The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-07-07

the matter back to Armida, and coming
home mortified and angry, reproached her
in unsparing terms, ending his recital ot
wrongs with: 81 don't know what you did
1t for, unless you was afraid your half was
going to be invaded; and IL you feel that
take care Of your own property. l amt
going to interfere"
Armida was powerless to protect herself
except with tears. which did not avail with
Lucas. She made overtures Of peace, such
as offering to cook her brothers meals and
warned to attend to her own business
Lucas had q new pipe-hole made in the
kitchen chimney and bought q new stove,
and hunted up q kitchen table, telling Ar
table they had previously used in common,
but he'd thank her to stay on her own side
of the room. The situation would have
been ludicrous il it had not been grim
earnest to the brother and sister. Lucas
had hard side to his character, and he
He would not even give Armida advice, but
allowed her cows to break into her corn
field and her sheep to stray away without
warning her, though all the while his heart
pricked him at sight of her distress. Still,
all he would do was to suggest that she get
hired man
Accordingly Armida in despair, hired an
easy going, good-natured creature. that
offered his services. He did very we'll and
Armida got on better-and took courage.
But there was dreadful blow in store
for her. Lucas brought gang OF carpen-
ters to the farm, who instituted repairs on
his half of the house. He even went so far
as to commit the extravaganza of having
blinds hung for his sitting room and front
chamber windows and his half Of the front
porch was trimmed with brackets and then
the whole of his half of the house painted
white, SO that his neighbors rallied him on
being proud, "Only," as one said, "Why
don't you extend your improvements right
along acrost the house, Lucas! 1t looks
sorter queer to see one half so fine and the
other half so slack"
"Armida's free to do as she's a mind
to-" said Lucas. "lf she wants to fix up
her side, she can don't hinder her"
Nor you don't help her either, as see,"
II believe in tending to your own affairs
and not interferin' with other folks, p"
Lucas rejoined.
Armida was made very unhappy by these
changes and the comments Of tho neighbors
and would gladly have beautified her half
also, but had no money to spend. The
farm had fallen behind and she was
pinched for means. She did what she
| could taking more care than usual Of vines
and flowers, and even had an extra bed dug
under her front windows, where she had
many bright-hued flowers but as she rose
from digging around her plants and sur
| veyed the house-Lucas' side with the
| new green blinds and the clapboards shin
ing with paint, hers, with its stained,
weather-bsatsn appearance and it, staring
windows-she felt ashamed and discour-
aged.
She feared her hired man was slack and
| neglected his work, yet whom he threat ed
to go and afterward compromised the mat
ter by Offering to stay il she'd marry him,
| at loss what to do, and partly because
| she was lonely she married him. He was
| a respectable man, whose only fault was
| laziness, and she hoped that now he would
take an interest When Armida and her
husband came back from the minister's
married, his only comment was: "Well, a
slack help will make shifless husband"
Years went by, and Armida's side of the
house fell more and more into ruin, while
Lucas, with what Armida considered cruel
carefulness, kept his in excellent repair
and occasionally renewed the paint. The
contrast was so great that passers-by
stopped their horses that they might look
and wonder at their leisure. Every glance
was like blow to Armida, SO that she
in the uncomfortable kitchen, that was
divided by an imaginary line directly
through the middle a line never crossed
by her brother, her husband or herself.
1t would have looked absurd enough to a
stranger to sec this divided room, with the
brother clumsily carrying on his household
affairs on the one side and the sister doing
her work on tho other, with often not a
word exchanged between them for days
together. Absurd it might be, but it was
certainly wretched. Armida grew old rap
idly. Her husband was poor stick, and
when as years passed q touch Of rheuma-
tism gave him real excuse for laziness, he
did little more than sit by the fire and
smoke.
AS Armida sat on the bench under the old
ruSgat aDnln trAa nv the ha aok door dou
regretting her evil fate, she heard footsteps
approaching, and pushing back her old
sun-bonnet looked up to see a shabby,
stumbling oldish man coming around the
windows. what ye doin' fhere." said
Armida sharply.
The man turned, surveyed her with a
smile, then said with drawl she remem-
bersd: II hain't been gone so long but
that 1hs1ahan know o. ,ye' Armida. Don't you re-
Theodore Huxter Is that you. well"
and she hurried up to him and shook
hands violently.
81 heard only last week that father was
dead" he explained. 81 see a man from
this way and he said he was gone. How
long since"
"More than ten years ago."
well, l thought I'd come and see ye."
'Pm glad you did," she said. ''But come
right I'M" and she led the way into the
kitchen.
He leaned up against the door and sur.
veyed the room. II should "a sposed I'd
have remembered this room, but what We
don to it. What bev We got two stoves
and two tables and all that for, Armidy!r
Armida told him all, winding up her
story with few tears.
'That accounts for the looks Of the out
side, s'pose," was his only comm mt. 81
thought 1t was about the Queerest l ever
see; It's ridiculous! Why haven't you
and Lucas Strengthened out affairs before
this?"
"Ican't and he can't, I suppose" she
said, hopelessly; ''and every thing makes
it worse wouldn't care IL he hadn't fixed
up the outside the way he did"
30, we'll, now, don't you fret. II l had
money-but then, haven't"
Show have you lived sence you left
home" Armida inquired
''Why, I've had still and made essence
and peddled it out, but sold the still to
had"
swell, now, Theodore, wish you'd stay
here, now you've got round again." said
Armida. with great earnestness. "rve
worried about you sight. I'd bs glad to
have you, and Lucas would, I know"
she ran out as she saw Lucas coming to the
house to get his supper, and apprised him
OF his brothers arrival, glad to find that
he shared her pleasure in it. AS Lucas en-
tered the room he shook hands with Theo-
dore, saying: "How are yea" to which
Theodore responded with: "How are you,
Lucas!"
Theodore was relief and pleasure to all
the family. He observed a strict impair
tiality. II he split some kindling- wood for
Armida he churned for Lucas. II he took
Armida's q old horse tn he shod he helnad