The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1897-12-30
AMuLLs oBTtNACY

10 aa sl4ef tree csp be fogud II stApi
Iast 90 the lisb back ai Smoky uvei
.ticd aoes oaf.i8g ana vtuaias aero.
TIE eeualft ea.latra, aad close hesise
.lsuls C ri. It7o.eu's ~ house. buit q
oss brought Io.a the ryar O The sprIu
tgae from the Nar'F.
Olc d.y, early Iast spriu. hal bee
o the urIt t6sn 60 get a. ifoa bolt ust
At the blstksmilh's to replace oue iAs
asd beou broker ia day before. ald ~
u1iog home Ny mule sas iopiog st
20 d tste sIoug the road which ioliose,
the river. And IS ~ resehed Cbrtss To-.
house. which had !u,l been newly wtiu
sashsi outside, saw Chus sitting calm
y ou the doorstep, while Lotla, his vie
sss lifting the heavy harness aud throw
ing /, 90 10 Yack, their old white male
Chris must be either sick or very hay,
| ssii to myself. to sIt aud let bis wife
bsrOess the mules, dii know much
.bonl Chris then, bnt giving him tue beo
eiit Of tue doubt, shouted IN passing
Sick, Cbrls2
Chris shook bis head IN what | thought
sasa rather sheepish way and L)tla
looked over her shoulder and laughed.
10 the hurry Of the days work, this oc
eutance slipped from my mind. Bat
some time stterwsrd, when | happened to
pass their place again, saw L2lta out ~
the fields driving the mules, which were
fastened to the seeder. This 10 itself
would not have been surprising, for the
Norgegian women 10 the Territory, With
their vigorous frame and robust health
often work their husbands Ut the outdoor
labor. Bot saw great, robu't Chris him
self pairing potatoes outside the door
Aud lust as rose into view from below
the river bank he c,ught up bis pan and
slipped iuto the bou'e
No doubt be is zg, eood-for-notblng
fellow, said to myself, who has thrifty,
energetic wife. Add 80 be Its down and
does her light work while she Is out SOW
log the wheat II mig not have d bad
result # be could be hlroessed up With
one Of the mules for day, aud made to
work uuder the whip.
After that | saw Chris himself Ut work
10 the field several times. But one even
ing a.week or two later, | passed there
again. The mules were fastened sutside
the straw barn. The ground bad been
very wet for two or three days past, and OF
course the mules legs were fairly coated
With sticky mud, which bad partially
dried on. Lotts was hard at work over
the old white mule, scrubbing and rub
bing, scrsping and brushing and cnrrying,
as il her life depended upon her success,
Aud there on tn overturned barrel. sat
Chris, much ut his ease, calmly smoking
his pipe and locking compl'ceutly on.
remember what had said TO myself be
fore about his lsziness, and now | added:
will just stop for lew minutes, and
see il the presence Of stranger won't
shame the fellow into taking of bis coat
and going to work in his wiIe's place.
So | tied my mule to 3 ring at the cor
ner of the house and walked over 10
where Chris was sitting. He looked up |
and smiled, and said. Good evening with
the same sheepish expression had motto
ed before. And Lots paused fer mo
ment and stood up, her face glowing with
the eIeriioD, and laughed, i thought she
would have done better TO give her hus
bsnd good shaking. and said it wa.
very warm. Then she want to work again,
to get through, so she said, before dark,
But DO my best, | could not lead the con
versstion to any explanation OF the
strange state Of sh,irs, and Chris showed
no disposition to take hold Of the work
himself
When it was dark LlttI led the two
mules 10 their stalls, and then at last
Chris coudesceuded to rise and issten the
barn door. WAS sure by their manner
aud by Chris expression when the subI Iact
vas brosched. tbst either be was outrage
ously tzy, or there was some odd explsna
tion OF bis wiies doing so much Of bis
hard work, while be cat idle. SO | took
pains, as | met one neIghbor and another
here aud there about town, to make
Inquiries about Chris. And With one &c
cord ell gave the same enswer,
Had Chris Ir usen a good repu,a,iouf
Yes, very good
Was be industrious and stesdy1
As hard working and steady as any
man 10 town.
Did be treat his wife kindly
TBcre could be 30 doubt OF 1t. He was
as Kind besrled as be was hard working.
Then Why. would ask myself, was
bis vile always plowiug, or rubbing down
mules. while be looked on aud did moth I
ingi
THIS oil happened 10 the sFrins and
early sumner. Bot 1t is only about =
week ago nov ths. drove over TO Cbtis +
oue mild evening, 10 get come bsgs that !
bad lent him to Us, 10 carrying bis grain
to the elevator.
The years work was over. The wheat {
cot, threshed sbj sold TIE barn bad 4
been buried aues 10 . mountain OF ire b
q heat sttau, which hlleI the doofyard
wnh IT, plcs.Art, II grant smell. The
u ules uere teibered aud broWslpg near Z
by
Lolita snd ChrIs sore sitting together 90
The doorstep, tslkiug over the yesr'u sork,
90 doubt, shiie the suB vss setting 10
bsnk Of blsck cIanis. ItoE behlad which