Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-05-02

~ xaA:sesy Mrs. Walkin.
>Sx1sk2 shaw tire m ble d
and chung to her stepdaughter with
convulsiveeagerness. Rhoda stood
quite still, and lifted her face to-
wards the millions of stars that
spangled the armament above. 1t
was n still, frosty, October night,
with frozen fragrance ofdead leaves
in the air, and the gibbons moon
hung.
Mr.. Walkinshaw had come home
late from the market that night,
'ingling the money in his pockets.
lie had walked into the little winged
room, where log or two burned on
the hearth, and a dip candle only
made darkness visible. Mrs. Walk
inshaw sat by the table darning
stockings, and Rhoda, sitting on q
low, wooden stool at her feet, was
reading aloud to her from n drift Of
manuscript pages that lay in her
lap.
cat it againp' said Walkinshaw,
with an intensity of quiet malice
that sounded in his voice as plainly
as it glittered from his eyes. GLOW
many times, I'd like to know, have
forbid this sort of thing All! | I'M
derstand. You didn't expect me
home until midnight. You was go
ing to have it all your own way. OF
all created things l do hate and de-
spise hypocrites. What have you
got to say for yourself? Eh?"
Mrs. Walkinshaw uttered nothing:
the needle dropped from her hand as
If it had been paralyzed; she grew
deadly pale. But Rhoda valiantly
spoke up.
1--WE are doing no harm, father!"
she said.
mo harm?' shrilly repeated the
miser. but | say you are doing
harm. You're wasting my candles
and disobeying my orders and fool
ing away my time, for your time is
mine, amt it? And it amt the first
time you've done it, nor yet the sec
ond! And | amt going to stand it.
not another minute! Clear out! Get
out of my house, you two women!
I've warned you often enough beforel
Now | mean to teach you what it
means to disobey my commands :"
"Fatherl" cried Rhoda, "you
wouldn't turn us out of doors at this
time of night"
Wouldn't |, thought" grimly re-
torted the knotty-featured old man.
You II see whether | would or not.
Col Step!"
As he spoke he held the door wide
open. A draft of air rushed through
the room and blew out the feeble light
of the candle. And so, in the sullen.
windy dark, the two women went out,
to return no more.
Rhoda alkinshaw had been mis- |
cradle until her stepmother came
to the homestead. She had longed
for kindness, she had hungered Tor
sympathy, she had craved even
the merest look or word of no
tice in that solitary house, where
was the Monoch which
swallowed up all else Mrs. Walkin-
shaw and her stepdaughter had low
ed each other fondly and tenderly.
1t was to her stepmother only that
ventured to read the illusions
OF her active and imaginative brain,
and Mrs. WalkinsLs~ listened with
eager admiration and loving svm-
pathy, to the utter rage and con-
tempt OF the farmer
Nv omen are made to work." said
ne, mot to write. III put stop to
his sort of nonsense, or I'll know
the reason why"
And this was the beginning and
md of the domestic difference which
had eliminated in such sorrowful
Mr.. Walkinshaw came back into
he kitchen, mixed his glass of toddv,
md went to bed.
"ltll be agood lesson to EN-" he
aid. And Mrs. Walkinshaw and
thoda gazed into each others pale. :
frightened faces. :
Mother, don't look SO deadly
White said Rhoda, courageousIy. l
Wen go down to the old black I
mith's shop and kindle a fire there. i
hat. at least is my own" y
tThe old blacksmith shop down the
Dad, with the thistle-grown patch of d
and III its rear, had been willed to t
'hoda's own mother, and thence had q
escended to her; n sorry inheritance, \
nth its roof eaten by MOSES and +
ecay, its foundation settling with +
very winter. No one had occupied .
for years, tor Rhoda's means were s
sufficient to make the necessary re- |,
airs. 7
Dreary as the spot was, however, a
Mt least afforded shelter from the q
nil and damp of the night; and
hoda was heartily glad when she :.
ad kindled u blaze of dry sticks on is
he large, unused hearth, SO that \