The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-27

tered .his house. She stood m~otionless
on the porch. She heard his heavy
boots ringing holloway on the bare
floor, and watched the light in his win
dow till it went out. Then she went To
bed.
The next day about noon the hack
brought Mrs. Molly Peevy and her little
hair-trunk and carpet-bag to his door.
Joel and his children were standing
at the gate, and a moment later Mary
Ann and her sister came out and shook
hands with the visitor and invited them
all in to dinner.
\ tempting meal was spread in the
kitchen of the two sisters, and Mrs.
Peevy could not hide her satisfaction
at the sight of it.
"Im as hungry as a bear" she said as
she took her seat at the table. II
hain't tasted u bite since before day, ex-
cept a piece of cold liver and some but
tered bread, and nothing makes me AZ
hungry as a jolting vehicle"
All were seated and had tnrned up
their plates, when Matt Digby appeared
at the door.
"May 1 come in 2" she asked with q
smile. 81 just couldn't wait to come
snd tell Mrs. Peevy howdy. Howdy you
10, Mrs. PeeYy? I'm glad to see you
looking so hearty"
Mrs. Peevy extended her fat hand and
smiled and nodded, but did not rise.
She was trying to remember where she
had met Matt, and If she was a relative
Of Mary Ann or Mrs. Batson.
Matt sidled along the wall and sat
down on a closed chest in the chimney
corner, and tried TO look as If she did
not see the dinner-table. Mrs. Batson
had never been accused of inhospitali-
ty, even to people as unwelcome AS Matt
Digby, SO she said:
Shake that cat off hat chair, Matt,
and pull it up and eat a bite"
Matt obeycd, muttering something
about having put on some potatoes to
boil. but that they would keep for
supper.
II had Utterly forgot that Joel had
such good neighbours" said Mrs. Peevy,
with her mouth full of turkey; I'D
think him and the children would just
live over here"
Mary Ann, who sat opposite Joel and
the children, 'blushed scarlet, and
busted herself In helping Mats plate
to vegetables. Matt Digby laughed
softly and significantly. and Mrs.
Peevy went on, as she reached TO the
center of the table and broke a piece
of the large corn pone:
II hain't got n bit of patience with
you, Joel, nohow. l lowed you would
have had the common sense TO get
you another wife before this, especial
iy as Sarah wanted YOU o."
1T was just the other way" replied
Joel, his eyes irresistibly drawn TO
Mary AIMS face. ''She made me prom
lse never to marry again."
Mrs Peevy LAID her knife and fork
down. She rested her hands on the
edge of the table, and stared at him
over her glasses.
~ know she did once" she said.
wonderingly. "But that was before
she come to my house. Over there,
during our big meeting, me and her
had n long talk. She confessed she
had peer narrow and spiteful, because
she had heard about you and Mary
AHD > uOlDRS DgIOIt NOu iluIIltu. n
powerful change come over her. She
saw she was going to die, and she want
ed to prepare for il Why, she told me
the chief thing she wanted TO hurry
home for was to release you from that
promise, and make her peace with
some folks she had fused with. Why,
Joel. didn't Sarah mention it when she
got homer"
He was pale, and the hund encircling
his goblet of milk was trembling.
"She had a stroke of paralysis on the
way over" he replied, "aud she didn't
know n thing from thea on till her
DEATH"
my Lord! Aud oil this time you've
been a~-thinking-. Why, what q pityi
Well, that needn't be no hindrance any
longer. She actually wanted you TO
marry. / can testify 10 that; and it's
your duty, Tiff you have found any
BODY"
Mary Ann rose abruptly 10 pick up
the spoon little Joe had dropped. She
did not resume her seat, but went into
the sitting-room. There wns n silence.
No one was eating except the children.
Matt Digby was smiling, hnlf snrdon-
ically. half fearfully, and watching Jo-
els face. lie got up and swawardly
pushed his chair under the table.
I'm going in there 20 speak 20 her.
nc said, md he went INTO the other
room and closed the door. Mrs. Peevy
shrugged her shoulders, and with a
very serious face helped herself bounte-
ously to the apple dumping and the
sweetencd milk. The meal was finished
when Joel came back, a manly sheepish-