The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-08-11
SILY'S INVESTMENT.
A Pretty Romance and Glad
Home Coming

"Shet to that door. Silas. SOS it'll
keteh. It's cold ternight. Who'd think
twas the middler May. II | didn't
know better, sh'd say thar was snow
in the air."
THAT would be the beat.nest. I'low,"
said Silas Baldwin, giving the door an
extra push behind him 10 ensure its
firmncss. "but it's downright chilly.
and no mistake. This must be the tail
end err the back bun er winter. Reckon
he's wavin' his tail as sorter partin'
sloot, and coolin' of the air." and
Silas, smiling broadly at his own wit.
gave look with his deep-set twink
ding eyes, at Agatha his wife. 10 see IL
she felt like smiling tonight But
Agatha only drew the small black and
white checked shawl over her shout
ders, then held her knitting up be-
tween her eyes and the light and,
from beneath her glasses, picked up a
stitch. When that was done, she i'm
quired of Silas, who had subsidized, and
who sat in corner granting, as he
pulled off his boots with some diff
Guilty. II he had "ben TO the corner"
"Yes-er," as the boot came.
ANY mail?" with more interest
than before manifested.
"Soon's git this blamed thing off, Z"
jerIxed' Silas. ''Therel / swow IL I'll
never git Nose Bean afoul err my foot
ag'in. told him they were Cinderillys
when he got 'em finished, but he
lowed ez how they's big enough for
two er me. Well, one er mes all
want seq, and it's no recommend
] seq. to your cobblerin' TO stamp
yer boots by SIGH remarks oh! SEE
he, I'Silas, ] was a-foolin.' m low
now ez how think he was" and Silas
flung the scorned footgear behind the
stove with such force that Agatha
started. However, when she saw the
homespun socks incased in easy carpet
slippers she continued years OF ex-
perience having taught her, as she
told her friends, that what was her
"haste was Silases Leisure"
"Dyou say there was any mail9"
Seems ter me there was, /" said Silas,
ca mly. as he spread the newspaper
across his knee and felt for his glasses.
He found the letter first, but IL was
not until his glasses were discovered
and established, and he had spent
some minutes on the address. that he
looked over the envelope at Agatha,
who sat knitting still, apparently un-
concerned. but whose repression
showed itself in the short rocking of
her chair and her pursed lips. Silas
small eyes twinkled. "Seems TO me-"
he said at length, "this is for-why!
it's for you, Agathy, arter all. Bless
me, how dull ] be! I was trying to
make missus into esquare;" and
coming over TO Agatha with his clumsy
tread. he dropped the letter in her
lap, and then pulled the little curl
that hung in front of her ear, as he
had done in counting days. the curl
which from "A rich brown had grown
thin and gray. "Your mans born
tease, Agathy-can't help THORN so;
but for better or wuss, you know,
Agathy, especially when the letters
from silly boy" and Silas' hand fin
gered the gray curl.
"From Sily?" Agatha had controlled
her eagerness until now. Then she
lifted her faded eyes and gave Silas
one long affectionate look before she
opened it. The boys name hedged
out all feeling OF even slight annoyance.
"Set here, Sias." she said in n softer
tone, as she pointed to chair beside
her; 'we'll read IL 20 onct. Then wei
know together the good or the bad OF
81. How long sence together came"
she went on, as she inserted knitting
needle in one corner; and her hand and
her voice both trembled
"To-days thirteenth er May,
reclxonz how't was right after Christ
mas, sayin' as he'd got our things"
TWAS January sevenat 'leven in the
mornin'," said Agatha, excitedly, as
she extracted the letter and blew NJ
the envelope TO see IL IL was empty. 81
was maxim thoroughwort tea for Mis-
sawtelle. and Eph Rowell brung IL in
You'll scuse me, / says, as polite al
was necessary, while read my letter
4 sh' think she snapped, shorter'r
piecrust. the letter might wait fifteer
minutes IL won't says, and that
the last thoroughwort tea Lie Saw
telle ever got made In this house.
"Now, pa, can you see?" she con
tinued i'm altered tones" somehow
my specs amt as good at writing as a
some things"
Don't need wipin', do they, Agathy?
ventured Silas Mine was mist n min
ute ago" And sitting side by side
facing the table with its single shade
less lamp ON the green cover, the tw'
old people, each with hand on tn
broad business sheet, read slowly AM
painstalSingly, with numerous inter
polations the following letter:
WHITE SPRINGS Idaho, May Z, 49,
My DEAR MOTHER
1T Is about time for me 20 write :
you ond father again, and let yo
know that all is we'll with me-" Sila
NODDED assent vigorously think
am growing stout"-"think OF that
Agathyl" Agatha's eyebrows went u
--"and lazy''-'no never" said Sila'
soldering, mot lazy bum In that boy.
ttTIold ottIl gtlaa do - said Agatha A