The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-06-13

1ofds room; and its no trouble to put
up a.muslin curtain to the window and
lift in o cot bed. There are plenty Of
good sweet husks in the corn house, and
You can just tack q mattress together
n whitewash the ceiling, and-W What's
that Beniah? The COWS in the rye lot
Dear me- everything goes wrong If
step into the house q moment. And
really, Lutte, those things are your bust.
ness and not mine! !" he added. irritably
Lucy could not help laughing all by
herself, u her husband ran up the
steps.
But it was . very sad little laugh and
soon changed into a sigh.
IL wonder" said she, in q whisper,
ii mypoor, tired-out ghost would haunt
these stone pavements, and scrubbed
shelves, if 1 were to die! Inever heard
Of a ghost in a dairy before, but should
think that it might easily be-"
But this little bedroom was fitted up
for all that, as fresh as o rose, and
Uncle Paul arrived, a dried-up, yellow
complexioned old man, with an old
fashioned cravat tied in many folds
around his neck, and n suit of navy blue,
with brass buttons.
HI had the polite way of half a cen
fury ago, aad Lucy thought she should
like him very much, if only she had time
to get acquainted with him.
But she was churning ten pounds OF
butter a day, and there was the baby,
and the company, and the young chick
ems, and the baking to do for the sew
ing society, which was to meet at her
house that week.
She was almost too busy to sleep.
But Uncle Paul was Watching her quiet
ly all the time.
He came out, one day, to the barn.
where his nephew was putting o new
handle on a sickle blade.
Pretty busy times-eh, Uncle PAUL."
asked the farmer, scarcely taking the
leisure to look up.
Aye absently answered the old
man. "Did 1 tell you, Nephew Seth,
about the reason 1 left your Cousin
Eliab's?"
Not that I remember said Seth,
breathing on the blade and polishing it
with his silk handkerchief.
Dorothy died-his wife!" +
ooh, YES" said Seth. "Malarial
fever, wasn't it?"
Mop blunlty answered Uncle Paul.
ut was hard work. That woman
Nephew Seth, did the house-work for
eight persons. Eliab didn't even let
her have a woman to help her with the
washing andironing."
Must have been o regular going
brute" said Seth, Tightening the handle
| a little.
Gall the sewing, too" added Uncle
Paul-"the mending and making.
Never went anywhere except to church.
Eliab didn't believe in women gadding
about"
1.-The old savage" said Seth.
She was fond of reading, but she
never got any time for it, 7" said Uncle
Paul. "She rose before sun-up, and
never lay down until IL o'clock. 1t was
hard work that killed that woman and
Elijah coolly declared hat it was sheer
~laziness when she couldn't drag herself
around any longer. And when she died
he rolled up his eyes and called it a Wis
itation of Providence"
why didn't the neighbors lynch
him?" cried Seth, fairly aroused to in
dignation at last.
Uncle Paul took off his glasses, wiped
them vigorously, ndlooked his nephew
hard in the face.
"Why don't the neighbors lynch you? ?"
said he. Seth dropped the sickle and
| stared.
Nephew Seth" said Uncle Paul, i'm
pressively, thou art the man! Are
you not doing the same thing?n
"1?" gasped Seth.
Your wife is doing the work Of a
household of sixteen people," said I'm
Gle Paul. "She is drudging as you
could hire no foreigner to drudge. She
is rising early, and lying down late; she
is offering up her life on the shrine of
your farm and its requirements. Ihave
seen her grow thin and pale even dur
ing the few days I have been here.
l have carried water and split wood
for her, because there is no one to
do it. / have seen her carry up
Mrs. Belford's breakfast daily to her
room, because Mrs. Bedford preferred
to lie in bed; and cooking dainty dishes
for Helen Patterson, because Helen
wouldn't eat what the rest like. No
6oAASy CNSl =uo jig ICtS.
And you with your hired men-whose
board only adds to her cares-and your
labor-saying machinery, stand coolly
by and see her commit slow suicide.
Yes, Nephew Seth, I think it is q case
for %lynching!"
Seth had grown pale.
I'll never thought of this" said he.
why didn't some one tell me?
Where were your W eyes?' asked
Uncle Paul.
Seth Bellendon rolled down his shirt
sleeves, but on his coat, and went into
the house.
He told the Belfords md Pattersons
that it was l~nconyenient to keep them
any longer. He gave Cousin Susan to
understand thath her room was needed.
lie made arrangements to board the
hired men at the vacant farm house, and
engaged a stout d%airyD1an, and house
servnt to await on Lucy. Andhe teleg-
raphed to her father to come to Silyan
Bridge at once.
"She deserves a treat" he said. He
shall spend the snmmer with u.s."
And then he went to tell Lucy.
She had tainted among the butter
cups, picking strawberries for tea,
Poor little Lucy! The machinery had
utterly refused to revolve any longer.
His heart grew cold within him.
1She will die, he thought, and 1 shall
have murdered her!"
But she did not die. She recovered
her strenhgt by degrees.
ut is better than any medicine" she
said, ito know that Seth is thinking Of
me and for me-"
And Uncle Paul-'the last straw
as she had called him-had proved hel
salvation.
IT didn't want her to go as Eliab',
wife did" said Uncle Paui.-Home
Circle.