The Columbus journal., 1889-05-01

'.Pooe laEy! and - hs continued .
tender light came into the hard gay
eyoa 81 can go her now - she stood
that night after they wHe al gona How
good she wasi how hopefully she talkedi
You'll soon have the roof On, John, che
said, and then you can take it easier.
Shant We be glad when 'tis all over
WITH Yes, yen, We thought then that
sometime twould b al over with; but
that time seems never to come, never to
comet"
Tho sunlight On the floor moved farther
along. Little Bright had lain down for
his midday nap, and still the gray head
was bowed, and no fresh water found its
way back over the hin to tho boys
Thus IN hour passed. Then old Kit,
who had stopped chewing. and with
drowsy eyes was living over colthood
days, was suddenly brought back to
the present BY the old man hurriedly
getting to his feet.
"Beats ALL beats all what I've been
thinking about all these years. he burst
out. ''We,ve had enough an ter spare
for tho last fifteen Of 'em, and here am
working 'em all to death n myself, too
-for-well. for nobody knows what.
I'll stop it, yes, declare will Aarys
too old to work this way, an I oughter
seen It before. I'll turn over . new Leaf,
zee Y I don't-half q dozen of them.
Wilson can have that forty ef he wants
It, an II I only dared to, I'd 60 clear
down ter Wilder Baldwins and tell 'em
I'm ashamed Of myself, blamed IL l
wouldn't"
Here he stopped q moment for
breath; then went ON: ''Praps tain't jist
the thing ter go pokin' down there thout
bein' asked, after all's been said: but
then I'll go, yes, will" They can't
more'n tell me to leave"
Here the old man hurried out of the
door, and casting . side glance at the
sun, at once Get out for the Kitchen door:
mo mistake" he repeated, as he
walked along. II was little too hard
on the boy. Win worked hard and was
good to me, always was. I took poor
girl when I started. an I've never seen q
rich one I'd trade her for," and on he
went up the cool hack steps into the
kitchen.
"Maryr'
Eyes, John!' came from the cellar
way. whence Mrs. Sanbourn was bring
ing large pan of potatoes, half dozen
turnips and a cabbage.
"What did you want, John? she asked,
placing the future dinner ON the table
and resting her hands on tho sides of the
pan.
"Oh, nothin'. Only wanted to know
where ye was, kinder" and then, seeing
the worn look on the once handsome
face, added:
"Aint ye pretty tired. Mary?"
'Well, no, not more than usual, but
somehow. John, I'm always tired now
adays."
"Well, Mary, ye look tired, that's sar-
tin; but I"- Here the old man found It
hard to proceed, for visions Of the Mary
in the past and the Mary now, of the
little Will and the VIII Of today, came
too vividly before his troubled gaze.
Nrs. Sanbourn, noticing this, hastened
to ask il anything was wrong.
''Oh, no, dono's there is. Thought I'd
stop in an rest bit. Somehow l don't
seem ter stand as much this springs
common. But as rs goin' ter cay, I'm
I'm goin' ter turn over new Leaf, Mary,
an'-an' Will, viii didn't do 60 very bad,
after all You know IT.
Here the old man choked UP again,
and seeing the great tears starting to
Mary's faded eyes, caught up the big dip
per, and saying something about a cool
drink at the spring, hurried out. When
he got to the spring, he didn't drink at
all, but leaving the dipper on the stones,
passed out Of the big gate into the road.
Here he stopped, looked up and down
the way, went on little. then stopped
:-ci1.
wonder Y I'd better? Can't hear
from Will T don't, that's sartin." Then
after moments pause, Eyes, I'll 60
60 nowl II it's put of, twon't be done,
that's all. I can tell 'em jist how It's.
Mothers dyin' ter zee Will, an'-well,
yes, an am, too, for that matter. I'll
tell 'em twas l made the rumpus.
They'll know where Will is, an I'll
know, too, fore this road sees my boots
agin, see 7 I don'tr'
With this he gave the old hat a vigor-
GUS jam to gain courage, and started of
with long strides toward the clump of
naples that hid the widows cottage.
''Good mornin', Wilson!" he called to
passing neighbor. I'D like ter speak
to ye jist q moment"
With q puzzled look the driver stopped
and gazed earnestly at the old man.
Well, Wilson, how bout that forty
acrcs-want it yetT'
"Want it7 I supposed you knew !
wanted it badly enough. But what's the
user l can't pay all down, and you
can. so of course you'll get it."
"Well. do know bout that, Wilson.
1t could square out your sixty, and
make ye an even hundred. Ye oughter
have it, an can for all me. I've got two
hundred now-an' it's goin' ter kin me
an all the rest Of 'em ter run that. An
bout the money-ef ye aint got nu1f
why I have, an jist's soon let ye have
two or three hundred for . year or SOS
not. rm somethin' of . hurry, Wilson,
but mind, mean what I say. Good
mornin'."
''Good morning" repeated the aston
ished Wilson, a. with open mouth he
looked after the retreating figure Of the
farmer.
"What under the suns got into him
can it really be the old man. he thought
to himself Yes, there was no installing
those home made suspenders-both fast
ened to one overworked button.
Though Neighbor Wilson was COM
pletely thunderstruck, and rode with his