The Louisiana populist., 1897-08-06

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the match. John Forbes had come back
grayer and older than he had gone
away, but he was richer and even
more able to afford wife.
Time had not gone very we'll with
Jean. She was thin and small always
and she had had a 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 so by her and seek a
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 4 few words. There was never
any allusi0n to past times between
them. They called each other Mr..
Forbes and Miss Lawrence studiously.
That was the only clew 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.
"Ye 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 nev-
er entered her head as far as it 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 "Yes."
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 pondering.
After this there had been several
well-meant efforts at kindness on the |
part Of his friends. They happened to |
with his own views. They ad-
yised 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
mans dislike to scenes or a natural
lesire 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.
Die and by some outlay he secured an
admission for the child to deaf and
lumb institution.
1t was this fact he had come to tell
lean. He rather wished Thrift would
lelp him to lead up to it by scene.
Thrift gave him no help. He lay smil-
ng impenetrably.
Jean was not quick at reading signs.
"Jean," he said at last, helplessly.
well be MERIT Tuesday"
"Ay," assented Jean, cheerfully.
Her eyes fell naturally on Thrift, and
he smiled at the boy.
"And Thrift?'' he added, with a sus-
'iciously clear note of Interrogation in
lis voice.
"Ay, Thrift" she repeated.
Then finding this even did not prog
ess matters, he said desperately, with
snatch of humor:
"Ye ken I'm no merging Thrift?
The old clock licked through the
DOM. The peats spluttered on the low
earth, in front Of which on curiously
7oven rug Thrift lay.
There was absolute silence for a bit.
hen jeans voice broke it.
'"Then, John Forbes, ye're no marry
lg me-"
Again there was silence. John said
/ quiet voice:
II hae made a. the arrangements for
i'm, Jean. He will gang to a schule