Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-05-15

<#8E3EAANSyKF grunted farme I
1Ea2MaassARlaT. Brewster, as he threw
.Aas9HkE V@ae himself into the rock
fSH& Ea3M Aing chair in the kitch-
TM&Mhh46ee%Nen and famed his
.WNA flushed face with his
aNN~ straw hat. "a quar-
ter an hour wasted
very likely, waiting here; Right in the
midst of as fine 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 ap.
pearance of his wife, who came out of
the pantry, tugging along the great
lunch basket, almost too heavy for
strength.
Farmer Brewster way 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 dark ened, as
now, by scowl of discomfort
An only son, he had inherited a large
and handsome farm. clear of mortgage
and debt, which supplied all the wants
of his household most literally and
gave him nice little sum of money to
deposit in the bank each year.
There was no reason why he should
be mean, yet miserly habits were grad
ually growing upon him far faster than
he knew.
Nor was there need of grumbling
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 faultless 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 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 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 write.
There is the lunch, and it is exactly
five minutes past 49," said Mrs. Brew
ster, setting the basket down with
some emphasis at his feet, II was de.
layed that much with the butter. It
had to be seen to before the sun got too
high"
My mother always churned 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 .her
eyes to his with looked that startled
him.
Very handsome eyes they were
dark, soft and velvety, with world OF
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
if you hated mel"
Il am afraid I do" was the astound
ing reply.
And with swift glance at the clock
Lefty hurried down into the cellar Will
knife and pan to make her prepare
lions for dinner for six hungry hay
makers.
Afraid she hates me! My wife! Sh,
that was Lefty Glover" muttered Ii,
to himself i'll his bewilderment. "Why
what on earth! She must be goins
crazy or something or other"
Lefty" he called ut the cellar door
cit is ten minutes past TO-" she an
swered from the depths of her cellar.
eff I don't see about the dinner nov
it won't be on the table at IL to tn
minute as your mother used to have
I can't come"
We'll, if this don't beat ALL" said h
to the maltese and white cat who as
cended from the cellar and rubbed he1
self against his legs.
A shout from the bayfield, rouse
him to the recollection of the day
business.
He went out and dispensed til
treasures Of his basket among til
hungry men, who praised LEFTY
cooking with every mouthful they swal
lowed.
1T is enough to make an old bache
Tor like me sit down and cry to ga
such raspberry shortcake as that" sal
Solomon Wyse. wiping the crumbs c
the feast from his lips before he dram
hard cider from the jug. "Tell 20
what it is, George, you won a priz
when you went courting."
$50 he did. And here's her goo
health, /" chimed in another mower, q
he took UP the jug.
George assented, vaguely.
They were talking Of his wife-hi
wife, who was afraid she hated him.
Never had the two hours betwee
lunch and dinner dragged.so slowly.