Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-06-28
S,BETH.

fell in with the swart tints Of the
mules, and took brighter color from
contrast with the faded blue jean
clothes of the driver.
He sat slouching forward on the
seat, man of years enough to have
his sandy hair grizzled and his temples
tracked sharply beyond the opaque
looking blue eyes set deeply in the
leathern yellow of his genial face.
One cheek fell in between staring
cheek bone and ponderous jaw like q
curled beech leaf of winter; the other
bulged over piece of tobacco whose
presence did not hinder the song that
broke In cracked melody from the
drivers scooped under lip.
Come wanderers in this vale o'chears,
Bidev'ry joyon yearth fahrwell;
Arouse yo' souls to dismul fears,
Feryander stalls the lord ohell.
Men take yo' staff, my bretheren,
Anmarch ahead like conQuerin' men
The way is long, the skey is dyark,
Athousand rocks our footsteps stay;
The floods thet ragged eroun the ark
Do wait to sweep our souls away.
Men take yo' staff, my bretheren.
An march ahead like conquerin' men
He beat the dolorous measure of the
hymn on the mules backs with loosely
held reins to whose slight motion they
gave no heed, unhasting and unrest.
ing they addressed themselves to their
task, their solemn tan colored noses
nodding confdentially at the ground
their tall ears tanning the soft air
overhead.
1t was morning toward the height
of April, across the lifted arch of blue
sky light wind was herding flock
of furry little clouds. The magic Of a
few warm days had frothed the silver
poplars in starry foliage, naples along
the road we're alert with small honey
dipped foliage, and here and there a
bush showed itself strung with pale
green beads.
AS the wagon went on, springing
impulse of the year seemed to stir in
Duke Runyan's blood, for he squared
himself to an upright attitude, and
having told the mules they were too
lazy to get out of their tracks, he be-
gan tender lay, whose burden was:
Then III stand oncct more
Aside her door,
And sing my heart thet's pinin'
The team was now drawing near q
cottage sitting sedately in a prim
square of yard off the street. There
were other houses and a store hard
by, but this house had an air of quaint
neatness that made it noticeable in a
Kentucky town. It was of one story,
and so low that unwittingly one bent
his head in crossing the threshold. A
porch ran the front length, painted
with the rest of the house a decent
drab color, like the even curtains in
the two front windows. The door was
darker and had an iron knocker. The
narrow bricked walk to the gate wore
fictitious redness, due to certain
wash spread over it on Saturday morn
ings at precisely of the clock.
This reddening process had not
kept some thrifty ants from casting
up a number of little mounds in the
chinks, each with hollow on top like
a dimple in dark cheek. Daily
these defiant bulwarks were thrust
down by Miss Elizabeth Shattuc's
broom; daily they rose again.
When the time of year permitted.
Miss Elizabeth was generally out
sweeping at the hour when Duke Run
yam went by. If these was any de-
sign on either side it had custom of
twenty years to sanction it.
People had long since ceased smi..-
ing when they saw the dirt cart stop
for moment opposite the cottage
gate, as it did this morning.
Huh, there-huh, you Jim This
to the mules, who were like to have
halted of their own accord, though
Mr.. Runyan always tried to persuade
them that they had never stopped
there before, while he carried himself
as If the idea of pausing had come
over him SO suddenly that he was hard
put to it to restrain the mules from
going on.
Right pretty day, Miss Beth. Still
aworkin', are yeh?'
She leaned over the the gate Law,
yes, Mr.. Runyan. Pears like thar's
no end to 1t. Now these ants Well,
I don't know; they fahly beat me
sometimes. Las summer some O. the
little weeny red kyind got in the
house, an I he'd to hev the legs O. the
kitchen safe sot in pans o water the
hull season. They like to 'awore me
out Ea 8
'Teh amt a-tellin'' exclaimed
Duke, expressive of surprised condo
lence. Well, thar's lots O. worri-
ments in life. How's Gene feelin'
this mo'Rin'r There was keen in-
terest in his inquiry that he seemed
to regret, for he added, hastily, I'll
thought mebby this pretty weather'd d
make him right peart.
Miss Elizabeth, looked down the
street with studied scrutiny of dis
tant object Her forty years sat light
uunu har Tbnnor 10, sx..,>oIL s..