The Penn's Grove record., 1884-01-05


to-" for his brow was black as night,
and he had no more to say to his neigh
bors now than to his wife at the dinner
table.
This, then, was the way in which
they spoke of him bohind his back,
these men who labored beside him, and
took their wages from him and pre-
tended to be his friends.
And his wife she was afraid she ha-
ted him. To whom could he turn for
comfort-with whom could he expect
true friendship, If she who should have
been nearest and dearest was an enemy
in disguise? Lost in moody reverie he
paid little attention to his work.
And at three O'Clock in the after
noon there was a Sudden uproar in the
hay feld-a tramplng of hoofs, a rush
of terrified men, a confusion of voices,
and among them all George Brewster
lying on the ground beneath the now
ing machine, his right arm and leg
broken by the wheels, his head cut and
bleeding with his heavy fall.
Meanwhile Lefty, in the cream color
ed house. had not been Idle.
Tying on a great calico apron in
place of the white one. she had quietly
washed and put away the dinner dish
es and reduced the dining room to or
der.
Tea vas easily arranged, since it was
to consist of cold dishes, with glasses of
milk for the men.
She threw a clean table cloth over
the whole as soon as it was finished and
went up stairs into the spare cham
to pack her trunk.
eyes, Lefty had made up her mind
at last. She was going away.
Life had ~degenerated into slavery
unbrightened as she fancied, by a ray
of love.
"And slavery will support one any
where" thought Lefty, as with tremb-
ling hands she locked and strapped her
trunk and fastened her few lines to
George upon the lid.
AT the porch door she paused for one
last look around the house that might
have been so happy.
She did not intend to glance toward
the bayfield,.
Yet in spite Of her resolution her
eyes turned that way TO single out the
tall figure that guided the rafting,
clicking moving machine.
wonder if he will miss me a little
just at frst2u she unused. He can
get a divorce, l suppose, if / desert
him, and then he will marry again. l
hope he will be kinder to his next wife
than he has been to me-"
With tears that rose at the thought
of her successor binding her eyes, Let
ty failed to see the figure that she
sought.
II am foolish to look at him again.
I have never been more than a house
keeper to him from the first" she
thought, stumbling blindly on toward
the gate and opening it to find herself
in the centre of an excited group.
"There, don't ye take on like that?
said Solomon Wyse, who came first and
saw the tears upon her cheeks before
she could wipe them away.
"Were you coming out to meet us?
We were in hopes you didn't see any
thing of it. ITS a bad accident, but
George is so strong and hearty that he
will be up and around again almost be-
fore you know it. We've sent Ben
Hill off on one Of the colts for the
doctor, and if you will only tell us
where to carry him"
"Carry himp" repeated Lefty.
Solomon stepped aside. She saw
behind him a litter roughly made of hay
rakes and covered owe with coats and
on that litter George was lying pale and
bleeding, with his eyes closed.
"Oh, Mr.. Wyse, is he deadp" she
asked, turning v 9 paler than George.
..sNot a bit of it! Worth twelve
dozen dead men yet. Only a bit of a
break In one arm and n leg, and a
knock on the head wen he fell. The
horse didn't kick, and he'll be all right
as soon as the doctor sees him. Shall
we take him up stairs or where?"
bring him in here" said Lefty re-
covering herself.
She led the way to the bedroom on
the ground floor and helped to SHIFT
the manned figure from the litter to
the bed. Her soul Vas dying within
her for fear, yet not a word passed her
lips.
When the doctor came in he found a
capable nurse, dressed in a dark print
who listened i~ntelligently to his direc-
tions, and promised to carry them out
fully.
And it so happened that as George
Brewster returned to life the first
words that fell upon his ear were ut
tered by the doctor outside the window
as he mounted his gig:
s.Yes, he will do, MI. Wyse, he will
pull through nice if his wife nurses
him. And she can do so nicely, il
some of you will send some n to take
charge OF the house. She Is a woman
in a thousand. / hope he knows how
to value her,"
Lefty bending over the bed absorbed
In the invalid, had not heard himg"
"What is it dear?"
"The doctor is right. You are a
woman in a thousand always knew
it Lefty, if l never said it. So l tel
you of it now, before | die" he added,
going off into another faint.
1t was all that Letty's sore heart
needed. Beside the bed of suffering
she spent two OF the happiest months
of her life. The first act of George
Brewster on his recovery was to secure
help for his wife, 50 that she now has
plenty Of time t get back her losf
color and plumpness. They are n IL
heart, as one In home and name now