Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-10-28

order to be cured or rested"
THAT will need fifteen minutes or Il
half-ho,lr," he added, half mischievous-
ly. half angrily.
1T will last until you take back what
you said, or talk yourself"
Good. You have said your last
word for long time, them
And throwing the bread across the
room into the open box he went into
the shed to mend his nets. While
working, he glanced from time to time
into the room to mark any change i'll
the good woman's micn. Generally i'll
her movements she talked either To
him, the cat or the bird, or hummcd in
her cracked voice SnatcheS of the songs
of her younger days.
From these premises the good man
concluded: she can't hold her tongue
much longer, surely
But, to his great aStOniShmcnt. she
swept the house, secured the table and
tiled the floor, punished the bird that
had flown on the bed, shclled the beans
and sat down to her knitting without
opening her tight-sct lips. "Thundei
and lightning. She is in an obstinate
humor!' thought the husband, astound-
ed.
The morning passed thus IN mutual,
obstinate silence, each determined not
to yield by speaking the first word
Three or four times the fisherman
left his work and stood before his wife
with folded arms, smiling ironically, in
the hope of forcing from her some cx-
clamation.
She had, indeed, unusual control OF
her temper, for instead of obeying her
first impulse to throw her ball ut him.
she kept on quietly knitting. giving
forth no sound but that made by the
quadrille dance of her bright steel
needles. He could mock now as much
as he pleased by initiating with lis
fingers birds or fishes in their SwiftcSt
movements. She would not even raise
her eyes above her spectacles, and he
walked back, murmuring hoarS"ly III
his beard: "Thunder and lightnng."
What he was going to be beaten! For
he felt sure if that continued he would
soon be hopclcSSly angry, and speak
in spite of himself. His ears began 10
burn. his nose and chin to trcmblr. and
his hand was almost closed into list
to strike the table and to utter Il tor
rible oath which might frightrn the
bird, but would only be Il triumph for
and entertain her ncighborS in the
evening with the story.
Cost what it might he must invent
something to overcome the silence OF
the obstinate woman. All at once Il
quiet laugh shook him, and. dropping
his shuttle, he arose A rich idea
struck him. He had found the road to
victory, which lee: him into the room
and straight to the cupboard. He took
down from one Of the shelves Il liquor
glass. which he placed on the table
with some unnecessary noise: then.
with decided step. he walked to the
other, and from the deepest recess of
the highest shelf brought Il carefully
sealed bottle, placed it between his
knees, loudly scratched away the wax.
and made the cork pop out with an
angry explosion. 1t was precious
bottle of choice "Calvados," kept in
strict reserve to celebrate the return
of the younger sailor son. The good
mother was never willing that the
father should look at the bottle, even
to see if it were improving with age;
therefore, the noise of the mcorking
struck her heart like the near sound of
Il pistol shot. Nevertheless she sat I'M
tiinchngly, a sphinx of immovability,
even when he filled his glass with the
bubbling liquor, and, tasting it with a
smack, murmurcd to himself with Il
grunt of pleasure:
That warns from head to foot. 1t
is Il cheer worth offering the king.'
The good man was terribly disap-
pointed at the failure of his Strategem
He returned to his nets, puzzling his
poor old head, which was more accus-
toned to plan decoys for fishes than to
search for ruses to overcome the ca
prices of women. He could only con-
sole his amour-propre by closing his
fists and murmuring:
''Oh, the stubborn, stubborn mule"
Hours of the same obstinate silence
followed but at last the good man en-
tered the room.
He can't bear it any longer; he's
going to speak"' thought the wife, de-
lighted at the idea of her conquest
But instead of speaking, or even look
ing ut her, he went directly to the high
cupboard. Mounting footstool he be-
gan to search carefully with the close
attention of one who had lost some
thing very precious. One by one he
brought down piles of sheets and tow
els, and placed them on the bed, dis
placed the odds and ends of bric-a-
brac accumulated during their thirty
years of welded life, which formed a
mosaic and precious picture from the
past.
There were bits of china bought at
fairs, foreign curiOsities, by the sailor
boy the elder son now sleeping forever
in distant China; another blue box in
which was carefully preserved the
bridal veil of the now aged woman,
embroidered by her youthful fingers
The husband examined each treasure
most minutely, stopping to contemplate
each object. He soon attacked the sec
ond cupboard
His wife could not help feeling of
disturbance at first, which increased
into anxiety that made her follow his
movements with close, but secret.
watchfulncss. AS his eagerness in
searching became more intense, so her
curiosity mounted to the unsupportablc
point.
What in the name of heaven has hc
lost? 1t cannot be his knife, for he
had it this morning in his hand. What
can it be!' She continued to watch
him in the hope that some gesture of
his would enlighten her, or in his irri-
tation that the name of the lost object
would escape his lips.
But with a perseverance that ono
would never have believed of MIN. he
continued his work until dark without
even whisper.
With the night came the tide and the
hour for departure, but he seemed all
unconscious of the call of duty.
Having completely scrutinized every
corner and object in the second cup
/ rl In, Erht n1 nd