The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-07-24

tell, and he was ashamed to ask any
one else
Ths winter brought it's usual round
of simple gayeties in the country neigh
borhood. in which John and his wife
took their full share.
ssIt seems to me, Susan" he said one
evening on their return from church
sociabie, you don't fix up quite enough
when you go out.
"Dont l look nicer"
Eyes, of course you do, but that's
dress you had when we were married,
and that's nigh on two years ago: l
haven't seen anything Of that silk l
gave you last fall.'
care you sure ?" she said, with smile
which he could not understand.
"Yes, I am. faint even made up
yet, is it?"
Eyes, it is. And you've seen it
worn"
John was puzzled and felt sure he had
not, but Susan would give him no fur
Their satisfaction on the subject of the
silk dress.
As spring approached, she made
few suggestions as to the advisability
of firewood being set to season in due
time. But John, prompt and dilligent
in preparation for seed time and harvest,
full of the best intentions regarding his
wife's comfort, still thought the wood
was one of the things which could be
looked to any time, and Susan soon
gave way over reminding him Of it.
One day in September he came home
to dinner and found cold lunch wait
ing him. The house was clean and
quiet and cheerless; no wife there, but
q written line which ran:
'DEAR JoHN:-I am going to spend the day
over to Mrs. Carter's. Will be home in time to
give you q late supper"
He was glad to have her 60, for she
had had busy summer and needed
little change. But there was day out
the next week and the next and the next,
until he began to wonder at Susan's
growing taste for gadding about. In
early October, he came home to find
his woodward, which had still remained
empty, occupied by half dozen or SO
cords of first class wood, with Sol Carter
and his two big boys busy at it, and
they worked until it was stored up as
before in the shed. And John felt Cross,
but asked no questions.
"Where's Mrs. Barker? ?" said small
Carter boy to John, as he put up his
bars one evening.
ashes over to neighbor Grants.
You will find her there if you want her."
at amt no matter. You can tell
her here's the SEWN she's to do for
mother, and mother wants to know it
she can come and wash to our house
tomorrow"
"The-old scratch she does?" ex-
claimed John, turning on the boy In
blank amazement, which rapidly grew
into anger. "Mrs. Barker hire out to do
washin' and SEWN? What dye mean
by comm to me with such message,
you young rascal?"
The astonished youngster dropped
his sewing and applied his knuckles to-
his eyes as John advanced toward him,
then ran with all his might as the bum
die came whizzing after him. And SUI
sans lord and master strobe in digni-
fed wrath down the road to meet her.
"Susan--I don't understand this
there's been young chap talkin' about
SEWN and washin' for Mrs. Carter.
What in all creation does it mean, I'd
like to know.
TITS all right" said Susan, compos-
edly. ''What was the message.
ssThunderation! You don't mean to
say you sew and wash for other folks,
do You ?"
''And what for. Is there anything
you want, Susan. that don't give you? ?"
s'Yes, John, there is I want wood. /
can't sew and chop, but l can wash and
sew or anything else woman ought to
do and there's no blame to me for chang
ing work can do for work I can't. I'm
never" Susan spoke very firmly, but
without grain of irritation, ''going to
put up with poor badly cut. green wood
again as long as can turn my woman's
work into mans work. I'd rather
wash for somebody every week; it's half
the comfort of woman's lie. You've
never had to wait for your dinner, with
the wood sizzing in the stove and the
fire not burning, since I've been pro-
viding the wood"
John was dumbfoumded
sAnd you've been workin' for Sol
Carriers wife these two years !"he said
in intense disgust.
mo; my silk dress paid for last years
wood. I hated to let it go, John, be-
cause you gave it to me, but Tilda Car
ter took fancy to it. Tt was she you
saw wearing it" and Susan laughed at
his grunt of dissatisfaction with the
whole business.
"You to go letting me down this way
before the Cartersp he growled. And
if Mrs. Johns eyes flashed little who
can blame her, as she answered:
IF there's any letting down to it it's
your doing, not mine!"
They finished their walk home in
silence, and then John said:
Susan, will you leave the wood bust
ness to me after this ?"
I'll try you, John, !" she said.