San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-10-08


II must say, Hannah, think you're
going agin your own interest in keeping
that old man; there isn't any call that !
can see. He amt your liith nor kin
no kind of blood relation. You're not
morally obligated, and wouldn't think
of keeping HIM"
The speaker was tall, thin man, whose
homespun clothes hung loosely on his
badly jointed frame His lean face was
hollow and freckled, and his pale blue
eye was as cold as frozen pond in JAN
uary. He raked his sharp chin, stubbled
with rough red growth, with his long,
meager, yellow hand. Although he was
still comparatively young man, he
stopped like an old one, and his Shout
ders were contracted almost to the point
of deformity.
Il know you wouldn't think of keep
ing him. Joel" said the woman addressed
as Hannah, trim, small. bright eyed
person, with humorous lines running
away from the corners of her mouth and
dark, thin face furrowed with care and
trouble and much hard labor. The age
of miracles is over, so folks say" and
she broke into a sarcastic laugh that
showed several deficiencies in her natur-
ally good set Of teeth.
She was standing by Joels wagon with
her apron thrown over her head, for the
early spring was still shrewish, and a
pitcher in her hand. Joel, who was her
brother-in-law, peddled milk through the
town, though he was rich farmer and
there was 10 occasion for his following a
humble calling. Mrs. Fearing paid Joel
the highest market price for her daily
supply. He had never given her drop
of the fluid except on one occasion, in
very warm weather. when the milk had
soured ON his hands in a thunder storm
and he did not care to carry it home.
Now he gave her Il venomOuS glance
from under his heavy red eyelids, puck
cred and folded in curious fashion and
denuded of lasheS: neither had he any
visible eyebrows, which impaired to his
cold eyes curious dazed stare.
Il don't believe in dom that kind Of
thing for folks" said he, after a mo-
ment's pause. 1T generally hurts 'em.
'Taint the kind of thing that's needed to
spur EN- up and make 'em do for them
selves"
No danger of Your ever hurting folks
that away" said Hannah with another
biting laugh. Your calm and cleo
tons sure SO far as that goes, Joel. |
guess you'd have helped me and the
children some when we was left so poor
ly off if it hadn't been for your prin-
ciples; and you see, Joel, what a splen-
did success we've made Of keeping our
selves know you're man who
wouldn't put your hand in your pocket
for nothing in this world if you thought
it WIS going to make people lazy and
shiftless."
Joel turned pale sea green color and
set his thin lips together in straight
line. His sister-iu-law knew the sensi-
tive, exposed places in his armOr and
was skillful in shooting her bitter ar
rows. He turned uneasily and shufled
away toward his milk cart. but Hannah
was close behind him like a visible Mem
esis i'll faded brown calico gown. 1t
was a great relief to her overweight
nerves to unburden her mind to Joel
Fearing.
You know" she went on, as she fol.
lowed him toward the cart, raising her
voice little, that was what allied your
brother Arson: he was too generous and
open handed and he went against his
own interests, and you always con
demned Arson and thought so poorly of
him it would have been a sin for you to
help his widow i'll her straits, you know
it would And after poor Arson died
you brought in bill against him for
borrowed money that most covered all
his interest in the undivided half of his
fathers homestead, and you made me
sign a quitclaim to the property though
felt sure that debt had been paid. and
you came into possession of the whole
of that nice old farm, with all the stock
and farm implements and the woodlots
on the Dewsville road, and there was
only bare enough left Of Anson's share
to pay his funeral expenses.
She stopped suddenly, as if something
was choking her. Joel took advantage
of the pause i'll the torrent of her pas
sionate speech to climb awkwardly into
his wagon, and from that safe vantage
he was enabled to fire parting shot at
the enemy.
Il don't wonder !.uson died young"