New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-23

The woman turned from the flock OF eager
fowls. She looked the fields upon which
the early spring was shining. The meadow
opposite beginning to show green places;
the clumps of young wows-which ought to be
rooted out-were revealing IN their slender stems
that the sun had come again To the north. There
was a smell Of warm, wet earth in the air. Al
miny shifted that odor. She didn't believe the
ground smelled like that anywhere else In the
world
She shook the last kernel of from her
apron. She fe.t the letter from Carolina in her
pocket. She knew that she lOnged to see Temple
Crawford
she amt had no bringin up" she said. as If
to the hens. And them
Il s'pose could let my house. somehow"
A fever seemed to have entered into her blood
She did not know that she had already decided
to go to Carolina. She did not know 1t even The
the morning to inquire. ST.. told Olivia that she
couldn't seem to make up her mind. Sometimes
she was drawn one way and sometimes another
She couldn't see her pat c.ea~.
Cant see 1t clear?" cried Livy. Then she
stopped. What was the use? II incredible
to her that her sister could give a thought to
such a letter that.
She looked around the room "A If in search Of
some means by which she could impress upon
Almna the strangeness of her even considering
such request from Roger Crawfords daughter
She had never quite understood about Craw
ford She was three years younger than her sis
ter. and had been not quite eighteen when the
affair happened II had not been considered
necessary to inform her IN regard to any Of the
particulars. She only knew that Amna had
been ready to be married and that she did not
marry. Crawford did not come. Instead there
came a letter from him somewhere in the South
where he had To go on business Almina had
received the letter the day before the date set
for the wedding. She had gone upstairs To her
own room to read 1t. After n while she had come
down To the kitchen. where her mother and
Olivia were. No one had been surprised that
letter should arrive: there had been one nearly
every day since Roger had go.e six weeks be-
fore
Olivia remembered to the minutest detail all
concerning that time But told her any
thing. When she had asked her mother what
was the matter she had been answered that
things had turned out SOS there wa mt goin' to
be any wedding. Other arrangements had been
made"
And that was all Naturally she had almost
forgotten Roger Crawford In all these years But
now she recalled him. and hated him with re-
newed freshness, as with the thought Of him
came the memory Of what her sisters face had
been then. and for long after.
But Almina had borne up brdvely She had
Informed her friends that the engagement was
broken and when asked where Mr.. Crawford
was she had replied that he was obliged to stay
in the South She did not even specify that he
I'm North Carolina But every knew he
was there. FOR the woman who kept the post
office that his letters Of late had been post
marked AT Ashevillc. ard as She knew. there
fore great many others knew. for what post
mistress is going To keep to herself Il knowledge
valuable?
But no one was aware Of one fact which Al
nina communicated To her mother that nigh
Mrs Drowiy woman not given to the
expression II affection. But she loved her chill
dren though she never caiess"d them. and
seemed 10 think hat caresses were infallible
sign Of what she would have called "natncss."
II was In the middle u the night that she
had risen noiselessly ana gone into her daugh-
| ter's room She found the girl lying perfectly
still upon her bed Mrs Drowdy ext!nguished
the ligh, she carried and laid herself silently
down by her child She pat out her hand and
| groped for her daughters hand. and having
found IT. she lay motiones
!, long time before Amna had spoken.
| At first she felt something Ike resentment that
any one. even her mother should intrude upon
/ the solitude which just then was the only thing
| she wished for
! But AT last che spoke.
Mother" she said In 4 whisper II did not
tell you all the letter said.
pause during which Mrs Drowdy I'D not
speak. She only held the hand more closely.
lie Is married already"
Mrs Drowiy started up 10 sitting posture.
! In the darkness her face grew purple with the
/ anger that surged up 10 he. brain This was
even worse that she had thought. 1t had even
come To her mind that perhaps things might be
! explained. and the marriage take place. though
| she felt that she herself could never forgive
| Roger Crawford. and never wanted 10 see him.
| But she had decided that she would appear 10
forgive him for her chllds sake
Yes" said the girl he was married four days
ago. He wrote TO me right away after
! Alrnina's voice stopped.
Mrs Drowdy waited a momen, before she
said. I'm dry. even voice.
"He is a scamp and YOU we'll red OF him.
Youli I'VE to see the day when you'll despIse
Il wish / could despise him now" said the
girl.
The next moment she cried out In n passion
ate voice "Oh. how can stop loving him. II
will Kill me to go on loving him Ike this"
NO" said the mother s.srnly 1T won't kill
YOU either ! know bout human nature. Things
don't kill I'm gon To try to think OF some
| thing to take up your mind
th.r Ha nigh tor iQh
but they did not talk any more. save for single
word now and then.
When Mrs. Drowdy. in the early dawn OF "A
summer morning. went back to the room where
her husband was now dressing. she was met by
the anxious question:
"How's Almlny?"
wretch is married to somebody else. He told her
| so In his letter
Benjamin Drowdy did not speak; but he looked
murderous
| His wife went
II hope you en- spare the money to let her go
to her Aunt Johnson's lCr few months ItIl be
a great change and Cordelia Johnson s good
| woman and a wise woman. II she Is my sister.
Everything'n be new. Alminy'll begin to git
| Interested after a while.
| Mr. Drowdy did spare the money. The John
| sons lived I'm Boston. and they had money enough
to travel little when they chose Almina spent
! nearly "a year with them. when she came nome
! she looked so well that everybody SAID that Al
| minv Drowdy was gttin' over her disappolnt-
mcnt nrst-rate They guessed she hadn't much
| deep feelin' after all
| olivia Wilson felt her hatred for Roger Craw-
ford revive as she gazed at her sister In conster-
| nation that Almina could feel anything hut re-
pusion at the thought OF Crawfords daughter
| And what a letter that girl had written.
| I'm surprised" said Livy. that you don't
dislike even the thought Of Temple Crawford
"Whv should dislike her." Almlna fixed her
clear gray eyes on her sisters face.
why? -because-why. | never seen
nothn so outrageous. And the way that man
treated Won, OF course he never loved you"
81 know he didn't treat me WE'LL was the re-
sponse but | think he loved me: and'--here
the womans voice changed greatly I've ne'
cided that I've loved him all these years.
"Oh Alminy.'
This was what Olivia always said when other
words failed her She made up her mind Their
and there that she would not speak another
word on the subject u her sisters going t(