Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-08-30

perpendicular line, of his brow; at the
nostrils it widened abruptly, with
something like an air of surprise at
finding itself nose at all.
QHis wife began to apologize. II
didn't go to do it, Adkins. Likely l
done it thoo bein' so frustrated. l met
Liza Ann down street, right plumb
face to face"
How'd yeh treat herr" asked Ad-
kins, peering little anxiously from
under his wrinkled brows
Treat her! Humph! We done jest
like we've alwuz done fer the las ten
year-I went my way and she went
hern."
mo speakin' er sech?"
"Well-I-reckon not! jest looked
straight ahead o. me, ez stern ez l
knowed how. l hev an idy tibet Liza
Ann hez found out thar's more speret
in me n what she thought fer"
Il hope yeh're keepin' some'eres
near the Jacks. Ellen" observed Ad-
kins, with an imperfect belief in his
wife's assertion of her stern carriage.
81 don't know ez any thing could rifle
We worse then to hear tibet you'n' 8
he'd showed signs O. givin' in to Mis-
Clinkenbeard. 1t nd look weak-mind-
ed to me-"
Ellen looked at him with a sort of
dull wonder in her face. ''Ef yeh
ha' Dor any sech curyus notion ez tibet, v
she began, in q hurried way, ''yeh
orter hev hearn me talkin' to Mis-
Wenzle this mo'nin'. Bein' new
conner hyere, she hedn't got at the
rights of it, so she asst me how 'twuz.
l told her how some I'm knocked of
them four pickets, an Liza AIMS
hens consequently KEN steppin' over
inter my flower beds one day, and how
Liza Ann lowed could hev the fence
mended eff l he'd any prejerdice agin
hens; an afterwards how she found q
spreckled pullet dead. an wouldn' 7
hev it no other way then tibet he'd
pisened it; an how we he'd high words
bout it, an hevn't ez much ez passed
the time o day with each other fer ten
year come the 21st O. this month"
II hope yeh told her yehr husband
backed yeh up in this matter?" sug-
gested Mr.. Loves.
Eyes, made mention of it," said
Ellen, rather slowly. Perhaps she was
wondering in a sort of formless way il
her husbands rigorous upholding OF
her side of the quarrel had not changed
it from an affair of triAing moment to
this family matter involving so much
bitter feeling. She hardly knew how
often she had been stung to renewed
indignation against her sister by the
small pin thrusts of Adkins ill-hu-
mored illusions. He had no special dis
like for Liza Ann, but preferred to
keep his wife to himself as far as posi-.
BILE. He fancied himself an unbiased OBJ.
server of the affair and always spoke
to his sister-in-law with studied polite
| ness.
As the winter wore on, things in the
Loves family began to show dreary
complexion. Adkins had not been well
for some time; his habit of regarding
himself as the continual victim of this
or that disorder perhaps aggravated
his condition, but there was really
some physical basis for the airy struct.
ure of foreboding which he was now
rearing. when them naples in the
side yard gifts green agin l won't be
hyere to see EN-" he said one day in
February. the strain of weakly senti'
ment in his withered old form giving
him kind of pleasure in the thought
''I'll be sleepin' calm an still by the
time robins gifts hyere. l may ez well
go; l amt skesly ever able to git to
work no more. an sense you've been
taking in sewin' I've noticed tibet yeh
hevn't-treated me like yeh ulster do
Ellen"
He looked to see how his wife wa:
touched by this remark, but she wen,
out of the room so hastily that he
was unable to Judge of her feelings.
She hurried into the back yard and
sat down on a wash-bench behind the
wood-shed, her apron thrown over hel
head, her whole bony frame shaking
with emotion.
Hes goin' to die-oh, I know he
fixin' to die!" she groaned. 'An' VII
thar's nothin' the matter 18th him
'cept jest low sperits an a tech of agyer
He needs strengthenin' things tc
eat, somethin' tasty. an we're most
out of ev'ything in the way of eatin'
Adkins wouldn't hyear to me borrow.
in nothin', an l can't seem to git nc
more sewin' Oh, / wish I'd never
ben born, eff twuz only to lose Adkins
An me bad frien's 18th all the kin
got in the world"
She lowered her apron after awhile
and stared unseeingly into the clea,
sky. against which the stark trees lift
ed their empty hands: fat fir-tree
near by her blotted up all the shad.
Ows of the landscape, and crouched
4 II -