The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-12-10
"Mothcr amt extravaganza" said

eyes.
"There isn't time to she'll them now,"
said Mrs. Sadley, timidly.
"Time-timc!" repeated her husband.
"Of course there amt time, if you sleep
away your life on that there sofy. I
mean to have it taken away tomorrow.
It's deal too handy. What's the use O.
my plantin' the earliest peas in the mar
ket, and hocin' and bru.hin' 'em, and
then goin' out aforc sun-up to pick 'cm,
if my folks hain't life enough to cook
sem2"
"I'll have 'em for supper" said Mrs.
Sadley, with little tremolo in her voice.
"No you wont, neither" said the
Squire. "Ill send 'em over to Neighbor
Barton's. His wife's got some snap in
her! Ideclare, it's clear discouragin' for
a man to be dragged back all the time
by shiftless wife!"
A big round drop spleshed down into
the frying-pan which Mrs. Sadley was
just preparing to receive sundry slices of
we'll cured ham which she had been cut
ting; she made no verbal reply, how
ever.
"Eh ?" said the Squire, "why don't
you say something Sulking I s'pose, as
usual ?''
"No, Titus" said she, 81 amt sulk-
ing. ButI feel awful bad to-day, and it
don't take much to upset me. It's all
true what you say. I am a poor, worm
out, feeble creature, and don't blame
you for gettin' out of patience. But if I
hadn't worked so hard oil these years
-"
"Oh, yes, there's always some excuse"
growled the Squire; and taking stray
s'sample number" of fashion paper, he
went out to sit in the honeysuckle shade.
81 can't stand that roasting fire" said
he.
"Then," said Kitty, the enfant ter
rible, chow do you suppose mother likes
it"
In an instant, however, her tickle,
childish attention was diverted.
"See2" she cried. "There comes cousin
Mary and Mr.. Dallas over the hill |! Oh,
father ! they're engaged. Did you know
lt2"
"Yes," absently answered the Squire,
intent on his paper.
II was in the parlor that night; it
thundered and rained so hard," said
Kitty, with twinkling eye, ''and they
didn't know it. And heard th EN- talk
ing to each other. And he called her
his darling love-"
"Hunph !" gruuted the Squire. ga
regular case O. spooning."
ssAnd she said he was her dearest,
dearest one," added Kitty the circum-
stantial.
"Young fools" snapped Squire Sad
ley.
"Father," said Kitty, leaning on his
shouldcr-she was the only one in the
house who was not afraid of the stern
despot- don't all lovers talk so?"
"Thcyrc fools for their pains, if they
do"
''Didn't you love mother when she was
a girl like Cousin Mary! Didn't you say
Just SUCH things TO ler!
The Squire moved uneasily in his chair
under the calm, searching light of Kitty's
eyes.
81 might ha' DONE" he owned at last.
81 s'pose was just as great an idiot as
other folks be"
II don't see why people ever leave it
off," said Kitty, abstractedly. Was
mother pretty girl5"
''Don't talk nonsense" said the Squire,
almost angrily aud he got up and walked
around to the old wooden bench beside
the well curb.
Had Kitty's mother been pretty girla
Yes, that she had-rose- checked and
limpid-eyed, with q laugh sweet as the
note of thrush, and the lightcst foot, in
Virginia reel, of any girl in the neigh
borhood. And now, II am poor,
worn. out, feeble creature" she had said,
in the faint, weary accents, looking at
him ont of the dim, faded eyes; "and I
don't blame you for getting out of
patience" Yes; it was all true. But
what had wrought the change2 Whose
fault was it2
''I don't know" said the Squire, star
ing at heavens blue eye reflected far
down in the heart of the deep, cool
we'll, "but l most think I've been too
hard on her. Now I come to study on
it, I've had lots O hired help about the
farm, and she's done all the housework
herself. And she never was very strong!
Was she pretty girls There wasn't
none prettier in radius O. twenty miles
around Kingsley Church! And to look
at her now2"
The Squire got up and stamped un-
easily around the we'll.
"l'vc been brute" he muttercd to
himself. "Worsc than a dumb brute
for they amt supposed to know no bet
ter. don't know what I've been think
in of all these years. Leave off loving
her2 I hein't never let it off. love her
now, bless her faithful, patient soul, as
we'll as ever I did, only I've fell into the
way of bein' careless and neglcctful. But
III turn over a new leaf this very day,
see if 1 don't"
He kept his word.
Engaged, Marya Is it really set
tied thing2" said Mrs. sadIey. "oh, I
e.