The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-08-18

| arms about her ana KISS her, the way
he had seen other men treat their
wives when little temporary annoy
ance made them cross. But he had
never been able to take such liberties
with her. They seemed liberties to
him. She was something wonderful,
in his ewes, and, with his dull con-
sclousness, he was perfectly satisfied
to sit and watch her, day after day,
and not help her even so much as to
make the fire for her.
Presently she spoke.
eyer can git work if ye want TO- '
she said.
He began to notice the GOODNESS in
her voice, the strangeness of her man.
ner, which was unaccountable to him,
even though he appreciated the fact
that she was angry.
"Whar?" he asked, wondering what
she meant.
She hesitated moment. Then she
said:
81 heerd of a prospectin' expedishun
that was to start tomorry and thct
wanted men,"
eyer don't mean ter say, Jane," he
said, after waiting moment, as
though he expected her to take the
words back-"yer don't mean ter say
thet yer want me to 60 on thet thar
prospectin' expedishun?"
"Its work." she answered, evas-
lively.
"But it's to be gone for year,
Jane, an maybe two, an maybe for
ever, an God knows ef I'd ever see
yer ag'in or not. You don't mean
thet. My wife don't want me to go
on thet-me married man, with a
with a-home. WHY, the young
fellers won't 90 on thct. Why, yer
don't wcnt me to go on tibet, Jane,
surely"
"It's work." she said again, coldly.
He sat stupetied and silent for a
long time. 1t was the first time he
had ever attempted to adjust his own
ideas to those of his wife. Naturally,
the only way by which the adjust
ment could be accomplished was the
total substitution of his wife's ideas
for his own.
"Pll go!" he said suddenly. "They
start tomorry, an eff Pm to git the
job Pve got ter go now"
He rather expected her to cry. He
hoped that at the last moment she
would protest. She did neither. He
wanted to say something more. He
did not know how to say goodbye; !;
he had never done it before.
"Kin yer take care of yerself?' he
asked.
'I've done it pretty near ever since
we wuz married." she answered.
81 amt got much to leave YER" he
continued.
81 know it," she answered.
"Here's this yere pocket book" he
went on, drawing from capacious
| pocket an article of that description,
that was quite large enough to hold
at any one time all the money he
would ever make in his life. at
| won't be no use to me. Maybe it won't
be much to you, but yer might as well
have it," He threw it down on the
table. "Fact is," he continued, 81
don't want anythin' but what got OH.
Yer might as well keep the revolver.
Maybe some man'll come trampin'
round yere," Che did not see her
wince) "an' yen need it to defend
yerself. 'Tany rate, ye kin sell it, eff
yer get hard up"
He stood over her. He wanted to
kiss her but she did not move.
"Good-bye." lie said again, as he
clOsd the door quickly, SO that he could
believe that she had replied, after all.
Then he began the winding descent of
hill.
She was moiionlcss for II minute
after he had gone. Then she rose and
looked for mere moment triumph
ant. She drew from the bosom
of her dress lintype and looked at
it smilingly. She kissed it, and then
she sat again at the table and looked
at it intertly in the light of the wood
fire, repeating monotonously dozen
| times the words: II won't have to
work. won't have TO work. won't
have to work"