The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-05-18

hill out of sight.
And as she flew round putting th,
dishes away and setting back the tabl,
in that bare, silent room, its only out
look sheets of dazzling snow, gra,
woods, with here and there dull greer
cedar, or round, flat cypress on th,
barren hillside, and one expanse q
stainless sunny blue above, her Thought.
ran riot.
She looked back to the time of he,
marriage, and scorned herself for hav
ing believed Will ever loved her. JUS
for few hard words 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 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 flour he must buy in Mystic, the
price of cranberries and the probable
weight of his pig-it was so near kill
ing time.
But poor Sally, pitiable as we'll as
blamable, for to have a quick, high
temper is worse for it's 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, end planned a 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
sharp curve.
She remembered that she must go
out to the barn and gather the eggs,
as she always did about that time-she
was SO afraid to cross the road unless g
train had just passed.
She did not put on her hood, for the
day was SO brig 9ht-and her head was
SO hot with anger and crying that the
cool air was refreshing-but ran across
hastily; there were plenty of eggs
to-day, but she had no basket large
enough to hold them. and to her aston
ishment she found Will had not fed
eitherthe 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. 81 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. l" - here the COW lowed and
the pig took up his own grunting com.
plant. They had heard her voice and
knew that there was q 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
'carao 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 l won't clean 'em, so there!"
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 a good and
abundant dinner; and a plentiful meal
of chicken pot-pie, mashed potato,
boiled turnips, new rye bread and
baked Indian pudding PM him into ex-
,ellent humor, so tho when 'Phrony, |
who bad boon before too busy serving |
md eating to talk, asked, "How's |
sally p he said, very honestly:
Why, she's we'll, real we'll; out she |
got kinder put out with me this morn
ng, and / don't blame her a bit, for I |
begun it, kinder faultin' my breakfast,
md | guess made her mad; shouldn't
youder."
"Why, WHIP said 'Phrony, with an
ccent of reproach that said more than
Ter words.
""Twould be strange If she did know
bout homework to once,' said mild
aunt Gray; "she never had no mother
lor no folks SOS she could learn; be
ort O. softly to her, Will; she's lone
ONE little cretar, with nobody but you
o hold on to, ye know"
Wills really kind heart began to
rouble him; he went out again into the
treet ostensibly to finish his errands,
ut really to buy Sally rose-pink silk
ie that would look so pretty in con-
rast with her rich dark hair and eyes,
nd perhaps cast a glow on her too
ale, smooth cheek.
For Will had an instinct of taste in
is nature, and knew very well how
retty and refned-looking his wife was
ven beside 'Phrony's less delicate and
lore blooming beauty.
So he stepped into the sleigh and
rove off, think ing how he would
make friends" with Sally, and how
nat dimple in her cheek would come
Id go, and how her lovely eyes bright
4 when she saw the pink tie.
The road seemed very long, for he
new he had left home in a passion,
i'd now he was sorry. He got there
last, just before sundown, and driv- |
lg into the barn was received with O
lorus from the COW and pig
"Jerus'lem p he exclaimed, I
ever fed them critters this morning |
did lose my head, that's fact. Well,
We got to tend 'em now. Wonder
ally didn't. Mabbe, though, she
idn't come over, or if she did she
tched the eggs and didn't look at
othing else"
Very speedily he fed the hungry
casts and put out his horse, resolving
go in to supper and finish his barn
ork afterward, for he was hungry.
There was no light in the house,
hich looked rather cheerless, but then
ally was frugal and sat far into the
7ilight without lamp, SO he went on