The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-06-25
MRS. GERRISH'S GRIEF.
The Clouds and Sunshine OF q
Stormy Day.

s'Maybe I'd go to Boston with you
Warren, if urged" said young Mrs
Gerrish, archly, standing on tiptoe t.
smooth down her husbands noddin,
scalp lock.
'.It's too late to think Of it-too lat
altogether" cried Mr.. Gerrish, in hi
haste, rushing to his desk and scatter
ing the papers like Dakota blizzard
''Where's my bank book? Seen it, Ma
bel?"
"There, Warren, 1 forgot to tell you
I thought it would be safer behind thu
clock"
''Safer behind the fiddlesticks," cogi
tated the annoyed husband, as hi
tipped over the time-piece in laying
hold of the missing property; but being
gentleman, he merely remarked i'm.
pressively that ten to one he should lose
the train.
..It's only eight, Warren. You've
half an hour"
''But Twelve something to attend
to before going to the station" he
stammered, obviously embarrassed.
.'Oh!" Mrs. Gerrish dropped her
questioning brown eyes, flushing holly.
Why did her husband reject her prof.
fered company And what was this
mysterious errand that he would not
tell of.
.Good-by, wifekin. Take care OF
yourself till see you," he added, in a
friendlier tone, as he jumped into his
carriage.
"Well, l must say"' calculated the
little lady, frowning after the retrcating
vehicle. But she did not say it. In.
stead, she set the clock ON its legs again,
and fell to musing.
She was sorry she had vexed Warren
by meddling with his handbook, but he
need not have been SO cross. What did
he want of the book, any way? Had
he not only yesterday told her that he
didn't owe cent in the worldP And
why-this was vital query-why had
he gone off witIM 1T her. too preOccupied
to snatch goodbye kiss? Last week
he had left her behind in the same way.
She wouldn't have MINDED the neglect
so much if it had not afterward come to
her ears that he had gone straight from
her to Miss Ebbitt, and escorted tina,
young lady TO the city. He never had
limited word about it. Mrs. Gerrish
Aecretly hoped the rumor wasn't true,
but it was shocking to have the neigh.
bors talking. And now to think that,
after humbling herself to ask her hus-
band to take her, she should have met
with flat refusal! The stroke of nj. {
surprised her just this side of tears.
Was it possible she had idled away
a whole hour in arranging the
writing-desk, and Bridget gone for the
week?
Hurrying into the kitchen to wash
the breakfast dishes, her eyes rested on
q guaint-looking man in the doorway.
'.Alornin', Mis- Gerrish, )" said he doff:
ing his hat for GOODNESS rather than
courtesy.
Good morning, Uncle Jabez," re-
sponded she, kindly. Have you come
to split me some kindlings?'
''Sartin, ma'am. l suspicioned you
must be about out" said the village fac.
totum, wiping his bald knob of a crown,
which rose above his encircling red
fringe like the seed-vessel of q poppy
above its coralla.
Il knew your husband wasn't here
10 do for you," he continued, putting
his hat on again with a screwing motion
as if it were the cover of fruit jar.
I'D been clearing out the wilder Eb
bits pipes, and was a crawling along
on her ruff, when Mr.. Gerrish drove ur
for jimmy. He didn't have to wait. On
the fiat of her foot Jimmy is, for all hel
fuss and feathers"
Ibid they catch the train?" faltered
the young wife, her face averted.
Then her husband did go for Miss
Ebbitt! Uncle Jabez should not know
that he was telling her news!
"Yes, ma am they catched it. asked
Hiram Blodgett when he fetched your
horse back to the store" answered
Uncle Jabez. his confiding blue eyes
fixed on the sky. I'm Jealous of q
shower, am. Remember that pealer
we had the last time your husband took
jimmy to Boston?"
s.Last Thursday, do YOU mean?''
1ueried Mrs. Gerrish, anxiously. That
miserable rumor might be true. She
was ready to believe any thing.
1T strikes me twas Thursday. Yes.
ma am twas week ago to-day, for ]
was in the wilder Ebbitt's stable mend
in her crib when your husband drove
In, with jimmy. The water was
a-streakin' it off O. the heritage, but
he'd wropped jimmy complete, soft she
skipped out dry as grasshopper. She
told him she was no end grateful for
his care, and faith she'd orter been; for
If he hadn't held her shawl round her
sc, her silk gownd would a been spot
ted hitherty yender."
s'What did he say to that, uncle?''
''Oh, he was even with her, ma am.
I'm the one obleeged, Miss jimmy, saws
he. You know you're every thing to
me- Host the rest he spoke SO low. :"
.'Yes, certainly" murmured the
dazed little wife, absently shutting
Uncle Jabcz into the sheu.
Miss Ebbitt every thing to Warren by
Warren's own confession! Could she
trust her ears? Eccentric and scatter
Drained Uncle Jabez might be, but deaf
or prone to mischief he was not She
conh not for a moment doubt his word.
That her husband should be seeking
clandestine interviews with any lady
was scandalous enough; that the lady
thus sought should be Miss Ebbitt was
beyond endurance. In her fierce per
turbation Mrs. Gerrish hardly heard the
crash of the sugar-bowl that slipped
from hsr hand. Who would heed break