The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1882-06-07

It seemed to her as il she heard in
her own ears the boiling of her rage
she certainly did not hear outdoor
sounds at all; IL was accidental that in
stepping past the window she saw Will
drive of down the hard road without so
much as looking back to his home. She
had not heard the sleigh bells at all.
If some one else had been there for
her to talk to, probably she would have
cooled down sooner; speech is a safety
valve many times to an overburdened
heart.
But she was all alone in the hous
and the nearest neighbor lived round
hill out Of sight.
And as she few round putting the
dishes away and setting back the table
in that bare, silent room, its only out
look sheets of dazzling snow, gray
woods, with here and there dull-green
cedar, or round, fat cypress on the
barren hillside, and one expanse Of
stainless sunny blue above, her thoughts
ran riot.
She looked back to the time OF her
marriage, and scorned herself for hav-
ing believed Will ever loved her. Just
for few hard wordsp you ask. Yes,
only that.
"Words break no bones," the pro-
verb says, but they break hearts, which
is worse and words mean very much
to a woman, though very little to man.
Will, by this time, was whistling along
in the old sleigh, not thinking at all of
his parting with Sally, but of the feed
and -four he must buy in Mystic, the
price of cranberries and the probable
weight of his pig-it was 80 near kill
ing time.
But poor Sally. pitiable as we'll as
blamable, for to have quick, high
temper is worse for its possessor than
for anybody else, still brooded over her
trouble.
She blamed Will for his hateful
words, excused herself and pitied her
self for her lonely, motherless life and
inexperience, and planned great many
things to say and to do that should
show Will she would not be trodden on
and abused weakly and meekly. She
finished her active work, built up the
fire and sat down to her mending; but
by this time she had come to tears--she
felt so sorry for herself and they
dropped so fast she could not darn.
Just then the morning train thun-
dered by and spun out of sight round q
sharp curve.
She remembered that she must 60
out to the barn and gather the eggs,
as she always did about that time-she
wss so afraid to cross the road unless a
train had just passed.
She did not put on her hood, for the
day was so bright-and her head was
so hot with anger and crying that the
cool air was refreshing-butr ran across
hastily; there were plenty of eggs
oday, but she had no basket large
enough to hold them. and to her aston
ishment she found Will had not fed
either the COW or the pig; and her abated
anger rose to think that he had gone off
without doing his barn work.
"That's little too much," she said
to herself. ST aint a-goin' to do his
chores for him, anyway I've got
enough to do in the house, and don't
suit mister at that. If he thinks he's
got dumb slave to work Tor him, he's
mistook. /" here the COW lowed and
the pig took up his own grunting com
plant. They had heard her voice and
knew that there was chance of break
fast.
Sally had tender, pitiful heart for
all her temper.
Poor Critters" she said. "I dono
as ] had ought to be ugly to them
cause he's ugly to me. I'll run over
and fetch basket and get my hood
and mittins anyway. I'll feed 'em, but
I'm bound won't clean 'em, so therel"
and boiling over again with fresh
wrath she left the barn and slammed
the door behind her.
Meantime Will went ON his way to
Mystic, where he arrived in due time,
| did his errands and went to Uncle
Dams, where he found good and
abundant dinner; and plentiful meal
of chicken pot-pie, mashed potato,
boiled turnips, new rye bread and
baked Indian pudding put him into ex-
cellent humor, so that when 'Phrony,
who had been before too busy serving
and eating to talk, asked, "How's
Sally p he said, very honestly:
"Why, she's we'll, real we'll; but she
got kinder put out with me this morn
ing, and / don't blame her bit, for j
begun it, kinder faultin' my breakfast,
and guess I made her mad; shouldn't
wonder"
"Why, WIFI said 'Phrony, with an
accent of reproach that said more than
her words.
"'Twould be strange If she did know
about housework to once" said mild
Aunt Gray; "she never had no mother
nor no folks SOS she could learn; be
sort o. softly to her, Will; she's lone
some little cretar, with nobody but you
to hold on to, ye know
Wills really kind heart began to
trouble him; he went out again into the
street ostensibly to finish his errands,
but really to buy Sally q rose-pink silk
tie that would look so pretty in con-
trast with her rich dark hair and eyes,
and perhaps cast glow on her too
pale, smooth cheek.
For Win had an instinct of taste in