The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-09-19

ueAt season, jest TO humOr her
An he fenced in the ney
pasture with rails when he wanted tx
make barbwire fence. He done
that to humor Mis- Angelina. 10
tham's bark good deal worse'n hi
bite. Mrs. lothian plunged the siftel
into the bowl and held it over thu
blue-edged platter on her knee. The
stranger watched the fine snow gather
in little drift under the sitter. He
waited impatiently for the rest Of the
story.
"She was brought here to board
the town brought her-an' it pretty
near broke her heart. She's real
proud feel1n'. She thought 'twould
sill her to go to the poor house, an il
almost did. She took on so an
grieved 50 it sent her into u fever an
she most died Of it. When she come
out at last shesswarn'J just herself"
Mrs. lothian laid down the wire
strainer to touch her own forehead
with explanatory Significance. The
stranger bowed silently his recogni-
ton of the explanation.
''She come to thinkin' she owned
this place, every stick an stoae On it,
an me an lothian was runnin' it for
her-hired out to her, you know.
She's thought SO ever since. We ain t
had the heerS to undeceive her, poor
soul! We'd ruther STAN little or
derin' an geein'. She's renl happy
an contented, an she don't mean to
be too particular with us. It's only
special particular days she has--to-
days one-when it's kind of embar-
1assin' for Inc an for Jotham."
The bees buzzed round the salt
bowl in evident anticipation of finding
1T sugar. The stranger watched u
growing dust cloud down the road
materialize into q farm wagon, clat.
tering past. He turned back to Mrs.
lothian in undlsguised relief.
''Tell me the rest of it," he said
again.
Up across the field toward the house
lothian was walking YEARLY. he came
out and sat down on the lower step,
too. nodding socially to the stranger.
Mrs. lothian glanced up from her sift-
ing.
'Tuckered out, Jotham?" she said.
eyes, be-; all creation tuckered!"
"You got the dreen laid yet?"
lothian shook his head dejectedly.
He followed his wiie's chances across
the fence to Mis- Angeline's, involun-
tarily. She was still doing, and q
beam of sunlight had crept through
the syrlnga leaves and played over
her cheek. It cast little quivering
shadows Of the leaves. Jotham looked
back, up at his wife, and their eyes
met.
''Wcll, that dreen's q good thing,
Hannah he said retlectiyely. cts
a good thing. Mis- Angelina done us
q good turn that time, orderin."
Another dust cloud rose at the
roads vanishing point, and the stran-
ger eyed it with increasing suspicion.
1t took on greater proportions and
shot suddenly into ~ reality OF two
men pedaling something along on
their wheels. The stranger got up.
"I'm much obliged" he said. 'I've
been a good deal interested in your
boarder over there. Is there any
more to the story?"
"There amt any more to it, Mrs.
lothian said simply. With few more
polite words the stranger mounted his
machine and went to meet MS friends.
He lifted his straw hat to Mis- Ange-
line as he passed by her, though she
did not look mp to notice the salute.
CHOW, warn't that nice in him, Jo-
tham," Mrs. lothian murmured an.
Dreciatively, "takin' all that pains to
please hers Some folks has plenty OF
The juice Of human kindness in 'em.
md some is all dried up. That young
mans one of the juicy kind"
They watched the bicycles glide
away out of sight, and then Mrs.
'othan- went in to get Mis- Angeline's
1t was two summers aiterward that
he same stranger asked for drink of
water again ut Mrs. Jotham's door.
tie had noticed that there was no lit.
lie, prim old lady sitting beside the
'yrlnsas in the front yard. The whole
tory came back to him at sight of the
house, and he was wondering where
he was.
'Is Mis- Angelina sick?" he in.
luired. the minute the door opened
md Mrs. lothian stood in it. She
ooked at him in blank surprise. Then
Ter eyes caught the suns CLINT on his
Wheel, and she remembered.
80. it's you'll" she said, re-
leved. "You amt forgot the
water out O the north side Of
ur we'll, have you? It amt the kind
# water to forget! I tell Jotham-"
sis Mis- Angelina sick?" the strane-
r persisted, interruptiDg her gently