The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-10

trod on, as the word is, and being
warm like. she pulled out her handkerchief
to wipe her face and there tumbled out, TO
the same time, little bit of crOchetin lace
she was doing for trimming-fOr Leon, you
knOw-and when she seen it, 1t all came
over her, different, you know, and she burst
out crying and ran home as fast as she
could. But the mischief was Seth got wind
OF her being asked to come, and he came
home and kissed her; and when she did come
home he was off hunting Christie Robinson.
Yes, they fit then and there. That was
when he throwed the pistil into the river;
but | didn't tell you he thrOwed Christie
after it. He did he was mad clear through.
But laws, water didn't hurt, he got out again.
Seth, he went home and found Hetty and
went at her about going to see Christie and
meaning TO run away with him. She tried
TO explain and be wouldn't believe her.
That did cut Hetty awful. She always was
feery; and she told him that If he didn't be-
lieve her word that she gave him solemn
she never would say another to him. And
she never has"
In the agitation of her tale Mrs. Armil
mopped her face with both handkerchefs.
She stretched one arm. There they live,
said she pointing at the house.
''But l think it strange she was willing to
live with him at all, said the young min
lister.
well, no; he was her husband and he
begged mighty hard; and then there was
the child. / don't know how Hetty ciDhered
it out; she did live with him and she never
did speak to him. | reckon | amt gong 10
forget how he looked when Leon was born.
He came into the room and he looked at the
little red mite and then he looked at her face
on the pillow, white as the pIllOw-caSe was.
Esther, he says, 1t viii need both Of US to
bring up our boy; can't you forgive me?
She jest turned her face to the wall. l was
sorry for him"
,sIVbot did ha dc9'g
Nothing. jest drawed in his breath and
went out OF The ToOm He didn't come back
till she got well; but many and many a
night I'd look out the window and see him
walking up and down outside; and he was
always on hand for errands. Seth is a right
kind, nice man."
The minister was thinking; what strange
simiiarities there are in dssimilar charac-
tiers; story of the same unnatural state OF
domestic arrangement in New England,
fitted through her mind the woman had
died unbendingiy, with her last motion re-
jecting her husbands prayer, but she was
religious fanatic. Would Mrs, Rogers
carry her sense of injury or her sense of
duty 10 her word so far as poor Aunt
Mariah Edgerby? she thought, and what
life those two must have lived in this wierd
silence!
" You have not told me the rest" She
said. How did they come to this place? ?"
We'll" said Mrs. Armil, Il was settled
here, and Seth had little money left him,
and lie liked here and SO they come aid
Seth has been a-working and a-toiling ever
sence to git his farm cTear-weli, he has
paid off all into twenty five hundred. He
has got mighty nice farm, and Hetty does
look after things close. Now. look az their
cows, not nigh so ga'nted as most; Hetty
didn't let them into the cornfields after
crops was laid by; no, ma'am, she cut down
everything and saved the fodder. They'll
do all right if they kin git the mortgage
man TO wait, and got hopes he WILL for lie
waited for Emil Emil sent him all the
money he could raise, but you see the banks
are bad off as the rest OF US now. The man
wrote a real, nice letter to Emil, and re-
newed it for three years. / feel thankful
enough; folks are so poor now. The Gan
Nets, they was sold out last Thursday,
and it was dreadful, eight little children
and nobody willing to pay anything
for the cows, they was so run
down. And they've set of in their