The Press., 1892-01-21

much of a husbandi is Charley Dane? It'll be the best days work you ever done wen you do leave him. 2
 ssOh, no, no,n cried Priscilla. Jose phine's fatheri Oh, no, no, noi''
 s-ssThat for Josephine's father!'' cried Miss Elvira, snapping her finger and thumb. ssI seen him with that Rodney girl beside him on the box, an there ain't a soul round here that don't know just the way he's carryin' on"
 "Oh, Aunt Elviry, hush You musn't!''
 I will, then, an more too. Now I'm goin' to give you rest, .you look all tuekered out. But I sha'n't do it again, for ainst goin' ter help support Charley Dane dom nothfns though I dono' any harder work there is But the moment you come down to me with Josephine, for good, then. all I've got is your'n. An thank goodness, my house is across the line, an he can't fetch you back from an- other state.
 Miss Elvira might as well have tried to move the Fock-ribbed and ancient earth. Yet although she went home defeated, it was with sense of only temporary de- feat. "Time ain't ripe; that's all,H she said.
 But when Charlie came sauntering in at.sunset, and took down his fiddle, Pris- cilIa pushed her machine into corner and took Josephine in. her arms Char ley" she said, in the first pause of the melody, that's pretty tune. Did the Rodney girl learn it to you ?o He locked at her moment, all the devil in him laughing out of his eyes, "There ain't no Rodney girl,' he said.
 .'HDo you suppose I'm blind and deef, toe, that don't know that Rodney girl goes ridin' with you on the stage to Far ley?n
 There ain't no Rodney girl,' he main tained, with his ear bent down to the fid- dle. And not another word did he vouch- safe.
 But by and by hesput the fiddle down, and with his legs stretched at full length, sat looking-at the floor. ssI'd leave that stage -drivin'," said he, lief had hun dred dollars to go to Busted with. There's lots of my sort of work afoot there, they say. But I'd want all that, to git start ed
 To go to Busted. Away from the low companions, away from the Rodney girl, hope flushed her once again as if it had not betrayed her scores of times before. : Am should you take J Josephine an me p she asked, her voice like wild glad cry.
 :. Wal, might send for ye,ss he said. But what's the use? I ain't got no hun dred dollars, an might as well banker for .bank.''
 How could she have had an evil thought of him, she asked herself. She was full of humility, and repentance, and love, as she gazed on his handsome, downcast face.
 Charley" she cried eadiantly in a minute, with new thought.
 q can get you hundred dollars" 1"
 .You?''.
 .tYss. A peddler was here this morn ing vile war eombin' out my hair, an he5said he'd give me hundred dollars for it any day I'd take it.''
 our hair 2''
 Shs fancied there was love for Der hair If -la. lssad it itsclAss ss I pa1g, it was easy for her to psfrt wffE its in spite of her Indignant refusal in ths trpaf ing. He's comia' back to-1eorhs she said. s.I'l get the shears an yait e,i1 it now Vile you're here, Charley. .Tainii as of it wouldn't grow again you krow.i And she loosened the long braids in 8 cloud of gold and sat. down ins the ohail saefore him.. directly in the path of the last red sunset rays, and as every one ot the long locks fell, flashing out red splendar, the child in her arms caught at them with exclamations of joy, hid was presently half hiddensin fieecesof gold. :: sss Oh, how queer it is !'' laughed Pris- cilla, when it was over. "An' how small my head feels!'
 Put suthin' round it quick!n said Charley. For you're sight to see. j And she tied handkerchief on, and the next day gave him the money that the peddler eagerly paid her.
 :. When Charley came back a fortnight afterward, and told her it was all lies and there was no work at all at Busted, he did not tell her who went with him and shared his riotous living with the hundred dollars whilesis lasted. 2g
 But Priscilla only redoubled her efforts growing paler and thinner every day over her tasks, and kept her sorrow to herself, adding fresh sorrow to all. the rest in feeling that Josephine suffered from her preoecupation Josephine, the darling, the only joy she had, the laughing, carol ling, little tripping child, for whom all the village people had a word of wonder and love. The only pleasure left the mother now was in making Josephine happy; she stole the time from her work to make the little clothes that dressed Josephine out like picture, and she ca- .ressed them in making them as if they were a part of Josephine. She dressed a doll, that MT. Newman in moment oi ge-heartedness gave the child, to match Josephfne's dress, the child leaning up against her the while, and laughing with delight,- Eet.sin some eonscioNsnsss of trouble her mothers breast, putting up little hand to the face that only sniled when turned toward her, and smoothing it with soft strolsesy saying Dear marmerl F Yes, Josy,s marmeri that was all she was now, :, she would re- ply, snatching the child. to her heart. And the child had such enticing ways, dancing tip-toe like q butterfly, taking her fathers fiddle and holding it under her ear as he did, and listening as if she already heard there the strains she should some day call forth. loving every one and