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

shape of The vessel while il undergoes
cariohs changes. 'Gene liked to here
ber talk, tba dist inct, favor st malice
that pervaded hef views pleased him
with its sharp tsste.
t,Whssls happened -e'-late, Looly
Anp2 he pursued. r,,.... -
Ave- hothin''ever happens hyere,'
she replied, withs a fsreuf her nostriis;
thar hezn't been, thing goin' on in
this town fer risin' month, less yeh'd
call the church doin's last night sump
thin. l went, but l don't give a
snap o. my finger fer church doin's.'
'Twuz u social, wuzn'ti itp n's
b Yes. but yeh'd thought it wuz a
cyurcus from the way people turned
out. Why, wuzn't you IN sBeth
thar Y'all 'genrully take in sech
things f'. -'a'.''| r .a"
4 felt too porely, an s'Beth
wouldn't hyear to leavin' me. |
didn't want her TO stay home, but she
wouldn't hev it no other way SAID
Gene.
We'll, yeh didn't miss nothin', 'cept
one thing, ar likely yeh wouldn't a
noticed it ez l did. Ever see that
niece o. Miss Bylands thet's visitin'
her from Breathitt county,? -
Little low gyurl, fair complected?'
'Yes, hez yeller hair s.sl .n
Il b'lieve I've seen her a'passin';
don't her nose do somethin' funny?'
said Gene, in delicate compliment to
Miss Beasley, who said the nose in
question was 'sorter curyus.'
'Most folks think she's mighty pref
,y. though. Well, ez 7 was tellin',
she wuz at the social, am 1t would "a
tickled yeh to death to "a watched
Juke Runyan settin' up to her. Yeh
know them old baches generully do
fancy right young fool of gyurl.
He gallavanted her the hull evening,
an his nav, old lady Runyan, wuz
pleased ez punkins; she passed the re-
mark thet she whisht to goodness
Juke ID marry, an she lowed eff he
settled to suit her, she'd give him her
house, an build a new shed kitchen
on, fer a wedding present. Fur ez
Pm consairned, I amt a-biddin' fer
the position o. darter in law to her;
they sat she can smell dust on the
chimbley pots, an I've seen her with
my own eyes a-scrubbln' the inside of
her kitchen table. hev so.'
S'Beth had begun to put down her
sleeves when she heard Miss Beasley's
voice; still stood in the kitchen, the
light rattle of gossip falling hotly on
her ears, her arms still barred, the
knuckles showing Whitley on her shut
hands. While her shaken mind stroye
to comprehension of its pain, she
was oddly conscious of observing the
delicate flushing Of her hard set finger
nails, bleached at each tip in white
crescent that held by space of vivid
rose color from the smaller are at the
base. Her larger emotions were
calmed and held by this little sensa-
tion, as running waters by dam of
clay.
Presently she began to see that her
tranquil happiness during the long
years had been result less of her
slavish devotion to Gene than of her
perfect trust In Duke Runyan's un-
spoken falthfulness.
1t came in upon her that he was
right to give over woman who could
sacrifice him as we'll as herself, and
who cared more for breaking her box
of nard at the feet of a fancied duty
than for him and his welfare.
Once there came an impetuous
desire to fling off her bondage, but it
was throttled at the first gasp by the
thought of Mrs. Byland's niece She
had seen the girl often, and that
flower of a face in its web of bright
hair mocked at her. She raised
quick hand to her cheek, and as she
felt the flabby laxness of the flesh, she
realized with qualm of physical
sickness that she was young no more.
'S'Reth, Pm goin' out on little
arrant. Don't yeh 60 to sweep in
yonder, er tech thing on my table,
mind yeh! Thet wheel don't want to
get the first smitch O. dust on IT,
Gene was passing through the
kitchen. He had on a soft hat, and
carried staff. His face was paler
than its wont, and wore stern ex--
preston. .i.
AS the bent form went by her, and
she saw the writhed fingers shut over
the knotty stick, any hard thoughts
she had felt for him went out of
s'Beth's mind forever. ~I
Don't yeh go too fur, bro 'Gene.'
she said. She called him brother only
in moments OF tenderness, while he
rarely spoke her name without the
sibilant that stood for sister. She
thought he used it merely from
habit. I'm goin' to bake an apple
roll fer dinner, an .yeh mustn't be too
out done to enjoy it, x.
'pll hev my mouth fixed fer it he
said as he went out.
She set to work, hard driven by
her. feelings, and the square reality