Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1894-07-28
I" Why, yes, / guess So"
" No, you haven't"

it around her.
I" / amt going to take any girl
riding an have her ketch cold" He
stopped down to button her long
cloak over it. {" / don't have rheum'-
tiz," he explained, while Nancy, IN
her turn, pulled the bow of his.c
vat out carefully.
The air was so crisp and cold, anu
the starry sky SO clear that the old
couple felt youthful Jingle of ex-
hilaraticn at the thought of the two
mile drive.
Daniel carefully helped his wife in
and tucked the robes about her.
+" Feels comf'table, she mumbled
through her veil and the muff she
was holding against her face and
Daniel took hold of her hand mo-
ment, pretending to arrange the
robe.
(" 1t sort O. chirks person up to
be amongst folks" said Nancy on
the way home. l was always fond
of goin'. An we seem to enjoy it
more than some. D'you notice how
John Sheldon an his wife stayed
tight together the whole evening.
Well, now, what good ID they get
out of goin'? You want to mix up
with other folks more, an then you
have something differ'nt to tell when
you get home"
That's the way yeu used to do
when you was girl ?"
"Why, yes, that's the way"
"Well, now, I can tell you that
used to make me jealous, "said Dan
iel.
"P.s-h-h !" said his wife, giving
his knee playful pinch-and this
time Daniel made no pretcnse of ar
ranging the robe.
Whether these husbandly attent-
ions acted as a tonic it is impossible
to say; as the winter advanced and
the snow still lay rugged and broken,
but without melting, On either side
of the roads, some OF Nancy's energy
seemed to come back. Now, again,
her old ways claimed her. Daniel
coming in from the barn one bleak
afternoon was made pleasantly con-
scious of the odor of waffles before he
opened the kitchen door. $50 this
is what you've been up to, is it 2" he
inquired, with a sniff of anticipation.
at seemed, as you might say,
good day for waffies," answeredNan-
cy.
"Why didn't you tell me you was
going to have 'em2 I could have
helped YOU"
ooh, thought they'd taste better
as surprise
Daniel washed his face and hands
at the sink, and held the towel far
from him upon his outstretched
hands, as mans way is. He look
ed around the room. Since Nancy
had grown so feeble they had taken
their winter meals in the kitchen.
The table was primly laid, with pre-
served peaches and shaved dried beef.
Nancy, with a white apron tied about
her waist, was lowering near With
the impulse which came to him at
the moment, Daniel bent over and
spoke in her better ear-for this was
not a thing to be said twice over:
Nancy, you know you amt give
me kiss this ever so long?"
Nancy had the waffle platter pois-
ed upon her hands. She stopped.
"You amt asked me, have your"
said she, glancing over her shoulder
at him with spice of her old coque-
try.
"Well, has man got 10 ask bis
wife every time after he's lived with
her morn 40years ?"
"Why no, not as know Of" She
tapped her foot upon the ground, as
she might have done 40 years before.
There was soft flush upon her old
New England cheek. Daniel kissed
the pinkest place, and she reached up
to his other cheek and gave it a quick
little peck. "Therel go long with
you y she said. "Bless God fo- my
husband y was what it meant.
Later on there came a stretch OF
beautiful days, cold indeed, but not
with the deadening cold Of Deem
Der. "Well, who'd you see up to
town p was Nancy's question as Dan
iel came in at dusk. She shut her
book over her spectacles in antici-
patton Of the gossip which Daniel had
grown in the habit of bringing home
but as he only answered, "Oh, no.
body in particular she looked for
her place again, a little disappointed.
Daniel set his boots upon the foot.
stool to dry, and thrust his feet into
the slippers Nancy had warmed fol
him. "Let's see-when'd we hear from
John last ?" he asked, presently, in
reflective tone.
1.-TWO weeks ago, come Sat'day,
was Nancy's reply.
give been thinking-what's II
hinder about that visit they Yves talk
king of? You know they wanted
you to come for Christmas, bn
twa'n't soft you could.
Nancy put on her spectacles ant
then took them off again, bewildered