Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-03-24

necessity for the conc ealmenS of the true feelings of either party to 8 love affair.
 When her husband had ceased speak ing she was silent for moment and then said simply:
 Are you :ure Erastus knows that Lucy has broken with MT. Annelseyp'
 John Par ~ons suddenly stopped hoe ing and turned quickly around fac.ng his wife.
 Didn't you write him that, when the girls first come homes" he asked in surprise.
 "No, did not; I was not certain that she cared for him and feartd to awaken anew hopes that, a ter all, might be useless. It was not certain that Lucy s engagement with Annels y might not be renewed. or that because she dismissed h m she loved Erastus. and thought 1t best to let him learn of it by accident. 1 suppo> ed he wou d find 1t out throurh enn or some one SC. but 1 do not think he has, Her husband made no reply but re- sumcd his hocing and the sub ect was not referr"d to again. Indeed very lit c further conversation occurred be- tween them during the entire afternoon. both appearing busy With their own l thoughts.
 At the supper table that evening Mir. Parsons proposed that tine two women should go t. own the next day With some butter and eggs and such other articles as they could >pare, and make | an exchange for family supplies. 'Johnny and nell keep house while | you re gone." he said; we're capital l at keepin' house, ain't we, Johnny? And motherl Il bring you some candy or somethin'.'
 There was nothing very unusual in this proposition. Mrs. Parsons and Lucy had made similar trips on several occasions, leaving Johnny and his l father at home.
 John Parsons hated to "pe3dle," as | he called it, and his wife always got better prices for the butter and eggs and chickens than did he; besides which she knew better how to invest the pro- ceeds economically in neccssit es for the family, and there was need of l economy now. And as neither of the women liked either to go to town alone, or to stay plone with Johnny while the other went with the husband or father, it had become the rule for both to go and leave Johnny to the care of his father, and so they q, cided to do now. l Accordingly such veg tables as they were to take were gathered and placed in the spring wagon. A hunt was made for eggs. which were carefully packed, | small end down, in oats, to prevent their breaking, and the bit of butter | which they had saved was taken from the well where it hung by rope, and rewrapped in white cloths.
 When it became dark they went with
 a lantern and caught two dozen chick
 ems and put them in a crate, previou-ly
 made and kept in w aich to take fowls
 to market; and bright and early the
 next mo ming the horses were hitched
 up and they started.
 | When they were gone John Parsons
 washed the dishes, which the women
 had not stopped 10 do, tid ed up the
 house the best he knew how, talking to
 Johnny all the me, and then went
 into the garden to work, taking the
 boy with him, as was his almost invari
 able custom when the weather was
 fine, and placing him, in his wheeled
 cot. where they could talk together as
 the father worked.
 The fresh ar and sunshine did tho
 child good and he amused himself ir
 many ways. ! he chickens and turkeys
 learned to regard him as a friend ano
 would come around him, often jumping
 upon his cot for some b of food Whcf
 he ha brought, some of them beconl
 ing so tame as 10 purmlt him to handle
 them.
 When noon came the man and boy
 returned to the house, where the fathe
 prepared and they ate dinner, Then
 when the dishes had been washed ane
 Johnny had dropped of to sleep, as h
 always did after dinner in the lon! days. John. ST, went to the bureau ant
 rumma ,ed around until he found som
 writing paper and finally pen and bottle of ink.
 These he brought to the table, drev .. up chair and sat down. I'll jest give 'Rastus hint be wa saying to himself, ''an' if he's still o the same mind as he used to be, hell be here in less'n two weeks an mothe an Lucy I'll never know what fetche'
 him.
 ''Wimin's curis about some things; } never did understand 'em very well There's Marty, now; best woman livin' tender hearted as chicken. an Lucy jest like her; but they Ire a-lettin' 'Rastu an her break their hearts fer eac other rather than to speak up an tel him how the land lays; but ain't goir to low it.''
 He dipped the pen in the ink an then let it slip through his fingers an make great blotch on the white tabl |, cloth.
 , This was unfortunate; it would be t tell-tale spot informing the women ( : what he had been doing in their al
 sence.
 He arose and wet the dish rag an . tried to remove the ink spot, but onl
 succeeded in making it larger. Finall he carried the pen, ink and paper to tn , , bureau, took off the table cloth an U hung it in the window to dry. brougl back the writing materials and agai sat down to his task.
 :. It was long time since he had wri
 ten letter; he tried to think how Ions and could not remember of havin d done so since tie family came to th