McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1883-10-25

got money to leave"
The hired men, as they sat at the
breakfast table, eating bacon and eggs,
hot johnry-cakes and cold-boiled beef,
had vague idea that something in the
household machinery was wrong.
Mr.. Eden was unwontedly silent;
Mrs. Elden's lips were screwed up, her
cheeks flushed.
"Where's Rosa?" Hugh Hardie ask
ed, starting around, as he bit Into huge
slice of bread and butter.
1--WE do not know" ssid Mrs. Eden,
grimly.
1--WE calculate likely she's gone to
the county fair with DR.. Duganne's
daughter" said MIR. Eden. "Girls
will be girls!"
And then ensued another silence, I'M
til finally Hugh and Joseph numbered
off to the bayfield,, and the husband
and wife were left alone together once
again.
"Come, Sarah-come! We've been
husband and wife too long to quarrel
now," said Joshua Eden kindly. 81
own little Rosa is provoking piece;
but she is our Rosa, after all. S'posc
we harness up old Gray and 60 after
her? It's three years how since you've
been to the county fair"
s'And it'll be three years more before
I 90 again." said Mrs. Eden. ssNo; l
shall 60 to Aunt Amanda's and let you
and Rosa settle things to suit your
selves"
Mr.. Eden gnawed his lip. Patient
soul though he was, his wife's obstinacy
nettled him. ''''-'
"0f all tryin' creatures" said he, 81
do believe that a woman IS the worst!"
''It's all Rosa's fault" said Mrs. Ell
den.
''No, it ain't," stoutly maintained
the farmer. sRosa has faults enough;
but l won't have her falsely accused in
this case"
"You're an unfeeling brute!" said
Mrs. Eden.
"You're an obstinate woman!" re-
torted her better-half.
every well,'' said the lady. "I'm
going up stairs now to pack up my
trunk. If things have got to this pass,
it's high time, / leave the house."
"Just as you please" said Mr.. Eden.
And his wife went away, too angry
to cry, and indignantly questioning her
self why she hadn't married HezeKiah
Williams, twenty-odd years ago, in
stead of bestowing her hand on Joshua
Eden.
All day long an armed neutrality per-
vaded the low-roofed, coy old farm
house. Mr.. Eden was silent. Mrs.
Eden busted herself about her packing.
And, just at twilight, when the spicy
odor from the bed of white and crimson
clover-pinks foated in the window, a
neighbor came hurriedly along.
"There's bad news" said he. ssJim
Cole has Just come from the fair
grounds. There was a runaway team
there, and your Rosa was knocked
down and killed.
"Rosa!" cried Mrs. Eden with a
"Rosa!'' groaned the farmer, drop
ping the piece of harness which he was
laboriously mending.
"They're bringing her up the street
now," said the neighbor. ''Body came
down on the afternoon train. They do
say she's dreadfully disfgured!"
He hurried along to meet the little
cortege, now scarcely visible down the
darkening road. Mrs. Eden ran up to
her husband, and threw her arms
around his neck.
"Joshua!" she cried. "Oh, Joshua,
forgive me! 1 never meant it. loved
the poor darling all the while. Oh,
Rosa, my little Rosa!'' ,-.-a-.--.--
"Don't fret, wife, >" huskily whispered
the farmer. ''It amt your fault. You
did all you could for her,
He put his arm tenderly around his
wife's waist as he spoke.
"Whatever it is Sarah" he said,
bravely, we'll bear it together. /
At the same instant as it seemed, a
light footstep foated, like a thistle
down, on the threshold; a little figure
ran up to them, and clasped them, and
clasped them within one embrace.
''Rosa!" they cried with single
voice.
80, 1 am so sorry-so ashamed!'
sobbed Rosa May, looking pretty and
penitent enough to melt the hardest
heart. ''But Caroline Duganne over
persuaded me. We were together, and
1 didn't enjoy single moment of the
whole day. Mother-father-I never
will disobey you again. For when
those terrible wild horses rushed by
like whirlwind, and knocked over the |
poor feeble old lady, who was standing
close beside me-
'sThen it wasn't you?" said Mrs.
Eden, who had been nervously scan
ming her adopted daughters face for
siOns IF soma deadly hurf
cit would have served me right if it
had been," said the girl, shut it wasn't.
1t was old Miss Dorothy May from
Newton. Look! They are CARRYING |