Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-04-15
were ripe shadrach and Jeruaha were

ing departed to another place. the old
Platt homestead was dreary and des.
olate. But Shad found his trial in the
Widow Pellet. - ''io
onad was very patient man, so
much so that Captain ami had often
oeen perplexed respecting his r lme,
wondering whether it would have been
wiser to have named the boy Job.
] ana being very patient he had Of
| course, great persistency, which. bv
reason OF his meek manner, the widow
and his wife did not suspect.
So 1t happened that Shad, beino in
deed previously beset by the widow
determined that sooner or later he
would deprive himself and Jerusba ri
her society. So when the widow up
braided MIN, as was her daily wont,
win all manner OF faults, Shad meek
~ bent his head and received her YER.
bal lashes, thinking the while some
good means would come by which he
would peaceably overcome her.
All the people OF the village wonder
eG at the meekness displayed by Shad,
and the report of his trials HAVING
reached Shed, he wrote Shad a letter,
saying that "no six-foot man ouoht
20 be henpeeked by amother-in.law
shad patiently endured these things.
and went his way.
One morning the Widow Pellet said
TO him; you Platts are fine lot.
There's no more snap to you than to
a toadstool; fine lot YOU ere"
And Shad with meekness, replied;
Yes, all fine; some finer than 9th.
ers, but all line; yes, all fine"
'Do you hear that, Jerusha. in nv
own house, and him that ENCOURAGED
TO have you, answers me back with
he is?'
'Yes, have heard it, mother. Do
you suppose, Shad Platt, that I'd a
turned Shed away il I'd dreamt YOU
were going to be cruel to mother and
me- You hurt our feelings every day.
You don't seem to realize what fine
woman my mother rs, and to have no
idea what fine family you married
| into"
Yes, said Shad, gently, "all fine.
some inner than Others, but all fine;
yes, all fine"
There 1T IS again. Jerusha. How
much longer are you going to stan
such contradiction and imnudonce?"
and when Shad tried to laugh the UNI
pleasantness away he was informed
that he had temper; and when he
tried to take Jerusha by the hand he
was condemned for cruel man. and
when he said he hoped not, they told
him he was in passion, that he was
always getting into n passion; and
/ a. hon m fha hr,,, III L
he sometimes feared he did when the
nigh OK and other critters bothered
INN then, to his amazement, the
women sobbed and the widow took
Jerusha off to her own chamber to con-
! sole her, and Shad did not set eyes
upon them again that day But Shad.
though a patient man and a peaceful
man, was persistent one, and he bided
! his time.
One day the widow informed Jerusha
that it was to be borne no longer.
you've got to live without me or
without him What ever possessed you
| TO take him instead of Shed? Shed al
lers thought a heap more OF you than
Shad.
| Mrs. Pellet observed that Jerusha
spoke not, and moved about her avo.
cations with closed lips. Shad saw it
too, and at length asked her, pleasant
ly, if she had lost her tongue.
'No, but Eve been thinking, Shad
Platt, that you and me were great
fools to get married, and it'e too much
to expect it's going tolast all our days,
and it amt. Tomorrow you've got
to drive me over to Litchtield, and
draw $25 out of the savings bank"
Shad uttered no word of protest, but
next morning. arrayed in his Sunday
clothes, he drove his wife to Litchfeld,
and gave her money; and while she
was counselling with the lawyers Shad
sat on the bench under the oak in
the tavern yard, and waited tor
he was patient and persistent
to him he gently lifted her into the
wagon, and drove silently home. Just
before he reached the gate he asked:
''Did you-did you get the bill, Juru-
sha?"
dts going into court right away.
But let's you and part good friends,
Shad."
He did not even go in with her, but
drove away to the desolate Platt
homestead, and Shad no more entered
the widows house: and he thought,
as he sat by his solitary fire that pa
thence had her perfect work, and he
wondered if the widow realized it.
So Shad and Jerusha were divorced,
and all the people said it was well.
The patient Shad went his way with
silent persistence, bordering what he
should do that he might still further
accomplish his purpose respecting the
Widow Pellet. For. though he con-
fessed it to no one, Shad's design had
been but half perfected by the divorce.
One afternoon, as he was moving the
aftermath meadow, he stopped sud
denly and laughed gently, for it had
come to him how he could accomplish
his design.
And when in the meeting house on
the next Lord Day the Widow Pei
let and her daughter saw Shad es-
corting a comely young house
keeper-she was the widow OF his
cousin-and her little son to the
old Platt pew, Shad perceived,
as he glanced furtively at the Pei
let pew, that he should accomplish
his purpose, and that there are other
revenges than loud-noised and vehe-
ment ones, for the widow wrestled
with her annoyance and Jerusha's
cheeks became pale with emotion as
she beheld the young housekt eper.
Not many Sundays were the widow
and her daughter able to endure this
sight, for the housekeeper was very
comely, and Shad was most courteous
to her. So after some weeks the
widow, seeing Shad one day down in
the brook meadow, which was not far
from her house. clad herself properly
and went out TO him. And she spoke
some words sorrowiuliy to him, and
even limited that she might have been
hasty: but, above all, she bade him
take pity on Jerusha.
.Does Jerusha want pity! Send her
right out to me, Mrs. Pellet" and IN
a few minutes Jerusha, whose cheeks
were very pale, came slowly out to
meet him, and Shad went up to her
holding out his hand, and said some
things to her gently, and-well, IL be-
came known in the village before many
DAYS that Shad and Jerusha had
made up their minds to marry again,
but that Shad had insisted that
Jarusha come with him to the old