The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1881-01-29

you don't want 10 20, l reckonf" uneas-
lily.
II should like to see you married.
she said, tim,dly.
"Oh, nonsense. There's 70 slckly sen
timent about me. III have Sophy home
by supper time. You'll have to see to
things here
He lighted his candle and turned to
by the way, she was here month
ago"
Yes Mrs. Taney remembered dis
tinctly the gross featured, b!ack-eyed
young woman who had staggered
through the farm house in her cheap silk
and gilt jewelry.
'She came Just to look at her new
home, and-we!l, she rather took fancy
to the south chamber. You had better
fix it up for her.
"Mv room, William?'
eyes. It's all the sane 10 you. Of
course you can 60 up to Lefty
Lefty, whe had been at work INSIDE,
came out, sobbing, and threw her arms
about her mother. She knew that this
had been her mothers room tor thirty
years. All Mrs. Taney's children were
born in 1.-THE baby died there.
Willlm stopped and came back, say
ing
Now look here, it's Just as well to
speak plainly at once. III have no op-
position to my w.le from you, Lefty, nor
irom-irom any her woman. ! am the
head Of this holse. My dear wife shall
be mistress of it. She brings me snus
bit OF meney; and III not have her nor
her family insulted in it,
My SON.
But he had stalked of 10 bed.
There was no time the next day tor
blrs Taney or Lefty to even think OF the
coming trouble. They were up as usual.
two or three hours before day, kindlinS
fires, milking and getting breakfast for
| the Six harvest hands. Then came wash
ing. a dinner at noon. all the work OF q
| farm. in short. which falls on woman.
in addition to which was the cleaning
and preparation Of the room which the
bride had chosen for her own. Mrs.
fancy moved sluggishly through the lat
ter part of the work.
What is the matter with you. moth
err asked Lefty.
/ Mrs. Janey laughed feehlv.
Il don't know: l feel like clock that
is nearly run down.
Lefty made no reply. The child had
lately been absent. almost indifferent.
while her mother talked. apparently in
her own thoughts. Could it be, her
mother thought, that Lefty, also. was tor
saking her! Mrs. fancy had only had
one other iaughter-the baby who died.
The other children were sons, all Of
whom, except William, had gone to the
West and married there. she had often
wished they would ask her TO vlsit them.
F, that she might see their children. But
| they never did It
While they We're hanging out the
clothes that afternoon. Mrs. Taney heard
TAP, three times rcpeated.on the orchard
| fence. Letty's face colored. She drop
ped the clothes and ran behind the appl,,
tree. AS she came back her mother saw
her til rust note!into her pocket Mrs
Taney grew suddenly sca " hear
I Lefty with secret Lefty carryin. on IA
clande ,tine love affair
While Mrs. Taney stood, doubling
whether to ask the child for her cont
dence. Lefty had disappeared A few
moments later the girl went down the
road in a clean dress and sunbonnet 1t
was but tllfle, yet i stunned the AIDED
woman as sharp blow ight have done.
Mr.. Burke, coming over the fields that
afternoon with a hatchet and bag of
/ specimens, was amazed to see Lefty
standing in the road in earnest converse
| ton with man. IL coarse. red iawed.
1 Coll ~
| The fellow talked long and earnestly.
then took Letty's hand and pressed il
reve1ently. Burke turned his back on
them. The gi-l's mother should hear of
this at once, he said to himself, decided
/ ly Then he slackened his speed What
was 1t to him? Why should he vex hlm-
self about the girl. or NEEDLE with her
affairs He wenr slowly back to the
! hills, but the hot blood rushed with
strange beat through his veins.
In an hour Lefty was back and at
work with renewed vigor. TO make up
! for lost time. Her mother scanned her
! innocent, meek face WIKI {. brca,hless
terror
Surely there was no guilt there She
would not doubt her she would not ask
a question.
:. | have dressed the table with foY,
ers," the mother said, .and made cake
"a real brides cake. hope William
won't be angry. But this is SO different
from wedding in Virginia. Oh, Lefty,
if you and could only 90 to the old
house and sleep for one night in the room
which was mine when ! was child, |
think lust that little thing wou!d give
me- years Of life