The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-02-04

tenuating circumstances" She had never
been taught honor. II was not recog-
nized virtue in the farmhouse where she
was brought up. People who wrest their
daily living from the barrenness OF our
gaunt New England hillsides do not study
the loftier trait Of manhood when they
have done their days work; and as for
honorable instinct, every man will allow
that is not inherent in woman.
Then she was very lonely; and now that
Johns gray horses were hitched every day
in front Of Mrs. Carter's house she saw less
than ever not only OF John, but Of the hired
man, Hiram, who had double duty to do in
the masters absence, and went from his
supper to his bed quite too tired to talk.
There was certain social consolation
on Mondays when black Diuah came to
wash; but even Dinah had little to tell
since her old shanty was nestled down in
warm hollow on the south side Of Huckle-
berry Hill, quite on the high road. Yet
she was some one to speak to; an item not
to be disregarded in such solitude.
II Is not, after all, very strange that Miss
Sophronia, limited to five minutes conver-
sation with the few friends In Stanton who
had telephones, should amuse herself by
hearing the conversations OF the two Mil
lers. the growls OF Aaron, the snarls Of Jo-
seph, and now and then the shrill interro-
cations Of Lyddy Ann Granger, the objec-
tionable housekeeper.
Shocked readeri did you ever live in the
deep country on an isolated farmi
II not, you do not know what silence and
solitude are. Imagine . clean, sparsely
furnished house, where the tickling Of the
old clock rasps your ear like continuous
knell, where not one fly Is allowed to buzz
his assiduous life out on the sunny panes;
where the very cocks and hens are abroad
all day In the far fields, and the dog lies
asleep just inside the barn door; where the
air is still as a windless lake, and the
chirr Of suddenly reused cricket makes
you jump; or the swift ambiguous scurry
Of q mouse somewhere in wall or wainscot
seems like the rush Of troop Of horse to
the strained and apprehensive sense; and
the rustic OF your own garments sounds
like the trailing Of ghostly robes to the
tense ear; the shadow OF u waving bough
startles the alert eye. and the roll of q pass
ing wagon, the rush OF fluttering swallows
in the chimney, sound like peals OF thunder,
and constringe the heart with that elemcn-
tai dread.
Yes; this telephone was real social gos-
pei to Sophronia, shivering and trembling
in her nervous loneliness; II she had been
reared in such place, use and want per-
haps, would have strengthened her against
its terrors, but until Johns mother died
she had always lived in her brothers. fam.
lily, and in his great house where ten chill.
dren and o bustling wife made noise enough
through the round year to frighten the
very ghosts out Of the garret, or the mice
out Of the wall, and where the neighbors
were abundant and much given to visiting,
Sophronia had never been conscious of
nerves; nor did she know these terrors
now as the result Of nerves; she only con-
fided to Hiram as she dealt out to him the
boiled dinner which he shoveled down In
grim silence after the fashion of his kind:
II do set sight by that telephone thing;
it's real company. hev been gettin' real
pernickity along back, 1t Is so dreadful
lonesome here; but now do sense that
the is people pretty nigh, seein' can call
to 'em; it's folksy to hear that little bell
60, 'pingi' every now and then rs though
somebody was there. Dinah, she is almost
scared to death with it; she says it is like
hearin' Of sperit talk; same as Job says
in Scripter, when the hair Of his head
stood up and he heard voice. But then
he see the sperit first, and that is more
fearsome. Dinah won't hark to it noway.
hear Aaron Miller snap, just as plainl and
Lyddy Granger bawlw
"Be'n a-talkin' to 'em, hev yet" curtly
asked Hiram.
mo, I haven't! and ! amt agoin' to-"
responded Sophronia, sharply; "but they
spend the hull o. their time a-gabbin to and
fro. shouldn't think there'd be no grist
ground, never, to that mill. l can't take
the horn down to speak to nobody but what
they've got hold o. the wire first, and
can't help a-hearin' Of 'em holler."
Hiram shot keen glance at her from
under his busy, grizzled eyebrows: he had
long ago taken her measure, and he knew
very we'll now how she had been amusing
herself; but as he always said OF himself
that he ''was one who made fortin' mind
in his own business" he offered no re-
marks.
Shortly after this conversation John
King went away from home to attend q
sale OF cattle In New Jersey; he expected
to be gone week, as he meant to drive
home what animals he bought himself,
rather than send them by boat or railway,
which he considered was too great risk.
The day he left severe northeast storm
set in, and Hiram set himself to do some
work in the further barn, which he had
kept to do in s'spell Of weather." so that
Miss Sophronia had not even the relief OF
his occasional appearance in kitchen or
shed to beguile her solitude, her knitting
had stopped for want Of yarn, and she had
spieced up' the last bit Of calico she could
find.
As she sat in the dull light of the kitchen
window, listening to the heavy rush OF
rain against the house and the wild moan
OF the wind shrieking In the spout, she
heard the telephone ring; 1t was joyful
sound to her tired aud lonely soul; she
hurried to the instrument, took down the
listener, and heard Joseph Mills say:
"Say, Aaron! has he ben doin' OF 1t
ag'inl"
"You betp' growled Aaron.
swell, sha'n't come out tom light; the
brook'll be up 'crost the road, presume
likely, and you won't grind none in this
high water"
"No; the amt no use of your comin'."
"Say, has she gonea"
"Went this mornin'."
"Good you can Ak him now'
~ guess 80, by Jinks!"
Then the colloquy ceased.
Sophronta b ung up the listener; Q thrill
| of horror run down her spine; what was
about to happen at the Millsi
| She had read great many ''story-pa
pers," such as crowd our country post
offices and are scattered far and wide In
farms and villages; papers full Of sensa
tiou, Of crime and adventure, Of secret hor
rors suddenly revealed, of murders tha
twill OUT" regardless Of tho unities 81
dear to Mr.. Vincent Crummles, and hel
weak brain had been fred with vague
delightful, yet dreadful hope Of experienc