The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1897-07-16

more able to afford a wife.
Time had not gone very well with
Jean. She was thin and small always
and she had had hard life of work.
Her sparse drab hair was beginning 10
be sprinkled with gray. She looked
older than she really was. The VII
lage came to the conclusion that John
Forbes would go by ncr and seek a
younger and BONNER woman. Tie two
most concerned gave 40 cause for gos-
sip.
John Forbes would sometimes stop
as he was passing the little cottage and
say a few words. There was never
any alluslon 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. Hy 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 euotionless
calm.
"Ye must gle me time" she said.
John Forbes agreed to this quite pla-
cidly. II 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 falthfulness that brought him back
to the little villagc-the little village
with no pretenslons to beauty or pic
turesqueness-kept him true to Jean.
One was the home. the cthef the wom-
an he had loved. He saw no reason to
change because he had seen many fair
er homes and younger, prcttier women.
Jean did not analyze her sentiments
II was not her way. Besides, love new
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 bordering.
After this there had been several
well-meant efforts at kindness on the
part of his friends. They happened to
coincide with his own views. They adj
vised 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.
n mans dislike to scenes or a natural
desire to have his wlfes affection cen
tered in himself had to do with hi.
resolve, he could not have told. He be
stirred himself, and with infinite trou
BILE and by some outlay he secured al
admission for the child to a deaf anC
dumb Institution.
. lit 90 A.. Il,I .
Jean. He rather wished Thrift would
help him to lead up to it by scene
Thrift gave him no help. He lay smil
! ing impenetrably.
Jean was not quick at reading signs
JEAN" he said at last, helplessly
'well be MERIT Tuesday"
r "Ay," assented Jean, cheerfully.
+ Her eyes fell naturally ON Thrift, an,
she smiled at the boy.
. "And Thrift he added, with sus
piciously clear note of Interrogation il
4 his voice.
o "Ay, Thrift" she repeated
A Then finding this even did not prog
il ress matters, he said desperately, wit
r snatch of humor:
T aye ken I'm no merging ThriftT
L. The old clock licked through tn
: room. The peats spluttered on the 10,
/. hearth. in front of which on a curiousl
@ woven rug Thrift lay.
?. There was absolute silence for a bl
q Then Jeans voice broke IT,
"Then. John Forbes. ye're no MARI,
d ing me-"
4 Again there was silence. John sal
. In quiet voice:
r Il .hae made n the arrangements Il
n him. Jean. He will gang TO a schu
D IN they'll teach him to read and writ
k and understand talk of kind"
e "Will they teach him to talk like It'll,
$ fowk?"
Her tone was expressonless.
If NO. they Gamma dae that"
D. "Then why should the BARN be bot
-e cred wi learning that'll never dae hi
a. or any one else ony guide: Tell me tina
a. John Forbes"
n 1T will give him employment. Jea
10 and beside" Here John Forbes. Wi
W mans tactlessness undld every /
In of good his arguments might have G
nr fected. He added, "Fowk tell me
inst maxi an idol n him aud thot ,