The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-09-04

Jean. She. was thin and small always,
and she had had hard life of work.
Her sparse drab hair was beginning to
be sprinkled with gray. She looked
older than she really was. The VII
lage came to the conclusion that John
Forbes would go by her and seek q
| younger and BONNER woman. The two
most concerned gave no cause for gos-
sip.
John Forbes would sometimes stop
as he was passing the little cottage and
say a few words. There was never
any allusion to past times between
them. They called each other Mr..
Forbes and Miss Lawrence studiously.
That was the only cIew either Of them
had that there was a mutual past be-
| tween them.
On the Sundays that Jean went to
church her thoughts were always divid-
ed between the BARN at home and the
| psalms. To her great discontinue
John Forbes would sometimes overtake
her. They talked Of the sermon, then
! Of the crops and the weather. BY de-
grees these subjects gained an easy
familiarity, and only varied with the
| seasons.
No one was more surprised than Jean
when John Forbes asked her to marry
| him. She stared at him In emotionless
calm.
Eye must gle me time," she said.
John Forbes agreed to this quite pla-
cidly. 1t was hard to understand what
he saw in his first love in her faded
and aged old maidism. Possibly ten
acity Of affection and the same instinct
of faithfulness that brought him back
to the little village-the little village
with no pretensions to beauty or pic
turesqueness-kept him true to Jean.
One was the home, the ether the wom-
an he had loved. He saw no reason to
change because he had seen many fair
er homes and younger, prettier women.
Jean did not analyze her sentiments.
1t was not her way. Besides, love new
er entered her head as far as 1t concern
ed John Forbes. She merely reviewed
the advantages as they concerned
Thrift. The rumor that new and
more modern dressmaker was going to
set up finally settled it, and she said
to John Eyes,"
The day was fixed for the second time
in their lives. Jean had given up her
house. She was waiting with tranquil
ity for this new step in her life. She
had quite come to the conclusion that
she could not do better for Thrift.
One evening John Forbes arrived.
Thrift lay contentedly on the hearth
rug looking at him. The last time John
had been at the cottage Thrift had been
in one Of his passionate fits. This had
set him bordering.
After this there had been several
well-meant efforts at kindness on the
part Of his friends. They happened to
coincide with his own views. They adj
vised him to send Thrift away. Jean,
they said, would neglect every one and
everything for the boy. She would
wear herself out for Thrift, but not
bother with anything that did not con-
Germ him.
How far he believed this, or how far
a mans dislike to scenes or a natural
desire to have his wife's affection CEN
tered In himself had to do with his
resolve. he could not have told. He be-
stirred himself, and with infinite trou-
bile and by some outlay he secured an
admission for the child to a deaf and
dumb institution.
1t was this fact he had come to tell
Jean. He rather wished Thrift would
help him to lead up to it by scene.
Thrift gave him no help. He lay smil-
ing impenetrably.
Jean was not quick at reading signs.
"Jean," he said ut last, helplessly,
"we'll be MERIT Tuesday"
"Ay," assented Jean, cheerfully.
Her eyes fell naturally on Thrift, and
she smiled at the boy.
"And Thrift" he added, with sus-
piciously clear note of Interrogation In
his voice.
SAY, Thrift" she repeated.
Then finding this even did not prog
ress matters, he said desperately, with
a snatch of humor:
Eye ken Pm no merging Thrift"
The old clock licked through the
room. The peats spluttered on the low
hearth, In front of which on curiously
woven rug Thrift lay.
There was absolute silence for bit.
Then Jeans voice broke it.
Then, John Forbes, ye're no marry
ins me-"
Again there was silence. John said
in quiet voice:
II haze made a the arrangements for
him, Jean. He will gang to schulz
ia they'll teach him to read and write
and understand talk Of kind"
"Will they teach him to talk like ither
fowk?"
Her tone was expressioniess.
''No, they Gamma dae that"
''Then why should the BARN be both
cred WI learning that'll never dae him
or any one else ony guide? Tell me that,
John Forbes"
at will give him employment, Jean,
and beside" Here John Forbes, with
a mans tactlessness undid every bit
of good his arguments might have eff
fected. He added, "Fowk tell me We
lust MAX an idol o. him, and that We
hae nae ither idea but him. A man
could ma be expeck'd to STAN that, and
ither people kenning it."
H. L