Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-05-06

the injured youth, growing very red.
s'l amt never been treated so before n
all my life. Made regular fool of like
thatl When take young lady"-with
superb politeness-''t' prayer meetin' I
gen'rall expect t see 'er home. That
amt unreasonable"
sob, know ye do" walled the IN
fearful bad, Joe! 1 don't see wot ever
made 'er go off that way with Ben Mar
tin. Most times, she wouldn't wipe 'er
ole shoes on i'm. It does seem, some
times as eff girls was possest."
Joe was not at all placated by her dis
tress.
''Ma says" he Interrupted in tow
ering rage, "that you're crazy fer tn
match on account Of our holdin' tn mog-
gage on your place. But she says any
body could see, with half an eye, which
way Rachel was lookin'. l guess she's
about right"
He slapped the reins upon old Jim's
back and started off grimly past his
horror stricken auditor.
That amt So" pleaded Mrs. Far
man, wringing her hands. Then, driven
to humilisting confession by the exigen-
cies of this perplexing case: II taxed
err" she went on, ''with bein' heady n
quarl some, that night when we got
home, N says she:
" ''Twan't that at all. Twas you
that was me-'a- pushin' forrard n ask
in eff Joe'd gone fer is buggy; n tell.
in mustn't keep i'm waitin', says she,
an there stood Mrs. Myers, with her
nose up in tn air! jes' felt sick O tn
hull thing says she, an when Ben asst
me, slipped off with him. An I'll do
it ag'in eff ye act like thatn Dye ever
hear sech talk ter own mother?'
She looked up through dim eyes to the
young mans softened face.
tWell," he began, moving about IN
easily on his seat, 'ef that's all, an eff
Rachel's willin' to 'pologize-"
(which she amt" cried clear voice
from the porch. The conspirators looked
up guilty. OF course the girl had known
when Joe's wagon had stopped. OF
course, with her hard won acquaintance
with her mothers tactics, she had come
to see what followed. 81 thank ye very
much, ma" she went on, her blue eyes
blazing with a pride wounded unto
death, "but We neenter interfere il my
affairs any more. An, as fer yer kind
remarks about me, Mr.. Myers" fixing
her ire upon the awe-struck Joseph,
"your's and yer mother's-it's all one
ye kin make up yer mind, amt sellin'
myself yet, eff my own flesh an blood IS
willin'm
She was too furious to be even as just
as is possible to a woman. Every one
knew that Mrs. Farman cared far more
for her daughters happiness than for the
mortgage.
'An' here" the wild creature con-
tinued, pulling pink envelope from her
calico pocket-'I was goin' t send ye
word, this very day, that I was ashamed
and sorry on account O that Thursday
night But l amt ashamed or sorry
now. I'm glad of it,"
The propitiatory words flew away, as
she spoke, like countless rose-petals, un-
der her impatient fingers.
Joe was as red and excited by this
time as Rachel herself.
81 wish ye better temper, Miss Far
man." he said in cutting scorn, San
good mornin' t. ye, ladies'" With which
he stitfly raised his battered straw hat
and drove away.
Mrs. Farman ran past the younger wo-
man with much the cir of child expect
ing reproof. She hurried through the
house to her bedroom, where she shut
and locked the door. Lying on the
white pillows, between fear and disap-
pointment she sobbed herself into that
woful state of headache which was sure,
in the end, to call forth abundant filial
repentance and awkward ten derness.