The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1891-08-06

/ hymn, let every one VINO mas mover ici
this blessed cleansing cone forward
This IL the place, this ,he me, when yOl
are going to leave all for Christ
Are you goingJa Mrs MtCaillster
whispered to Mrs lewelt.
Oh, | don't know
Come. III 20 With sou. Don you
feel a CALI Don't you want to -.
Yes. Oh, don't know If do OF not.
Come on. I'll 70 with you
The two women were setting near the
front OF the room, and before Mr. Hew-
1T could speak again, She felt herself
lrawn forward, aud fell on her knees
/ with the rest around the platform
Some one came In and partly closed the
door 10 the back Of the room The peg.
pie who were in their seats turned 70 See
who it was, aud there were whispered
comments The man who had come in
stood with his back against the wei, BIZ,
broad felt hat still 90 his head. He had
fun beard His brown eyes looked In
4uiringly around the room. There was
an Indifference In his attitude and glance
hat changed suddenly into one Of intense
IN crest. He took OFT his hat and went
quickly down the aisle toward the front
Of the room.
"There'- John IIewett going forward -
some one whispered.
An old man .ooked up from the bench
where he was kuseing, and shouted,
The lost is found Brother Hewett's
coming to the Lord"
There were loud amens all over the
room.
john Hewett made his way among the
kneeling people to his wife's side. lie
knelt down beside her and whispered
I in h.r 4
w4.aed slowly back to the door Mrs
lewett followed him. The room grew
suddenly quiet. The old man who had
been praying loudly, stopped with an i'm
patient grlan
When they were outside in the school
yard, John HeHett turned and looked at
his wife.
Just wait minute, Lucy, and III
bring the wagon around"
She made no reply. He drove sround
where she was and helped her in, and
they rode silently away.
II never saw the moon any brighter
than it is tonight. | believe you could
see to read paper" he said
They were nearly home. She gave a
half sob and turned her head away.
Don't feel bad, Lucy. | shouldn't
have thought you'd done it. | didn't
suppose you was so weak, but / don't
know as | ought to blame you. What a
row they made when they saw me com
ing forward. Caught this time says
they
ION, John, how can your"
How can | what-laugh? | amt go.
ing to cry over it l know you wouldn't
have been SO foolish If | had been
there
Mrs, Hewett was guilty conscious of
the truth of this.
II suppose Mrs. McCalister hectored
you into the whole thing. She's got more
cant about her than common sense. We
will drop it all. Eve got a principle
against going over uncomfortable things.
1t just makes them seem worse and
worse"
They rode along in silence again.
John, I've got to- Mrs. Hewett cried
out suddenly. al can't reject Christ no
longer even to please you"
What do you mean?' He spoke rough-
ly.
81 don't know what will .happen-may-
he what you threatened me once-but I've
got TO make stand for right
81 never stood against you in doing
right. We've been all over this ground,
and | amt going over ii again. tell you
now, once for all, YOU can choose between
me and that sniveling set | see you with
tonight If you've made up your mind,
that's all there is to it, You eau 20 back
to your mother tomorrow, If you want
to-"
They drove into the yard at the side of
house and stopped He helped her out, and
went on to the barn with the horse.
The dooriHas UNLOCK 4 md she went in
She lit the lamp and licked around the
familiar room, then wen, Into the bed
room, leaving the lamp on the table.
In the morning when ; W Ike, she saw
her husband building Il in the kitchen
stove. She got up fud got breakfast,
calling him to come IN from the barn
when 1t was ready She noticed as he
took off his coat and lung it up behind
the door that one of the sleevesiswas rip
ped. She thought she would tell him af
ter they had had their break fast to put on
another coat and let her mend that one.
He sat down in his shirt sleeves and ate
his breakfast in silence. She felt the OPP
preston of his silence keenly. He was
usually so light-hesrted and happy. When
he got up from the table he said
'l'm going down to Long'on with some
of that corn. hear Jenu, = paying
a bigger price than McCah t
| Mas. Hewett was pick ~ h dishes.
"Wellf' she said, without !o tlng up.
II don't believe I'll get h "a. luch be
fore night He went GU Of o." door and
not long after she saw H.. d.,ing out of
the yard.
She washed the dishes and swept the
room, then went into she bedroom and
began, with trembling fingers, to change
her dress. When she hal finished she fell
on htl hrs beside the h.d ard prayed
alou1 Her Heart reu' ! 'd ngsl 81 the
thi' h va about IN do She f. It that
htI e IL is stay WAS her grea.est sin and
ply i help to overcome it. When she
r t lie As cslmer; she tied on her bon
ut sLd ook out her pocket-book, and
counted the money.
There's enough oh, I'm so wicked
wish there wasn't. | wish could stay,
but | can't, | can't give in 10 him again
| can't do it,
1t was two miles from the farm to Elk
Falls, aud the day was warm Mrs. llew
EFT started in time to catch the | o'clock
train north. Her mother lived at Kansas
City, fifty miles above Elm Falls.
She wished, as she walked along the
grassy prairie road that She would be too
late for the train. II was long, warm
walk All the hve years of her married
life went with her They had not been
unhappy years. John had been kind hus-
band always.
When she came to rise of ground
where she could look of over the prairie
and see the little town in the distance,
she stopped. II she went back now John
would never know that she had been
away But she did not 20 back. She
dragged herself YEARLY along until she
came into the one street of the little town
and, after stopping at the station to see
how long before the train would be due,
she went across the street to tell Mrs.
Mccall Ser good-by. She hoped to gain
from her little of the moral support she
felt herself so sadly in need of.
The people that she passed looked at
her curiously and alphabetically. Ev
eryone knew what had happened the ey
euiug before. 1t had been talked over in
all its possible meanings. The men who
were then loUnging in the store were in
warm discussion over John Hewetts life
and his possible future.
Mrs. MCCalister was ironing near the
door My! What a start you gave me
didn't know there was soul about.
| Did John bring down another load of
Germ"
ELMO; he has gone to Longton with
load
"Oh, has he?"
Mrs. Hewett understood the quick re-
sentiment Of her tone. "Well, he's free
to take his corn where he pleases. come
to tel you goodbye. I'm going home
for spell.
Mrs. McCallister turned and looked at
her shrewdly for minute then went out
into the kitchen, and changed the tistiron
for another one. and came back trying 1t
with her dampened finger.