Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1897-01-06

suddenly raised upon her elbow. What
if she had been high tempered, too,
and sulen and mulish?- Perhaps it
was her fault, after oil, that they had
quarreled!
A flush came over her face in the
dusk. Suppose, oh suppose she
should go to him now this very night,
and ask him to forgive her, would he?
So intent was she on this thought
that q little hand, warm and moist,
crept into her own unnoticed, then an
other, and baby Bess cuddled close,
rubbing her soft cheek against her
mothers.
81 want 90, momsey," she said, and
Luella hugged her to her bosom. In
her selssh distress she had forgotten
her children.
She lay still with the chill in her
arms, Johns child? There was look
of John in the pretty face, with its
half.closed eyes.
II she should go back to him now
with baby Bess surely he would take
her in. She was so tired OF doing
battle with the cruel world single.
handed.
Suddenly her mind was made up.
She wss ready to 60 now if he
would take her. A thrill OF
Joy shook her at the very
Thought of home, her own home, o
place in which she had every right to
live, where she would be no usurper,
where she would no longer eat the
bread that belonged to others.
She waited until the child's eyelids.
closed, and then she raised her and
carried her to the house where she
found little Alice asleep on the door
step, her round arms supporting her
dirty little face. The sight was like
spur urging her onward.
She woke the child and coaxed her
into the house; there she stood, bold
ly upright, the baby in her arms, the
child clirging to her skirts, a new in
dependence in her attitude since her
resolve to go back to her husband.
Her mother was reading by the dim
light OF the smoking lamp which she
had never thought TO turn down.
James suit loosely in chair, his legs
far apart, his clasped hands behind
his head. Eliza had pushed back the
unWashed dishes and leaned her ell
bows on the table, irown on her
brow. her chin in her hands. devour-
ing yellow backed novel.
They looked up inquiringly as
Luella stood in the middle of the
room with her children. They won.
dered why she WAS not in the kitchen,
as usual, washing up the dishes.
"Pm going home to John" she said
in answer to the look.
"Well, go along, then, said James,
splitting between two divided teeth az
s ne S,sea Ssse cavity tn .as sss
place and hitting the exact spot aimed
at. ''and good radiance to bad rub
bish."
':.I wish to goodness you would wash
the dishes first, exclaimed Eliza, to
whom the feel of greasy dish water
was worse than perdition.
"The Lord be with you," said her
mother, her eyes upon her book as if
she were reading the words of, "thq
Lord be with you till we meet again. I
Luella laughed hysterically. for her
mothers intonation Of the words "till
we meet again" expressed to her sem
sitive ear that that meeting would be
ct some far:distant day.
With that mirthless laugh she passed
out of the house into tho road that
led to Johns home. The way was not
long, but baby Bess grew like lead,
and her heart sank at every step.
What if he were away? What it he
refused to take her in2 What would
she do then? Where would sho turn?
Little Alice began to cry from sheer
weariness. Luella pressed her hand
and hushed her with q word; cowed
by those weeks OF dependence on her
grandmother's charity, the child was
very docile.
About half way Luella sat down by
the roadside, the sleeping child was SO
heavy, and thought again. Should
she go on? Her heart failed her, and
yet it was impossible to roturn. She
could hear James's sarcastic words,
EIiza's jeers and her mothers invaria.
BILE text, and she felt that death was
preferable.
Alice began to cry sleepily, it was
past her bedtime, and rising, Luelle
walked hesitatingly to Johns home.
No, he was not away, Shere was
light in the window.
She knocked timidly, and waited.
She had not long to wait. In one
moment he opened the door aud looked
out at her as she stood in the stream
of light from the lamp within. A pitt
ful picture she made, and sweet, too,
bareheaded, half-frigntened look in
her wide, blue eyes, her tear. stained
cheeks and wet lashes telling their;
own tale of suffering and unhsppi-
ness.
''1've come back home, john" she
began, quiveringly, and before she
could say another word he had her in
his arms, she and her children.
"Poor little Luella," he said, and
his voice sounded like music in her
ears, "I've been waiting for you've
been waiting all these weeksl"-
Monthly illustrator and Home and
Country.