hole, and finally succeeded in un
locking the door, and felt her way
through the little entry.
There is always something 'uncanny
about going alone at night into dark
and shut-up house. Every person O.
the best regulated minds experience q
vague suspicion of something behind
them, a sense of possible ghostly hands
about to clutch them in the darkness
Nabby was woman like Mrs. Edmund
Sparkler, with mo nonsense about her.
but nevertheless cheerful tale she had
read only yesterday about burglar
and lone woman, kept coming into
her head, and she carefully avoided
the blackness of the corners and the
pantry door as she CROPPED around the
kitchen fora candle. Ofcourse the fire
had gone out.