The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-08-21


drive her wild TO see her work done BY
the young lady who goes out by the
day. / work buttonholes and hem ruf
1es and such like, and mamma gives hel
all the time she can spare from baby
and other things. But our Hetty Is the
motor OF the household machine.
don't believe there Is another like hel
in the world. The mold in which she
was cast was broken
She had said this in chat held with
her fayorite this evening while the 9th
ers were engaged with other themes
outside of the window. May encouraged
her to go on by remarking:
You love her as dearly as If she were
really your sister. don't you?'
..As WELL The love have fol
mother, sisters and brothers is drop in
the ocean compared with what feel for
IIetty. Sec here, Miss May showing
her perfectly formed hands. These
were as helpless as my feet. Hetty
| rubbed me, bathed me, licked the
| muscles for an hour every morning and
an hour every night. She tempted me
| to eat: obliged me TO take exercise
| carried me up and down stairs, and sa,
with me in her arms ont OF doors until
she had saved fifty dollars ont oil
her allowance TO have my chair built
| Hetty educated me-made me over
She is my brain. the blood Of my hear,
Il don't believe should have SOU
but for Hetty!'
The warm water stood in Mays eyes
But the weak voice, thrilling with ex
citement. reminded her of the danger Of
an excess Of feeling upon the disjointed
system. She spoke lightly.
| .'Oh. your father would have looked
out for your SOUL"
Would he?"
The accent Of lntensest acrimony
shocked the listener, corroborated as i
was by the bitterness OF scorn tina
wrung the small face.
In second Hester caught herself up
'They say that cobblers' wives g
barefoot. Ministers have SO little
time to spare for the souls Of their fam
| lilies that their children are paganized
4 II it wasn't for their wives and Their
wives sisters the forlorn creatures
would not know who made them"
1t was a plausible evasion, but it did
not efface from Mays mind the disdain.
full outburst and the black look thai
| went with it. Both seemed SO un-
natural, even revolving. to a girl whose
father stood with her as the synonym
for nobility of manhood, that she coulG
not get away from the recollection fol
the rest u the evening. This was be
fore Mrs. Wayts arrival. and sharpencd
Mays appreciation Of the little by play
between Hester and her parent.
His departure at nine o'clock was sue
ceedcd by Hester's at ten o'clock. and
as was their habit, March and his sister
took her home by the path across thu
orchard. The night was sultry; thu
moon lay languid under swathes Of gray
mist. She looked warm. and the stars
near her faint and tired. Low dowr
and upon the horizon we're flashes o
purple sheet lightning. The town had
kept the Fourth periodically and thu
odor of burning paper and gunpowde
tainted the stirless air.
The grass is perfectly dry" sait
May. STOPPING to lay her hand upon tho
mown sward. THAT should be sigI
Of shower"
There is always rain on the night o
| the Fourth Of july" returned March
abstractedly.
Hester said not a word. As she looked
up at the sick moon her eyes showed
large and dark; her face was corpse-lik
in the wan radiance. She was wear.
and she had been indiscreet Sh,
could not sleep without confessing I,
IIetty her lapse OF temper and tongu,
and IIetty had enough to bear already
She had not been SO strong and brigh
as was her won't for month past. i
might be only excess of drudgery owe
sewing machine and household duties
but she looked tagged and sad at times
The phaeton and horse would benefi
mamma and the children-when tn
vacant place beside the mistress of tn
manse was not occupied by her lord an
master lie got the lions share {
every luxury. Poor Hester's conscienc
and heart were raw and the heat of til
wounds infiamed her Imagination. Th
evening at the judges had not reste
her. That was strange. or would hay
been. had not the long. black shadow {
her father lain across the memory of i
The back door of the parsonage stoo
wide open and the house was SO sti
that as March stopped to lift Hester fro
her carriage at the foot OF the steps,
caught the sound Of what was scarcel
T louder than an intermittent sigh in tn
Upper story, blu: continuous as yioleI
fit of weeping. The arm that lay ov'
his shoulder twitched conyulsiyel
Hester shuddered sharply, then laughe
aloud.
20! Mr.. Gilchrist. ! thought I ":
falling. it is too bad to put you to a
this trouble. hope Tony hasn't blow
himself up. He ought to have come I,
me.'
didn't ! promise your mother
bring you home safely?" said March, r
asuringly. And, as they reached II
hall: inlay carry you upstairs?"
The offer seemed to terrify her.
/. 70. no, no! just lay me on the sc
tee there. Somebody will be down
rectly. Don't trouble yourself to brir
the chair in. Tony will attend to tina
Thank you! Good night, Mr.. Gilchris
Good night, Miss May
While she hurried all this out, stun
BILE on the backs-tairs was the precurs.
of Homer's appearance in the dim r
cesses of the hall. He alighted at tn
bottom of the flight on all fours. pickle
himself up and shambled forward, or
hand on his head. the other on his e
bow, an imbecile grin spreading h
, jaws.
, Now, ! Almost broke me make {
, chem stairs
r March had deposited Hester upon Il
hall lounge and, although perceiyir
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