The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-12-24

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There was no reply. Emarine ws
at the table making tarts. Her bac
was to her mother.
didn't mean what said abou
bein' sorry egged you on, Emarint
, I'm glad you turned her out. She
or, TO be turned out"
/ Emarine dropped quivering rub
OIL Jelly into golden ring of pastr
and laid it carefully on plate.
"Gran'ma Eliot can go talkin' abou
her daughter.'n-law, Sidonie, all sh
wants, Emarine. You keep. a stit
upper lip"
81 can tend to my own AFFAIRS" sal
Einarine, ferceiy.
comes Orville. Land, but he does lool
peakid p'
After supper, when her mother ha,
gone home for the night, Emarine pu
on her hat and shawl.
Her husband was sitting by the fire
of Goals.
:" I'm goin' out" she said briefly
You keep the fire up"
Why, Emarine, it's dark. DOM
choo want sh'u'd go along ?"
No you keep the fire up"
He looked at her anxiously, but he
knew from the way she set her heels
down that remonstrance would be use
less.
Don't stay long," he said, in tone
OF habitual tenderness. He loved her
passionately, in spite of the lasting
hurS she had given him when she
parted him from his mother. 1t was
a hurt that had sunk deeper than even
ne realized. 1t lay heavy on his heart
day and night. 1t took the blue out
of the sky, and the green out of the
grass. and the gold out of the sun
light; it took the exaltation and the
rapture out OF his tendcrest moments
of love.
He never reproached her, he never
really blamed her; certainly Le never
pltied himself. But he carried a
heavy heart around with him, and his
few smiles were joyless things.
For the trouble he blamed only him
self. He had promised Emarine
solemnly before he married her, that
If there were any "knuckling down !"
to be done, his mother should be the
one to do 1t. He had ma le the prom
ise deliberately, aud he could no more
have broken it than he could have
changed the color OF his eyes. When
bitter feelings arise between two re-
latives by marriage, it is the one who
bound by the tenderest ties to both
who has the real suffering to bear,
who Is torn and tortured until life
holds nothing worth the having.
Orville Palmer was the one who
stood between. He had built his own
cross, and he took it up and bore it
without a word.
Emarine hurried through tho early
Winter dark until she came to the
small and poor house where her hus-
bands mother lived. 1t was off the
main-traveled street.
There was dim light in the kitchen
and the curtain had not been drawn.
Emarine paused and looked in. The
sash was lifted six inches, for the night
was warm, and the sound of voices
came to her at once. Mrs. Palmer had
company.
It's Miss Presly." said Emarine,
essentially, under her breath. "Old
gossip"
"-goin' to have fine dinner, I
hear" Miss Pressly was saying. "Tur-
key with oyster dressin,' an cram
berries, an mince an pun'kin pie, an
reel plum puddin', an nute an raisins
= I X.
She knows how to git up q q aner that
makes Your mouth water 10 think
about. You goin' to have a spread,
Mis- Parmer?"
Not much of q one," said Orville's
mother. II expected to, but 1 c'u'dn't
git them Fall potatas sold off. I'll
have to keep 'em till Spring to git any
kind O price. | don't care much
about Christmas, though her chin
was trembling, but she lifted it high.
It's silly for anybody 6dC-cnni}6ren to
build 80 much on Christmas"
Emarine opened the door and walked
In. Mrs. Palmer arose slowly, grasp
ing the back of her chair. "Orville's
dead n. she said solemnly.
Emarine laughed, but there was the
tenderness of near tears in her voice.
Oh, my, noW she said sitting down.
run over to ask you to come to
Christmas dinner. | was too busy all
day to come sooner. Pm goin' to have
a great dinner, an I've cooked eyry
single thing of it myself I want to
show you what fine Christmas din
ner your daughter-'n-law can get up.
Dinners at two, an want you TO come
at eleven. Will you ?"
Mrs. Palmer had sat down, weakly.
Trembling was not the word to describe
WIG iSOiihS ohdG Odhcu pOSScSSlOu
of her. She was shivering. She
wanted TO fall down on her knees and
put her arms around her sons wife,
and sob out all her loneliness and
heartache But life is stage; and
Miss Pressly was an audience not to be
ignored. So Miss Palmer said "Well.
I'll be reel glad to come, Emarine. It's
otful kind O. yuh to think of It. 1t 'u'd
"a ben lonesome eatin' here all by my
self, expect"
Emarine stood up. Her heart was
like thistle-down. Her eyes we're
shining. "All right" she said /; "an'
want that you sh'u'd come just at
eleven. | must run right back now.
Goodnight"
] "Well, I declare," said Miss Pressly
"That girl gifts prittier ev'ry day o
her life. Why she just looked full o
| game tonight !"
Orville was not at home when his
mother arrived in her rusty best dress
and shawl. Mrs. Endey saw her com
ing. She gasped out, Why, good
grieve Here's Mis- Farmer, Ema
rine |"
| "Yes, Iknow," said Emarine calmly
4 Il asst her to dinner"
She opened the door, and shool
hands with her motber-in-law, givinl
her mother a look of defiance tha
almost upset that lady's gravity.
"You set. right down, Mother Par
| nal lat 4a1r lNt.