The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-11-29

NJ EGAivRyllI6

separated them 1or ,y0Ax1, 4lthou4Hs
|Sliars, was. oily 8 St6dSS 4 foW h1et
!tweGn Chem. .Thsy ioftsh kx4rsdjht
cash other III tks :stiSsti !: lI6ace, thss
older, married alocal artisan, md Two
nnd = !. hsll ysalt 1atsr -Asrcy. IL
|uounger, ainaas,rsifsd ! : 1eilow.workuaan 10
|Jsna's husband The two hushaDdSs
lwero frasnaS and oftsn visited sashl
Others houses which Were on oppo.s
site sides 81 the same snrdid atrest.
and theifwiyes made them welcome.
Neither Honor nor Mercy suffered "a
tnllusion %. the lbreach;, it was under.
STOOD that their silence must b 70.
,csiyed In silence. Each OF the sisters
had : quiverful Of childrcn, who played,
and quarreled 'to9etherSi In the streets
and ID ono another'ss house,, but not
sven the street Arrays and mutual
grievances Of the children. could pro
woke the mothers TO words. They
stood 1t their doors In impotent fury,
almost bnrsting with the torture q
keeping their mouths shut against the,
eftervescence Of angry speech. When
either lost . child, the other watched
the funeral from her,window, dumb q
tho mute1
4 The years rolled on, and still the
river Of silence flowed between their,
lives Their good looks faded; the
burden Of Ifs and Of child.bsarinR was
heavy upon them. Gray hairs strsaksd
their brown trenea than brown hairs
streaked their gray trssseA The
Fuckers Of nge replaced tho dimples Of
youth. The years rolled on, and death
grow busy. among the families. Honos'e
husband died, and Mercy lost . son,
who died week after hiswlfa. Chol-
era took several Of the younger chill
dren. But the sisters themselves lived
on, bent and shriveled BY toll and cor
row even moro than ~ ths slow frost
Of the yearx ~. 4; N. i. 3
Then ono dsy Marcy took "a hsr
death-bed An internal dtseass, too,
long neglected. would carry hsr on
within 8 week 80 the doctor told
Jim, Mercy's husband. q.
Through him the news Travelled to
Honor's eldest son, who still lived with
her. by the evening II reached
Honor. q. si,
i Sha went upstairs abruptly when he
told her. leaving him wondering at her
stony aspect When she came down
she was bonneted and shawlsd. Hc
was filled with Joyous amaze 70 zee
her hobble across the street, and, for
Tbs hrst time in her life, pass over her
sister Mercy's threshold.
Az Honor entered the siek-room,
with pur.ed lips. : light lespt into
che wasted, wrinkled countensncs 81
ithe dying creature. She raised hsr-
self slightly in bed, her lips parted,
then shut tightly. and her face dark.
ened. Is u ,is5$ nj, .a
Honor turned angrily 70, Mercy's
husband, who hung shout impotently.
's'Why did you Let her run down 70
low5' she said. II didn't know, = the
4 old man stammsred, taken rack " her
prsssncs even morn than ~ her quss-
tion '.Shs was always . woman to
ssy nothin'.r ss::s;..g.
Honor pa him impstisntly aside and
sxaminsd the madeline bottle On ths
bedside table. sii.s ~ VIZ
: "Isn't Il ttms she took her dosss'' s
II desasy. ~ .issii ss;s5i It
J Hohor snortsd. wysthfully. s.Whafs
.thsiase Of smAAa. ~ Inquired ~ no.
seassfnlly msAaursd ont The Aujd, md
pat Il % hsr sistsr's LIN Witch opsnsd
= zsesivs y end 4 th 4 A. tightiy
sHox II yoa i IN sssli.s now" Hon
! q asked aftet fahsGs "a e iss s:j,y /;
4 allow - yossnowss lisssyssss' ssalesA
! tass ola man. ;swkwAedly. The, old
swopan shnok her hsad. s.l'm aeeotn,
tast jim she grumblsd weakly, aiiid'
: tsar 81 sslt.ply tsieilsd DOM ~
.sWhat fubbades shS as taiki. issrrssd
Honos. sharply. s.why -d,ys staad
there like : tailor's dummy? Why
don't you tail her 70 cheer upf'
Cheer mp. Msrcyl" qusvsrsd tie old
man hoarsely. " 't. Us ". 4 ,.,4as.
But Mercy Rrosnsds 4 Instead; and
tufaed fretfnliy On hsr other side with
her facs TO the wall sSs
.I'm too old. I'm too old" she
moaned .'This = the end D ms. =
ibid you ever hear the likes'' Hon.
or asked Jim sngrily. - she smoothsd
his wife's pillow. .'She was always
concealed about her ago, ssttin' her
isslf up 6 the equals Of her elders; aud
here am J. her elder ulster, q carried
Z her in my arms whom 4 was i've and
/ she was two. still hale aud strong, and
with mo- mind for undefground fos
many . long day. Nigh three times
her age Twas once, mind you, and now
shs has the imperenee to talk OF dyin'
bsfore ne. = s.
She took Of her bonnet and shawl
..Send zone q the kids 70 telimy. 10y
I'm steyin' here" abe said. ss..Anll
then inst you get 'em Ill 70 he'd T.
there's too much noise about the
h0msk ~ {. !; Z,
Tho childisn,. who were, orphsned
grandchildren 81 the, dying woman,
were sent 70 bed, and then Jim him
sclf was packed on to refresh himself
for the nest days labor, for the poor
old fsllow still doddsrcd sbont the
Workshop 4: q . Il. ss Il;
The silence Of the sick room spread
over tho whole housc About tan
o'clock the doctor came again and In
issructsd Honor how TO Allsviats tie