The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-17

q
tick, though how she managed to git it
in without Dustin of the sides 1 don't
pretend to know.
Then she begun about one thing an
another, sayin' as she hadn't had de-
cent stick O. wood for year, an She
was sick an tired o. Twin anyhow, an
she was jest n-goin' to give right up an
lay down an die You know how Hit
runs On when she gets started.
never said nothin' but 1 keep up q
mighty thinkin' of how I've went
around with only one gallus button for
weeks at L time an half the time ]
nin't had no buttons nowhere else
where they'd orto be, an I've moilcd
and toilcd for Hit FOR the last forty
year an that's all the thanks git. Tn
goin' over to see Square brown an
have Il divorce on cruelty to animals,
that's what l am"
Jared had himself pretty well
wrought up, and ne had gone beyond
the confines of the facts in the case il
making charges against his wife, and
knew it. There has never been o
time when his apparel was not in per.
feet order and ready for him ut n mo-
ment's notice, but he had made up his
mind that he was abused and had con.
cluded that he was going to have salts.
faction of some kind. l knew perfect
~ we'll that Mchitablc Gilt" TO,
short) did have Il fashion of ''runnin'
on" that must have been very exasper-
atlng, but Jared's way of suking was
just us bad. and thought it was an
even thing between them, and l was
morally certain they were just suited
for each other. hardly knew what
to say to Jared, and kept my mind
pretty busy while sifted handfuls OF
wheat through my fingers to the chick.
ems around me.
Yes, ] know Hit is hard to get
along with" l said, finally. land the
time you had fever she neglected you
shamefully, and the way she acted
when you had the rheumatism last
winter was just perfectly awful; if yor
would mention those little things tc
Brown 1 think it would help you il
your suit for divorce"
Jared bit off the small end of the
corncob and chewcd it rcflcctivcly.
had given him pretty hot shot, for
knew that ut the times I had men
toned she sat by him day and night
and attended his every want, though
moro cranky" sick man never saw.
"W-a-a-l," he drawled, finally, 1--WE
amt none of us perfect, but that straw.
tick is what broke the camcl's back.
an when she said didn't provide good
wood, that was a-squshin' the came,
pretty fiat, an I'm goin' over to see the
square, anyhow" and off he went
"Be sure to tell him of the things
mentioned" l called to him, but he
gave no heed to my suggestion, keep
ing steadily on his way.
l was more than little worried over
the trouble Jared and Mehitable hao
got into For years had been in the
confidence of both of them and haG
had many good laugh at their OK
pense, but this seemed to be more seri.
GUS than previous distur dances and ]
was afraid that some of the modern
novels that Jared had picked up at my
house had influenced him in the wrong
direction. l have fashion of keeping
one or two of these volumes of fiction
lying around to read when don't want
to think and cannot sleep, and Jared
had read them with the same serious.
ness that he did the Conquest of Mexi.
co, though l warned him that they
were filled with impossible nonsense
l expected n visit from Mchitable.
but the day dragged along and she die
not come. Things did not 90 we'll with
me that day. My work halted in the
most inexplicablc fashion, and the
story that l was writing, which was
destined to amuse and astonish the
world, came to naught, and found
resting place in The stove. Finally ]
walked over to Jared's house. 1t was
getting on in the afternoon and 1 found
Mehitablc in TIL kitchen ironing.
"Whcrc's Jnrcd?" I asked, after
lad taken n seat
I'm sure l don't know. an don't
know as | care" answered Mehitable
rather GROSSLY, as she held an iron ur
to her face to see if it was at the prop
CIR temperature, and then fell at gar.
mcnt which was spread out en- the iron.
ing table, with q vigor that. promised
that it should be well smoothed in
short time. There did not seem to be
any very good place for me to begin
again, and sat quiet
lies got tantrutn," began Mrs.
Sparks, 'presently,. AN ;gonc off to get q
divorce, an hope he'll get it afore
night, for I'm clear done out with his
trifin' ways. He'll be mighty glad tc
come crawlin' back when he's been do
in for himself a week, an 1 told him sc
III short order"
What appears to be the trouble?"
asked, as innocently as If had not heard
of it before
"Oh, nothin' uncommon" answered
Mrs. Sparks, "only las night asked
Jared to fill strawtick an he went
out an was gone about an hour, an