New-York tribune., 1897-01-10
HOW HANNAH REMAINED FIRM.

| the village that he knew she had the money.
| She wished now that she had boldly told him.
and then asserted that she intended to keep the
sum.
| Mr. Droppers did not mention the subject
| until he had I'm from his night work at
! the barn. He sat down. with his feet on the
| stove hearth and looked at his wife who had
a stocking Of his pulled on over her hand She
was drawing very thick woollen yarn across
hole in this stocking Her face was In the DUSK
above the shadowed lamp, but her hands were
| in the full light.
Hannah" said Mr. Droppers, II your
brother David to-day. He told me that Squire
Lorin' had paid him the balance from your
fathers propty. said the Squire hadn't paid
| you. n he said he guessed he must have-he
wouldn't pay one heir 'thout payin' the other"
| Mrs Droppers laid her stockinged hand on
her lap. and folded the other closely over IT,
He has paid me-" she said. distinctly.
She was looking down at her hands.
"When?"
"A week ago day before Yesterday
A silence, during which the woman thought
her heart stopped beating, and was rather
glad that 1t had done so. II it should not begin
to beat again she would be saved all the trouble
Of being firm
Where is it?"
Another silence. Hannah became aware
that her heart had not stopped permanently.
but that 1t at present throbbing all through
her, and making it difficult for her to speak.
But she must speak and she must be firm.
ITS my money amt it?" she asked.
Where Is it?'
You don't tell me half the time when you
have money paid to you-you know you don't"
where is it,"
And you wouldn't let me even touch that
hundred-dollar bill-and that mine, too
Her voice did not waver but it was high and
shrill.
She clasped her free hand tightly over the one
covered with a stocking. In doing so the darn
ing needle pierced her palm. She was rather
glad to feel the sudden. stinging pain.
Mr.. Droppers leaned forward.
I'm going to ask you once more. Where is
it?" he said.
His wife was impelled to glance up at him.
1t seemed strange to her that her only vivid
thought at the instant was that she had never
seen his head look small.
She made reply. She supposed that her
husband was about to burst out into savage
invectve; he was usually as wordy as woman
when he was angry.
He threw himself back In his chair; he opened
his lps and made some inarticuate exclama-
ton. Then he pulled himself up and said.
slowly:
IT guess I won't say nothin' tonight I'll
think it over shant let 1t pass; no. shant
let II pass.
No more conversation occurred between the
two that evening
Mrs. Droppers compelled herself to go on darn
ing with an assumption Of calmness She Won
dered what kind Of an appearance she presented.
As for herself. she felt that she was half hame
and half ice. But she sat still ana nnished
mending the pair Of stockings
Mr. Dronpers at five minutes to nine. rose and
locked the outer doors and wound the CLOCK. a
few minutes later his wife heard the bed creak
heavily in their bedroom.
Presently she hurriedly prepared for bed. She
was shocked and indignant to find her COM
panion sleeping soundly. To her own hazy sur
prise she herself soon fell asleep she ala ho'
waken until the clock was striking SIX Tha'
was an hour later than she usually rose. Of
course Mr. Droppers was up long ago. she
turned her head She dimly saw head on the
other pillow.
"Keup" she said. in surprise, "ain't you made
a fire yet?
mo | amt"
"Ain't YOU gon to-"
II can't thout gettin' up
Hannah rose on her elbow
"Aint YOU goin' to get up?
Not till you've given me that money squire
Iorin' paid you
.You goin' to lay abed till then?'
II be"
Mrs Droppers sank back again on her pillow
She was perfectly still for time Her first i'm
pulse was to go Immediately and pour the sugar
from the sugar-box and bring the package to her
husband She combated that impulse as being
weak and slavish. and she had been weak and
slavsh all her life.
II guess you'll get real tired she remarked
"Mebby shall" came the response from the
pillow
Mrs. Droppers dressed more quickly than she
had ever done. She was strengthened by her
sleep and by a high resolve TO be firm
In short time Mr.. Droppers heard the clatter
OF the cookstove. and then, after time, he
smelled the odor OF coffee and frying sausage;
and probably Hannah was making johnny cake.
A half-hour passed. and the bedroom door opened
to admit his wife She brought tin wash
dish" of water. a cake of yellow soap and
towel.
Il thought you'd want to wash fore fetched
in your breakfast" she said cheerfully.
The gentleman on the bed was astonished. He
had heard his wife coming and was positive
that she bringing the money He had i'm
mediately decided that he would forgive her and
be very pleasant He thought also that he would
get her some kind of present; she'd been want
Ing a comb to put in the back OF her hair when
she went to sewing circle. Yes. he would get her
one OF those combs that looked like tortoise shell
but that were not tortoise e-shell.
Yes" he said grimly. Il do want to wash
fore eat breakfast
So he raised himself in the bed and applied
soap and water to his face and hands
After this process. a bounteous meal on a
waiter was put before him. II was his habit to
he hungry for breakfast. and he was hungry
now. As he broke his fast he heard his wife