Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-02-02
ESTRANGED.
A MATRIMONIAL EPISODE.

As the horn sounded the call to
breakfast Caleb Sterling came down
the path which led from the barn to
the kitchen door, a foaming pail of
milk in each hand. The kitchen
looked pleasant and coy A cheerful
hfe burned in the polished
stove, by the side of which, in soap
box, a Maltese cat was contentedly
purring to four small kittens. Gera-
niums bloomed on the window-sills,
and the row of tins hanging above the
long dresser shone as brightly as soap
and sand could make them.
The breakfast was hot and savory,
and The small, delicate-looking woman
sitting behind the big coffee pot was
very fair to the sight, with her large,
dark blue eyes, curly hair, low, broad
forehead and regular features. She
" as neatly dressed in dark blue flannel
made simply, and relieved at the neck
and wrists by linen collar and cuffs
and protected in front by a larg'
/ white apron.
Pleasant as was this picture of hom
comfort, the stern, angry look Whic
Caleb Sterling's face had worn fo
! several days past did not relax. III
set the pals on a bench, washed hi
hands in tin basin at the sink. an,
without word took his seat at th,
table. WV
Neither did the wife speak. She
poured out her husbands coffee and
handed it to him without remark, and
in utter silence accepted the broiled
steak and fried potatoes he offered her
The hired man had taken his break
last an hour previously. in order that
he might go to the village on an er-
rand, and the husband and wife were
free to exchange the sweetest conf
dences unheard. But apparently they
had none to exchange. 1t was not
untA kle meal was ended that the
st. oppressive silence was broken,
save by the clatter Of knives and
forks.
Then as he pushed back his chair
with great deal of unnecessary noise,
and rose from the table, Caleb said.
without looking at his wife:
I'm going over to Squire Blighs to
see him about that corn he wants me
to let him have. I'll be back before
noon. and then III harness up and
We'll 60 to Freestone to see Lawyer
Kane. | sent him note yesterday,
making an engagement for this after
noon; so we won't miss seeing him, .
And without waiting for a reply
he put on his hat and overcoat and
went out.
Rebecca Sterling did not rise as her
husband left the room. She sat mo-
tionIess, staring down at the breakfast
tray before her with eyes that slowly
filled with tears, and hard and bitter
expression on her youthful face
1t was about to end, then, this
wrangling between Caleb and herself
They were to secure peace at the price
of a separation. In few hours they
would be discussing the matter with a
lawyer, laying hare to him the domes
tic infelicities which had. brought
them to such pass and deciding on
the division of the property.
Caleb was generous-she would not
deny that and he was sure to give
her even more than was her just due;
so no fear of future pecuniary distress
troubled her
But she knew the separation would
cause a great deal Of gossip. People
were always so ready to discuss the pri-
vate affairs of their friends and neigh
bors.
And then there were mother and
Jane to be told Rebecca felt sure
they would be Justly indignant, and
would espouse her cause warmly when
they learned all she had suffered at
Caleb's hands.
And vet, now that she thought it
all over, what had been Caleb's exact
offense?
Their estrangement had begun with
the employment of Jonas Stultz. as
man-of-all-work Rebecca had taken
a violent dislike to him, and had
thought him too coarse and common to
be admitted into the family circle. 1t
would have been quite as easy to hire
some one not so distasteful to her, she
thought. She had no patience with
the yulgarity of Jonas, and resented
being brought into association with
him.
But Caleb had a great regard for
Jonas working qualities, and treated
Rebecca's request for his discharge as
an absurd whim not worth even a mo-
ment's consideration.
This had angered Rehecca, and she
had expressed herself very sharply and
freely on What she termed her hus-
bands courageous tyranny"
Mutual recriminations and re-
proaches had followed: old scores.