New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-02

II
take your hat. DO let me nang 1t up"
mo guess not. It's gettin' late"
1t occurred to him that his presence there was
not accounted for. He had supposed he came TO
see Elvira, but 1t appeared he had not. The
prim little woman sitting before him with her
polite solicitude and pretentious dignity dis
mayed him. Suddenly he inspired.
Il was a-wonder.n'. Miss Fulson. ef ye didn't
want tsell any o them spring shotes o yourn.
I've got some last years corn left over, an |
low could make money on EN-"
He crossed one leg over his knee and rotated
| his felt hat his hand. His boyish face was
grave and calculating
Il expect you want to fat EN- for the fall mar
ket?" She too entered into the spirit Of bargain.
and tilted her head a fraction to sde-her
business attitude.
"Yesm. thets my dear"
She pondered.
at don't seem as if could bring my mind to
having those little pigs killed I've raised them
by hand ever since they were born The old
SOW Is that unfeeng. she eats them up II we
don't take 'em away. Evra and have named
every OF them. They know their names.
can't find 1t In my heart to let them be killed.
II you wanted them for stock hogs, now?'
We'll no. Mrs Fuson don't need any stock
hogs but see how you feel about it. You've
made pets Of 'em. Thet's all right. only 1t ain
payin' But It's late. I'd better be goin'. Ef We
change yer mind Jest let me know" and he was
gone glad that she had refused to sell what he
did not want to buy.
Mrs Fulson's farm overstocked with
scraggy. breedIess creatures. and this state OF
affairs grew steadily worse, for every animal
born on her property thereby endowed with
10 anI hapnpySS
when necessity compelled her. would she part
with one of them So carefully did she protect
the individuals that the species were fast dYlns
out. Such thriftless ways made her tne sColh vi
her neighbors. She knew II, and writhed.
"Of course he'll go and tell. she muttered' as
she sat alone In the kitchen .,
room where she and her daughter slept toGe'h"r
fearing she should find Elvira sitting accusing
and rebellious. by the window. ready WIN some
of those cutting little speeches OF hers. sucn as
only youth and ignorance in the grasp of ilrst
passion can utter. She pictured her so. starring
out at the moonlight. armored by her sense oi
abuse Worse still. she might be undressed ana
in bed. crowded as close as possible to the wall
There they would lie through all the night Steep
less saying nothing 49,,
con Elvira Elvra" moaned the heart Of the
woman and mother She was distressed
and knew not what 10 do. for Evra was growing
away from her. The close communion %
their earlier years had ceased. The mother had
become questioning. watchfu. suspicious. t"e
daughter shy. reserved. petulant
Sitting in her shadowy kitchen. she tried to rea-
1t out.
got her education She's got to turn her mind tc
something. and hos the best shes ever seen. II
she was only studying. now. she wouidh CIV
no thought to such a. him. II wouidh ever n'
in her heart to talk so 10 her mother she am
had fair chance and I've done my best on
my little girl my little girl! ana the Kltcheh
table tremb'ed with the rest.
Mrs. Fuson had not always been a proud
woman. Her days Of arrogance tempered by
gracious. reserve which she called being ciVii.
had come with her maternity.
One small daughter had isolated her completely
from her kind What had satisfied her for her
self did not satisfy her for her daughter. the
best In the world not too good for that
daughter. Some day she shouid nave H. anu ~
"a lady.
'Elvira shant always have 10 dig the way
have plan for her To be a school-teachcr or
a lecturer She's got the brains for It, All she
needs is the education. and | mean she snail
have 1t. II we have to sell everything we've
got"'
This she had conhded to Mrs. Rockwell. her
butter customer who lived In Salina. ten miles
away Mrs Rockwell had said:
why don't you send her to the Academy?
II she will help with the work mornings she can
stay with me. Suppose you send her next fall
The fall had not yet come. and Elvira, All
Evra. She had not been able to keep pace with
those ambtions-heathy. commonplace. salts
fled Elvira. A. she grew older she longee for
the companonship of her neighbors. and chafed
agans, the restraints which placed her apart
from them.
They're not your kind. Elvlra You've no time
for their foolishness. going to their dances. and
such ! don't want every Tom. Dick and Harry
TO be dancing with you Treat 'em polite. al
ways. but remember you're a Fulson and Mat
ney."
''Who were the Fulsons and the Matneys. any
way. mother" Elvira had once asked.
Why land. child They were your fore
fathers"
Il know. but what did they do?" and the
mother did not know. Those dead and gone an
cestors who IN some mysterious and yet never
doubted way had been better than other people
she had never known She had vague idea that
| her parents good honest folk. had I'm their youth
met reverses. OF their past she knew nothing
| save that they had come from the East-but who
| had not? Yet somewhere. there where the sun
| rose she knew that the Fulsons and the Mat
| neys had gone down. And here was Elvra. their
| descendant-so pretty so bright, so lovabr-lis-
| traught by the cheap pleasures Of ordinary peo-
| pie. and satisfied to be one or them-discon-
tented not with the hard work. which the
| legitimate portion OF all whom she knew, but
| with the isolation. which was TO have It's reward
| in the future. SO the breach widcned between
| her and the mother. whose really fine nature she
| could not understand and whose crude ambitions
| irritated her and filled her with contempt. why
must she walk along those high and lonely places
| where her ancestors had walked. when Melville
| of the sunny hair and joyous countenance and
| glad warm human heart loitered on lower but
| broader plains. and would fan have had her
with him?
| There comes to every girl a time when the
| mother love does not satisfy. 1t had come TO
| Elvira now.
| Bobbie Baanger was on hand bright and early
| the next morning. Bobbe. one Of those freckled-
| faced useful boys. their mairstay, their
| man of the house To-day he was to help hVlra
| put up the last wire along the south fence On
Saturday Mrs. Fulson carried her butter to mar
ket and then If the work was urgent. BoDD.c
was pressed into servi,e.
Mrs. Fulson started to town as the sun rose.
Her butter bucket hung from the right horn OF her
saddle, and its weight was sufficient to buy twelve
| mounds Of sugar and a l0cent lawn for Elvra.
| She'll need It at the Academy ! might as well
get II now" Mrs Fulson told herself. her mind on
propiticus thoughts intent for the atmosphere or
| injury vas still dense around Elvira
BY 9 o'clock the top wire was securely fastened
| to fifty rods OF fence. Bobbie drove the wagon,
from which the wire. revolving on a spindle, I'M
| coiled Elvira followed. with hammer ana staples,
and nailed It TO the posts The work the bright sun
| and the beautiful day had s@eetened her mood
Bits OF song trilled from her lips. were deepened
| and mellowed In the sounding tunnel OF her sun
| bonnet spread abroad. and We're 10 the apprecia-
ma 1Au la q.