The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-25
(Written for the Globe.l

written for the Globe)
you'd better get in a little more
wood, Tommy. It's getting chilly IN
here" said Mrs. Lee, looking up from
her sewing
There amt any more sawed, an
swered Tommy, with an inquirlng
glance from his mother to his father,
who was Tousing himself with yawn
and stretch after a doze in the arm
chair behind the stove. The arm chair
was the one luxury of the room. The
dun light of the gray, November after
noon came through the small-paned
Curtainless windows and chung to the
bright of its cretonne coverings and
held no quarrel because their fullness
was only of corn shucks and not of
curled hair Purplish grays hung over
the PARKWAY hills and marked the
breaks in their Jagged outlines with
deeper shades, while the lone pine trees
that doomed up in the nearer view melt
ed their dull greens into patches of
blackness against the heavy clouds.
The red chair and the fiorid, comfort
able man in it seemed to have drawn
all the color and the life into them
selves and left only the endless dreari-
ness within and without.
Now the man drew his pipe out of his
pocket and then felt for his tobacco.
He rose with a sigh, slapping himself
with outspread, feeling fingers over the
regions of his pockets as if he expect
ed to beat package of tobacco out of
himself somewhere. Then he peered
around the clock shelf; finally his
clumsy fingers fell on the sewing ma
terials, the basted pieces and the trim
mings on the table. Mrs. Lee watched
him out of the corner of her eye with
q nervous twitch.
Then he said in a soft whimper that
sounded in as great contrast to his
words as if a weak-voiced child were
to break out in fierce oaths:
This is the damndest house, a man
never en- find anything. What's good
o. women doin' things anyhow"
What are you looking for?" asked
his wife.
My tobacco, of course. Dye s'pOse
I want to smoke corn shucks?"
q guess you haven't got any more"
spoke up Tommy. Il saw you stick
the bag in the stove the last time
ye filed yer pipe"
well, why didn't We say it right
AWAY, instead olettin' me look fer an
hour You'd better go over town an
get me some more. l suppose he has to
go over fer you, anyhow" turning to
his Wife.
mo. he don't" she answered, AN
I wouldn't send him anyhow, after
keeping him home from school with the
cold on his lungs"
oh, ven have reguler momma-boy
], ~, no re
wet It's hard on man when he can't
send his own son on an errand for
himself"
Instead of answer she said quietly:
''Tommy said there isn't any more
wood sawed.
Let him saw some then. l don't
want TO start in the tail end of the
day. after 1 get back from town"
Mrs. Lee opened her mouth, then
closed it again. After a few seconds,
she said to Tommy: You might saw
a few of the thinner sticks"
Let him take them as they coma"
said his father, I'VE don't want to burn
all the thin pieces first" Then he went
on getting ready to go to town with
the deliberate slowness of people to
whom time means nothing that IS al
ways maddening to the busy.
Mrs Lee gave him swift glance
occasionally, while her lips opened and
closed again, but made no sound. Al
last he opened the door to go.
oh how dye do, Mis- Hyland? CLAD
10 see. We. Comm in? Can't keep you
company just now, I'm sorry. Got to
go over town on a little business. My
bows are getting too strong to run ef-
ranGs for their father" with a chuckle
at his wit that ended in a plalntlVe
sigh at his childrens lack OF love.
Then he was gone and Mrs. Lee was
smiling and shaking hands with Mrs.
Hyland AS she took her visitors nat
and coat. she noted their trim new
ness and the neat look of the serge
aOwu which she herself had made for
her and reflected that Mrs. Jack Hy-
land was a very trig and well-dressed
woman for a small country town.
After they had worn out the weather
and the mutual health there was
luU in the conversation and the visitor
seemed nervous and i'll at ease.
..Surah?" she remarked tentatively,
looking at the material in Mrs. Lees
lap.
good dress [ guess she has left from
the lot she got when she was married.
I've had it a long time. She told ME
TO keep it till she had money to pay
for making and the findings. 80 I've
been doing it at odd times, when there
was nothing else. But she wrote last
week to finish it up. She's doing bet
fer now than when she first went to
River Falls"
The other woman's face had turned
livid
She wants it soon, does she?' she
said with lips that were so blue that
thew looked cold and stiff; the mole on
her right cheek stood out black as on
the face of the dead; only the yellow
glitter in the pale grey eyes under their
black Iashes and brows kept down Mrs.
Lees question if she was i'll. So Mrs.
Lee bent her head over her work and
went on sewing, saying:
Shes going to have money soon, is
she? I guess she'll have easy getting
it," said Mrs. Hyland, her voice vibrant
with the anger that choked her. Il
know who'll give it to her. The
strumpet. She knew why she went to
River Falls. 1 came up to ask you
what to do about it, but l know now.
It was your own cousin, Jennie Clarke.
that brought down the word from
River Falls to the Jonhstons how we'll
Rose was doing since Jack went to
board at her house and got all his
friends from the saw mill to go there
! foo It's no wonder he hasn't had
time TO come home these two months.
Not even a decent letter has he writ
I fen. only a measly postal that he would
come home for Thanksgiving. Home,
indeed. Let him stay where he'd
rather. I've a mind to take the chill
. dren down to mothers and let him
Gee whether he can come or stay away
! &c he n1easPs Maybe he thinks | don't