Woodville Republican., 1889-11-23

wife, her mind half lingering with her
dishes on the range. "Its handler for
him to have the table here. I'll bring
them right in, and you'll sit by and take
supper with u.s."
'No, thanks" The stranger took a
paper from his breast pocket and un-
folded it. "My business is brief.
came to hand this document, copied from
one retain, to Mr., John Thomas"
''If it's note or Decd" said the wife,
'I'll read it to him. Dear can't hold
any thing in his hands now"
She took her spectacles from a work.
basket, and coughed and reached for the
paper.
The young man put it behind him
with flashing action of the muscles
surprising to himself. The freight
made her mild spectacles glare.
"This is business natter" he apol-
ogized, blushing. The old man sat like
sphinx, and left his innocent and
tender guardian to encounter his fate.
"Well, maybe you would rather read
it to Dear yourself, she suggested.
81 would, if he must have it read to
him."
"Are you lawyerP" she inquired,
timidly.
81 am. Perhaps l forgot to mention
that my name is Eugene Laplace."
"Seems to me have heard the name
somewhere"
"Your husband has. 1t is name he
knew well twenty years ago in the West.
My father was his partner"
There, now, Dear" cried the lovely
old woman. Company has been sent to
IS for this Thanksgiving. l knew we
couldn't have to sit down to our turkey
| by ourselves, if we are lone couple.
You'll take supper, of course. And
where is your horse?"
81 walked here from the hotel in your
little town." explained the young man.
"It isn't far"
"Dear won't have the son of his old
partner stop at any tavern" she remon-
strated. "NYe can send the hired man
for your things, and you'll stay right
where you are. Beds amt so scarce in
this house that friends child can't sit
down and stay"
The young man folded his paper and
put it back in his pocket.
81 will call again, he said, in blum
dering manner unusual to him, and his
anxious hostess, seeing that he desired
to get out, indicated the front entrance,
and, mindful of dignity, conducted him
herself into the chill hall. She shut the
sitting-room door and leaned against a
panel, her figure collapsing downward
A fan-light, shaded by green paper,
threw ghost-lines on her face in the
dark. Upstairs the wind had found
some crack through which it uttered a
mournful cry.
Laplace stood still, feeling that he
could not open the front door and escape,
leaving this sweet old woman sobbing.
81 don't often break down So" she
said, clearing her face with her apron.
sit was thinking how different you see
Dear from the way your father saw him.
He was such fine figure, and so re-
spected. They made him justice of the
peace, and he could have been elected
county recorder-and there he has to sit
before folks now like dummy. my
Dear-my poor old Dearl"
Don't cry" said Laplace, hoarsely,
from his throat. 'My mother used to
cry like that, after my father died"
SIS she living?"
mo. She, also died when was a
child"
''You would be such a comfort to her.
Our boy would have been man grown,
and how could depend on him nowl
thought that was trouble-to have his
little face nailed up from my sight. But
when Dear was struck down and made a
living corpse"-she covered her face
with her hands and shook.
81 didn't come out here to take on, and
my vittles on the stove and Dear needing
me. / came out to urge you'll take your
dinner here tomorrow. You know Dear
can't speak have to be nice for him.
He can't invite his friends no matter
how much he wants them. We would
take it so kind"
"If l can, promised the young man,
, desperately, II will come"
"Dear will enjoy it so much. He used
r to be the prettiest talker! He could
argue down anybody in controversy
, | always have this to comfort me--there
never was a man of more upright char
acter than he was before the affection
{ He lived without blemish."
: "But you will spoil him with indul
gence now," said the lawyer, trying to
, smile.
Her sincere and anxious face received
the suggestion.
"Yes, he's husband and baby both tC
me now. If he was of size to bundle
up and carry around it would case my
feelings. What was the paper you
wanted read to him? If you leave il
with me can read it when I'm reading
him an evening chapter"
''It can wait-it doesn't matter" SAID
Laplace, opening the front door
'There's some promise of snow to
night"
"Yes, and you better turn your collal
up around your ears. Come early to
morrow. We can't get out to the preach
ing"
Perplexity deepened in the young
mans face as he trudged into the town
and continued to deepen after he haG
shut himself in his chamber of the rura
inn. A box stove with its length of rec
hot pipe and STOPPING ceiling bounded
, his restless striding. A coarse home
made carpet failed to mufie his steps
A kerosene lamp revealed him with his
hair over his face gnawing his mus
tache.
''I'm not fool" he said aloud. "I'n
3 not going to have justice knocked of
S the track by little sentiment. MY
r mother suffered from the act of that ole
s rnncn1 NV fnthar died Of n I orra,r III