Connecticut western news., 1890-08-13
MIR. BARNES NEW WIFE,

'I declare she's the han'somest wo- man t walks into the Ransom meet'n house. Barnes must of had his eyes open when he picked her out"
 It was MT. Whiting who expressed this opinion. He and his wife were picking early peas in their "nigh gar den," as they called the patch nearest the house.
 Mrs. Whiting did not reply immedi ately, but she went on with her work with such energy that the pea vines suffered at her hands. When her hus- band repeated with junction ''the ham, somest woman" she exclaimed:
 'I heard ye plain 'nough, Zenas. You're jest like the rest of the men. They all think they never seen nothin' like her. w she does look we'll, ain't disputin' of that"
 "'N' her figger!" unwisely went on MT. Whiting, as he dropped 8 handful of pea pods into the pan; "'n' her walk. We ain't seen no such in Ransom sence that woman from New Orleans was boarding down to the Bankses. Where did you say he found her2'
 "Over beyond Bellin'ham, Sarah Rip ley said. She knows of her folks, was the unenthusiastic reply
 After awhile MT. Whiting brought another handful of pods, and said that "women was odd. He didn't see, for his part, why they couldn't own up when they seen face m figger like Dc. 1-Sl S.~., none"
 Mrs. Whiting strengthened herself up from the vines. She looked intently at the currant bushes, and apparently ad dressed her remarks to them:
 Tain't no use to try to make men ing down at her husband, who was sit ting on his heels and very busy, she continued:
 ''I'm thinkin' of his first wife. Poor Marshy! It's jest thirteen months 'n' six days sence she died, m blessed re- lease to her! hope she's with her son Barney. If there's any justice in Gods laws she's a-resting with her son."
 The woman spoke with almost tear full earnestness. She turned and looked toward the tall white house that stood behind its elms and ilacs short dis tance down the road.
 'I tell you, Zenas, f I know any thing bout folks by their faces Sam Barnes I'll have a dif'runt time with his second wife from what he did with his first. I hope he will, m shall see it. It'll do me a sight of good to have him stan roun'. Let him take his turn, say. He's had most thirty year bein' boss"
 "'N' yet Barnes is a good, fair m square man to deal with, m regular member of the church, said Mir. Whit ing. ''I know all that" responded Mrs. Whiting, 'but you ain't never ben his wife"
 ''No more ain't you," said Zenas, with his comfortable laugh.
 Thank the Lord for that!" was the fervent answer.
 Then the two glanced at each other, and in their eyes was something which might have led an observer to believe that after all marriage was not always 8 failure.
 When both were steadily and si- lently at work again there was heard a voice from the other side of the wall where the road lay.
 "1 didn't mean to begin to borrow so soon, Mrs. Whiting, but will you lend me a nutmeg2 I want to make some dried apple pie Mir. Barnes is fond of hot pie for supper" The man and woman in the garden stood up suddenly.
 Leaning on the wall in an indolent attitude was tall woman whose figure hinted somewhat at redundance, but | whose corset confined her waist so that as yet the hint was not too pro- nounced. The dark, thin gown was very plain, but fitted with a perfection never seen in Ransom, except perhaps in the case of that '1ady from New Orleans" The people in this town were not in the habit of seeing a wo- mans shoulders and hips accentuated in that way, and to the feminine rural mind there almost seemed something i1nmodest in a gown like that. 'It was so dif'runt. you know" But they couldn't help admiring the effect and e-lvying.
 Mrs. Whiting recovered her powers of speech so that she could bid the other ''come right in," for she had plenty of nutmegs, and she knew dried apple pies were mighty flat things without good deal of spice.
 Mrs. Barnes went round to the back gate and sauntered down the path. She stopped and spoke to Whiting and smiled at him. She was one of those whose voice and glance keep their nnedA swsstqan 4H msn WithQqt