The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-05-15

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very likely, waiting here; Right in the
midst of as fine q hay day as any man
would wish to see. Now, my mother
used to have her lunch ready to the
minute whenever we came for it, and I
don't see why"
His jeremiad was checked by the APP
pearance of his wife, who came out Of
the pantry, Juggling along the great
unch basket, almost too heavy for
strength.
Farmer Brewster way a young man,
in spite of his grumbling. Only %,
tall, straight, healthy, with blue eyes,
rosy cheeks, fair curly hair-and hand.
some face when it was not darkened, us
now, by a scowl of discomfort.
An only son, he had inherited q large
and handsome farm, clear of mortgage
and debt, which supplied all the wants
OF his household most literally and
gave him a nice little sum of money to
deposit in the bank each year.
There was no reason why he should
be mean, yet misery habits were grad
ually growing upon him far faster than
he knew.
Nor was there need of grumblipg
over the household arrangements, since
the wife OF his choice was a farmers
daughter who knew we'll how to work.
and who had taken delight in setting
her home in faultIess order when first
she came as a bride to the pleasant
Brewster place.
The same order reigned still, from
garnet to cellar of the square old house,
but Mrs. Brewster went through her
fash mechanically now, or with nervous
haste and hurry that made them almost
uncomfortable sometimes.
The constant drop of water will wear
away a stone; and the constant fault
finding in which her husband saw fit to
indulge had nearly worn the patience,
the hope and the endurance out of the
young wife's heart.
The comfort and happiness of that
home hung upon g thread, which frayed
more and more, hour by hour, under
the pain of unmerited blame.
Yet George Brewster saw nothing of
this until the morning of which 1 write.
There is the lunch, and it isexactlv
five minutes past TO-" said Mrs. Brew
ster, setting the basket down with
some emphasis at his feet, Ct was de-
layed that much with the butter. IT
had to be seer to before the sun cot too
high"
My mother always churncd before
breakfast" observed George, rising
slowly to his feet.
His wife said nothing, but the color
rose holly i'll her cheeks till the lost
bloom of her girlhood seemed to have
come back again, and she raised .he1
eyes to his with a looked that startled
him.
Very handsome eyes they were
dark, soft and velvety, with a world OIL
love and tenderness in their depths,
Yet now they met his own coldly and
sternly, with such an expression that he
exclaimed:
Good gracious! Lefty. You look as
ifyou hated mel"
Il am afraid I do" was the astound.
ing reply.
And with a swift glance at the clock,
Lefty hurried down into the cellar with
o knife and a pan to make her y
tons Tor dinner for six hungry hay
makers.
Afraid she hates me! My wife! She
that was Lefty Glover~ muttered he
to himself in his bewilderment. "Whv
what on earth! She must be going
crazy or something or other"
"LettyP he called at the cellar door,
1T is ten minutes past TO-" she an.
swered from the depths of her cellar.
If l don't see about the dinner now
it won't be on the table at - to the
minute, as your mother used to have.
I can't come"
well, if this don't beat ALL" said he
to the maltese and white cat who as
cended from the cellar and rubbed her.
self against his legs.
A shout from the bayfield, reused
him to the recollection of the DAVIS
business.
He went out and dispensed the
treasures of his basket among the
hungry men, who praised Letty's
cooking with every mouthful they swal-
lowed.
1t is enough to make an old bache-
Tor like me sit down and CRY to eat
such raspberry shortcake as that" said
Solomon Wyse, wipiug the crumbs of
the feast from his lips before he drank
hard cider from the jug. "Tell you
what it is, George, you won a prize
when you went counting"
$50 he did. And here's her good
health" chimed in another mower, as
he took up the jug.
George assented, vaguely.
They were talking Of his wife-his
wife, who was afraid she hated him.
Never had the two hours between
lunch and dinner dragged SO slowly.
As he rode round and round the field
with the sharp rattle Of the moving
machine he guided in his ears. his mind
was continually busy with Letty's looks
and her words, and his eyes turned
often toward the cream.colored farm
house, behind whose spruce green
blinds his wife was busy preparing
dinner.
i used to think how happy I should
pc It l ever persuaded her to come
here, he thought. ct is two wears
why, declare it is two years this yery
DAY that we We're married! Iwonder il
she remembers it? But it isn't yerv
likely, when she says she is afraid she
hates me-
Did b remember? All, in that re-
membrance lay the stingl
All that morning, while she GOT
breakfast at 5 o'clock, and washed The
dishes, swept therooms, made the beds
chnrned ~butterand prepared lunch for
issslx men, her heart turned back to that
other morning twenty-sour months ago.
1shen the bfightsyed country maiden