The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-16

was sickly, with too active mind for her
own narrow life, so she fastened it on her
neighbors. This last evening when. Silas
went to the Roses she knew it, as usual.
When, by and by, she heard loud talk, she
raised her window softly and listened. The
front door of the Rose house was evidently
open, and the takers were standing in the
hall.
She could only hear one voice to distin-
guish the words; that was Mrs Roses
When she was excited she always spoke
very loud. YOU'RE worse than your father
was" the listener heard her say, land he
was tighter than the bark of tree; but he
WANT quite so mean but what he could get
married. Althea's we'll rid of such poor
stick as you. Don't s'pose she'd he'd 'nough
to eat if you'd married her, nor dress 70
her back"
the loud talk kept on, and the woman
listened greedily. When it had ceased, and
Silas had crept down the path, and the
door had closed with great house-shaking
slam beh ind him, she felt more healthily
alive than she had for many day. Soon
all the town knew how Silas Vinton had
Tilted Althea Rose-because he was too
tight to support her. His courtship had
made deal of laughing comment; now he
was mercilessly badgered. He shut him
self up with MS flowers and bore it as well
as he could. Once neighbcr he had given
vegetables to many a time offered him
pay. That almost broke his heart. Then
others no longer asked for them and he
understood why. He never met Althea at
all. For the next two years, except for
one or two glimpses of her from his win
dow, he would hardly have known she
lived in the same town.
In the winter of the second year man
who came to his house on an errand asked
him if he knew his old girl was going to be
married
Silas turned white. "What do you
meanp asked he.
2 "Althea I,oss is goin' to get married, if
the fellar don't back out cause he don't
want to support her. What do you think
of that!"
s'rm glad, if she likes him, - said Silas.
"Well mebbe when he comes to count up
the cost he'll think better ont"
Silas made no reply to the taunt. He
stood behind his window-shelves Of plants
and watched the man go down the side
walk. IL don't wonder he talks So" said
he "But thar WANT no other way to save
her l had to have some reason. The worst
of it is, it amt true.n
Silas' ported plants were very beautiful
that year; they were covered with
blossoms Every one stopped to look at his
windows Silas sat behind them that day
after he heard the news and watched the
street. He was hoping Althea would go
by; he wanted to see her She did come in
sight toward night-a slender, girlish
figure, in some prim, eccentric winter garb,
as noticeable as her summer one.
Silas ran to the door 'Althea.n
''Whatm said she, standing at the gate.
He went down the steps and stood beside
her.
"See here Althea. 1 heard this morning
| you was going to get married. Is it so:"
| Althea looked down. "Yes.n
81 jest want to know-it's safe for you
to tell me, Athea; I'd die sooner than any
| body should know. l jest want to know if
| it's all right this time; if yoW want him, OF
was before. Cause, if it is, don't you
marry him. Don't you be afraid of your
mother; Fll STAN by you"
"I-guess it's all right, Silas."
Then your mother amt making youa
| Don't you be afraid to tell"
''No, she amt. She couldn't, really. I'd
manage somehow, the way did before, if
l didn't want him"
"Tm glad it's all right, Althea."
| She giggled softly. She was lingering a
| gold locket which she wore outside of her
shawl. See what pretty locket he give
| me,n said she; hes real generous.n
| "She didn't moan TO hurt me when she
| said that, l know said Silas, when she
had gone on and he was back in the house.
| And he was right, she did not: she was
| only a cat's-paw for a scratch of fate that
! time
J She was married couple OF weeks later.
| On the afternoon of the wedding-day one
| of the neighbors' children came in to see
Silas. She was pretty little thing, and
he was very fond of her. She used to tease
her mother to let her go over to Silas'.
When she entered Silas' little front room
to-day the first thing she did was to stare
at the plants in the window. Every bios
som was gone.
"Why, Silas," she piped up, where's all
your flowersl"
"They've gone to a weddin', deary," said
Silas.-nary b. JVtlti,Is in Harper'S Bazdr.