St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-06-10

but really to buy Sally a rose pink silk
tie that would look SO pretty in contrast
with her rich dark hair and eyes, and
perhaps cast a glow on her too pale,
smooth cheek.
For Will had an instinct of taste in
his uncutivated nature, and knew very
well how pretty and refined looking his
wife was even beside 'PhronYs less del
icate and more blooming beauty.
So he stepped into the sleigh and
drove off, thinking how he would
ssnake friends with Sally, and how
that dimple in her cheek would come
and go, and her lovely eyes brighten
when she saw the pink tie,
The road seemed very long, for he
knew he had left home in passion,
and now he was sorry. He got there at
last, lust before shutdown, and driving
into the barn was received with chorus
from cow and pig.
",Jerus' lem!' he exclaimed. q
never fed them critters this morning!
did lose my head, that fact. Well,
I've got to tend to 'em now. Wonder
Sally didn't. Mabbe, though, she didn't
come over, or if she did she fetched the
eggs and didn't look at nothing else.'
Very speedily he fed the hungry
beasts and put out his horse, resolving
to 90 in to supper and finish his barn
work afterward, for he was hungry.
There was no light in the house, which
looked rather cherries, but then Sally
was frugal, and sat far into the twilight
without lamp, so he went on and
opened the kitchen door.
A cold chill struck him; the place was
empty, still, fireless; rat ran across the
floor as he stepped in.
Nobody was there.
The low light of the setting sun
struck across the snow fields with wan
glitter into the bare room; the fire was
out; the stove cold. Behind the door
into the shed hung Sally's hood and
shawl, and her mituens were on the shelf.
Sally must be in the bedroom, sick no
doubt.
With an anxious heart VIII opened
the door Unto it. Nobody was there,
the room was in its usual cherries or
der; the bed white and smooth as the
outer drifts; the white curtained win
dows shutting out even that wintry sun
shine.
Probably Sally had put on her Sunday
cloak and bonnet, the same dark-red
velvet turban and jaunty, jet-trimmed
sack she had looked so well in when
they were married. Almost as if he
were afraid of seeing a ghost, Will
opened the closet-door to see; there the
things hung against the wall, straight
and smooth, sack and shawl, too, and
the toque was on the shelf above.
Then he opened the tiny parlor, with
awful misgivings. The andirons shone
in the open replace; the wax fruit was
under its glass shade, between the g lass
candle-sticks on the shelf; and the big
Bible, the photograph-album, the copy
of Tupper's Proverbial Philosophical
wedding-presents- occupied the small
round table in the middle OF the room,
and took CHASTITY tint from the green
paper shades and the wan light of dy-
; ing day.
Everything was as prim, as dull and
, as musty as ever. Sally was not there.
There was but one room upstairs,
and either side of it dark attic; he lit
his lantern and searched there, but
found nothing.
Then he took Decline for the near
est neighbours house, but though the
, family were full of pity and astonish-
ment and suggestion, he did not find
his wife.
"Hev We s'arched the barn?' queried
old Grandsir Phelps from the chimney
: corner.
Will had not thought of that; so Roy
, al Phelps went back with him and
peered into every nook and corner OF
, the bin, NOW, harness-shed and cellar.
: They found the eggs she had left in
, the hay, but they did not find Sally.
, Then the two men went over the house
again, peered shudderingly down into
the well, and weighing the bucket with
} heavy stones and lengthening the rope,
+ let it down till they heard the WOOD
/ strike hard against the rocky bottom
, from whence bubbled up that living
) spring. Nobody was there
| "You haint tramped around the lots
: any, hev ye?' inquired Royal Phelps. .
| "Nowhere only tow'rds your house, >
: answered Will
'sWell, then, when mornin' comes WE
kin track her; for it showed about al
hour here arter breakfast, and there
, haint ben no passin' onto the roat
: sence, for I've ben a-choppin' long side
, ont the hull time to-day; and | took {
3 bite along SOS not to stop; I was boun
to finish up to-day"
. But would that morning ever come
: 1t seemed not to VIII; he walked thu
house while Royal snored in the rocker
, and recalled with despair and distres
how be and Sally had parted in thu
morning in anger; parted now, itseemed
i for the last time.
D He had not much imagination, but b
had enough to conjecture dreadful
: things about his wife's fate. All alon
0 there in the farmhouse what might no