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


was the drop too much.
Sally's face famed and her eyes grew
dark.
''Perhaps you'd better stay to Mystic
when you get there, seem things amt
to your likin' here"' she said, with bit
ter emphasis.
"Mabbe I had, if you can't learn how
to cook vittles halfway decent, y was
Wills spiteful response.
"rm sure | don't care!' she an
swered.
"Well, 1 dono as 1 do he replied,
and walked across to the barn.
Sally was so angry that she flew round
the kitchen as if She stepped on air; she
was in one of those RACES that exalt the
| body with the passion of the mind, and
make any action easy while the inner
| tempest lasts.
It seemed to her as if she heard in her
! own ears the boiling of her rage; she
certainly did not hear outdoor sounds
at all; it was accidental that in stepping
past the window, she saw VIII drive OFT
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 over-burdened
heart.
But she was all alone in the house,
and the nearest neighbor lived round a
hill out of sight.
And as She flew round putting the
dishes away and setting back the table
in that bare, silent room, it's only out
look sheets of dazzling snow, gray
woods with here and there dull-green
cedar, or round, fiat 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 having
believed Will ever loved her. Just for
few hard words? you ask. Yes, only
that.
"Words break no bones,h the prov
erb says, but they break hearts, which
is worse; and words mean very much to
woman, though very little to man.
VIII, 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 prob
able weight of his pig-it was so near
killing time.
But poor Sally, pitiable as well as
blamable, for to have quick, high
temper is worse for its possessors 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 agreat many
things to say and 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 sc
: sorry for herself-and they dropped SC
fast she could not darn.
Just then the morning train Numbered
by and spun out of sight round a sharp
curve.
She remembered that she must &c
out to the barn and gather the eggs as
she always did about that time-she
was so afraid to cross the road unless q
| train had just passed.
She did not put on her hood, for the day
was so bright her head was so hot
, with anger and crying that the cool all
was refreshing-but ran across hastily
there were plenty Of eggs to-day, but she
had no basket large enough to hole
!, them, and to her establishment she
found Will had not fed either the COW
or the pig, and her abated anger rose te
think that he had gone off without doing
his barn-work.
, ssThat's little too much" she sale
to herself. 81 amt a-goin' to do his
! chores for him, anyway! I've go
+ enough to do in the house, and dom
suit mister at that. If he thinks he's
! got dumb slave to work for him, he:
, mistook. l." here the COW lowed ane
the pig took up his own grunting com
> plant. They had heard her voice anc
| knew that there was a chance OF break
: fast.
Sally had tender, pitiful heart for al
) her temper.
; "Poor critters she said. II done
! as had ought to be ugly to them cause
! he's ugly to me. Pllrun over and fetcl
a basket and get my hood and mitten
, ANYWAY. I'll feed 'em, so theren' ane
a boiling over again with fresh wrath sh'
p left the barn and slammed the door be
!, hind her.
Meantime Will went on his way tt
> Mystic, where he arrived in due time
{ did his errands and went to Uncle Dam s
> where he found good and abundan
! dinner; and plentiful meal of CHECKER
pot-pie, mashed potato, boiled turnips
new rye bread and baked Indian pud
ding put him into excellent humor, s.
that when 'Phrony, who had been be
| fore too busy serving and eating to talk
+ asked "How's Sally?" he said, yer.
honestly