The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-13

talk arter the others was gone, an she
brought up that old affair of you an Becca
aGin."
There amt any use bringin' it up
mother"
.'She says she didn't mean thing when
she talked to you so about that butterfly
business. She jest thought you hadn't
orter be wastin' your time doin' sech cruel
things as ketchin' butterflies. am she
wanted Becca to come in an do some
sewin'. That's what she said. l let beI
know didn't believe a word ont. told
her right to her face that she thought you
want good enough for Becca, an she
wanted her to hev that ricR Arms feller.'
''Seems to me I'd have let it all gone
mother"
Il want goin' to let it all go, Adoniram
Pm slow-spoken, an | don't often speak
but once in awhile I've got to. She's the
most aggeryatin'-I don't know what YOU
would hev done with her eff you had mar
ried Becca. You'd he'd TO hev her arteI
Mr.. Wheat died. She 'ain't never liked me
She tried to be dretful nice to me to-day
cause she'd got an ak to grind; but she'd
got so much spite in her she couldn't helI
il showin' out a leetle. Why, she kerried
it into the prayer meetin', she did, Adon-
IRAN. She prayed for me, cause l was SC
old an broken down, an she's three yeaI
older'n me. think it's awful to show out
lldb way
''P'rhapS she didn't mean ANYTHING"
"Yes, she did. | knew jest what she
meant by the hull ont, Adoniram Dill
She's got kinder sick livin' thar alone with
Becca, without any man to split up kind
lin'wood am bring in water, an she's try.
in 90 git you back agin. She Jest the
same as said she hedn't no objections to
it. | guess she thinks you've been .doin
pretty well, too. She thinks it would be q
Io,x :,
thar with your money an wait on 'em.
see through her."
"P'rhaps it amt so, mother"
"Yes, tits. Adoniram Dill, you don't
mean to say you'd hev any idee of mar
ryin' Becca Wheat, arter you've been
treated as you hev:"
"You amt heard me say any such thing,
mother"
Il thought you locked kinder queer. You
wouldn't, would yos, Adoniram!"
'Not if it didn't seem for-the best.
don't-know
All of a sudden Adon,ram Dill sat down
beside the little parlor table and leaned his
head on it as he had forty years ago.
whats the natter" his mother asked,
with a scared start, looking at him with
awed eyes. 1t was almost like a coming
back of the dead, this rising of her sons
youth from its snowy and grassy grave in
her sight. 80, Adoniram, you poor boy,
you amt felt jest the same way about her
all these wears! It's awful. l hadn't any
idee ont"
"Never mind mother. James callin' us
to supper; you go right along, an I'll come
in minute"
''Thar amt any need of your havin' any
more frettin' about it, anyhow, Adoniram.
Her mothers willin', an l ain't a doubt
but Becca is. I've seen her look kinder
wn-hearted sometimes; for all she's Sc
food an uncomplainin', guess she's been
worried as well as some other folks. You
Jest slick up arter supper an go right over
am ask her. Thar amt no reason at all
why you shouldn't. You amt nuther OF
YOU so very old, not more'n sixty. AM
don't know as Mis- Wheat III be so very bad
to git along with. dessay she's meant all
right"
Adoniram said nothing. He rose with
an effort, and went out to supper with his
mother, who kept gazing at him with
loving, questioning eyes.
'Ain't YOU goin'?" she whispered when
they were in the sitting-room again.
81 guess not tonight, mother"
"Well, mebbe It's jest as well to wait till
to -morrer. | don't want Mis- Wheat to
think you was in too much of a rush,
After his mother had gone to bed, and
the summer night was complete with all
its stars out-of doors, he sat down on the
front doorstep alone and thought. He
felt like a wanderer returned to some
beautiful, dear country, the true home of
his heart, which he had never thought to
see again. Tonight the golden gates of
youth swung open with sweet music for
Dill, with his gray locks and his
hard, scanned face, and he entered in,
never knowing he was any different.
The steadiness with which he had kept
to his ideas of duty for the last forty years
gave his happiness, now that the long
strain was over, an almost unearthlY, holy
character. 1t was truly the reward of
virtue. The faithful old man who had
taken what he considered to be the right
course for himself and the woman he loved,
without question or appeal to that mandate
Of obedience which he read so literally,
was capable at sixty of being as freely
happy as child.
The sordid motives which had possibly
actuated Becca's mother to withdraw her
opposition at last did not fret him at all.
He was far above it. That hard, shrill
voice which had rung out of that sitting
room window for him for the last forty
years was still. The voice had truly said
cruel things, more cruel than its owner
would own to now. The poor, honest
young man had gone away that day with
the full and settled understanding that his
sweetheart's mother was bitterly opposed
to him, and that must be the end of it all.
He never dreamed of such thing IS urging
her to marry him without her mothers
consent.
So he had never been in that front yard,
full of roses and pinks and butterflies,
since.
He and Rebecca had met in the village So
ciety like kindly acquaintances for all these
years.
Adoniram, looking across the little coun-
try church Sunday after Sunday as the
years went on, might have seen the woman
growing old who should have grown old by
his side, with bitter regret, and Rebecca.
with patient sadness, have marked his en-
trance among all the congregation; but no
one had known.
The day after the meeting Adoniram had
to drive over to the store on business. On
his way back he passed house where an
aged sister of Mrs. Wheat's lived, and
saw, with q start, the latter's thin face at
a window. ~ wonder if Becca's kome?r
said he. Then he drove on quicker, with a
gathering resolution.
About four O'Clock he was going across
lots through the field toward the Wheats'.
He had his Sunday coat on. When about
halfway across he saw a woman's figure
approaching. Soon he saw it was Rebec-
ca. He stood in the narrow foot path be-
tween the tall clover and daisies and
herds grass which came up to his knees.
and waited.
She greeted him, when she reached him,
in her usual good, placid way. "How dc
you do, Mr.. Dillf"
Il was coming to see you, Becca."
She looked at him, and the calm lines in
her face changed little. "I'll go back.
| was going after mother, that was all;
but she won't be in any hurry.
"No, there amt any need Of your goin'
back. l can say what wanted to Jest as
well here, am then you can keep right on
after your mother. Becca, supposin' twas
forty year ago, an you an me was here,
an your mother was willin'. what would
you say eff l asked you to marry me?"
Great tears stood in her eyes. 80, Adon-
IRAN, it wouldn't be fair"
Don't you think your mother would be