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

served on q table in the cool dining
room-a table covered with snowy cloth
fresh from its fold, and glass and china.
In the center of the table stood q
great china bowl full of red roses that
perfumed the oom. Her cheeks were
red, her words and smiles were ready
for every n save George.
AS she sat grave and silent at the
foot of the table, he looked at her won
deringly.
She wore a dress Of silver-gray al
pacca that had been her travelling dress
when they were married.
A large white apron, with q bib,
shielded the glories of the costume.
But why did she putt on? Surely she
could not think Of going visiting" that
afternoon, with six %hayinakers to get
tea for and the milk Of eight COW to at
tend to afterward.
But he finally went out without ask
ing it. The wife, who was afraid she
hated him, seemed almost like q stran-
ger, although she looked so much or
this occasion like the girl he had mar
ried two years ago.
AS George neared the door of the
wood-shed where the men were loung-
ing away the rest Of their incoming, he
heard his W name, uttered by Solo
mon Wyse in tones of anger.
Involuntarily he stayed his steps.
Yes, I knew George from q baby up,
and I always said he'd make q likely
man. VOW it is q shame to see how he
treats that pretty little creature! Such
a lunch this morning and such a dinner
this noon, in such a nice cool room with
the red roses and all the rest Of it: and
she just as pretty as q picture, with her
red cheeks and bright eyes and her
wavy hair, and dressed as neat as a
pink, too. And he sitting there as
glum as an old man Of ninety. I was
ashamed Of him."
"I've heard he does nothing but find
fault with her all day long," said o Sec
ond voice. my wife says if I threw
my mother into her teeth, as George
does his in Letty's, she'd run away from
me before she was a day older"
And serve you right" chimes in a
third. It'll tell you what my wife says.
She says it is confounded mean and
small Of George not to keep q woman
here to help his wife. And when 1 saw
the dinner, to-day, the pretty little
thing had to get for us all alone, !
thought so, too. Hang me, if 1 hadn't
half u mind to stop here this afternoon
and help. her wash up that great pile O.
dishes, and let the haying go to thun
der. It's enough to kill the woman tc
have all that work to do. And George
is rich. What on earth is he thinking
about? But he'll be sorry for this in {
year or two hence, when we have tc
come here on a different Grand"
$40 carry out in q coffin" said Sol
ONION Wyse. "Yes: I suppose it vii
come to that if some Of us don't tall
seriously to George. She don't look a
all strong now, and her hands tremblei
when she changed my plate. It's B.
burning shame-and if none of Vol
men will talk to George about it
will"
But when George Brewster Joined
them Solomon Wyse deemed it pru
dent to defer the proposed talking to-
for his brow was as black as night, anc
he had no more to say to his neighbor:
now than to his wife at the dinner
table.
This, then was the way in which the,
spoke of him behind his back, these
men who labored beside him and tool
their wages from his hands and pre-
tended to be his friends.
And his wife was afraid she hatec
him.
To whom could he turn for comfort
From whom could he expect true friend
ship, if she who should have beer
nearest and dearest was an enemy il
disguise? Lost in moody r~everie, he
paid little attention to his work.
And at last, at 3 o'clock in the after
noon, there was o sudden uproarer ii
the hay feld-a trampling of hoofs, {
rush of terrified men, a confusion O
voices, and among them all George
Brewster lying on the ground beneath
the moving machine, his right arm ant
leg broken by the wheels, his head Gu
and bleeding with his heavy fall.
Meanwhile Lefty, in the cream-col
ored house. had not been idle.
Tying on a great calico apron in place
of her white one, she had quietly washed
and put away the dinner dishes and re-
duced the dining room to order.
Tea was easily arranged, since it was
to consist Of cold dishes, with glasses O.
milk for the men.
She threw a clean table cloth ovel
the whole as soon as it was finished, and
went upstairs into the spare chambe,
to pack her trunk.
Yes, Lefty had made up her mind al
last. She was going away.
Life had ~degenerated into slavery,
unbrightened, as she fancied, by a ray
of love.
"And slavery will support one any.
where" though Lefty as with tremb.
ling hands she locked and snapped her
trunk and fastened her few lines to
George upon the lid.
At the porch door she paused for one
last look around the house that might
have been SO happy.
She did not intend to glance toward
the nay field.
Yet in spite of her resolution, her
eyes turned that way to single out the
tall figure that guided the rafting,
clinking mowing-machine.
II wonder il he will miss me a little
Just at frst?" she unused. "He eau
get a divorce, [ suppose, if J. desert
MN, d tnen he Will marry again. l
hope he will be kinder to his 1ext wife
than he has been to mel"
With tears that rose at the thought
OF her successor binding her eyes,
Lefty failed to see the figure that she
sought.
Il am foolish to look at him again. I
have eve been more than a house
keeper to him from the FIRST" she
thought, stumbling blindly on toward
the gate and opening il, to find herself
In me center OF an excited group.
There, don't We take on like that!'
said Solomon Wyse, who come first and
saw the tears upon her cheeks before
she could wipe them away.
We're you coming ont to meet us?
We were in hopes you didn't see any
thing of it. It's a bad accident, but
| GaorQa is so stIniG- ala hearfu that he