The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-05-04

''sites, . as she called them-this corner
where she wanted Tartarian honey
suckle like Amanda Hobbs'-tllat little
longish place where she wanted row
o. rosebushes-this sheltered spot for
the lowering almond.
There were a good many sites They
dotted the forlorn little place all over,
and when Leah shut her eyes and
made believe, she transformed it into
a lovely little place.
In the antipodes of Leah Coles hum
CRY, wistful life it is possible she might
have been an artist. The artists soul
was in her.
"I'd put the clump o. hydranges over
here in this corner place-kind o. set
'em round carelessly in scatterin'
bunch. They look real pretty so.
There's a clump in yard over to Bux-
vile. And the white laylac I'd like to
go about here. 1t would grow big and
need plenty o. room"
A white lilac was one of Leah's hearts
desires, too. She wanted white one,
oh, so much!
They We're blowing down in the home
field, and the sound of the mems voices
drifted up to her through the clear air.
Reuben's voice was hearty and full of
enthusiasm. He was going to lay down
that field to clear clover.
81 wish they'd plow the front yard
up" unused Leah, watching the long,
straight burrows grow. ''Pd SOW the
grass-seed myself. It's the only way to
do. This old soil is more dead alive"
There were no children on the Cole
farm, and all the love and devotion
Leah Cole might have spent over little,
uneasy bodies, and all the time she
might have spent over little patch-hun-
CRY pinafores and frocks were centred
on this little, unkempt front yard that
was so dreary, and might be, land so
beautiful
1t wouldn't have been so bad with
prints of little feet on its graceless sod.
''I'm agoin' to run up TO Johns be-
fore the plantin' begins, Leah. There's
some business I've got to do with him,
an | need little change" Reuben
said at supper time. He said nothing
about Leahs going too. Did he think
she did not need a change?
"Why, would, Reuben. lisa pretty
drive, an they'll be tickled to death to
see you! It'l do you good. An Reu-
ben"-her voice faltered the least bit
"An' Reuben, if you don't mind askin'
Johns wife for some slips"
"Slips? / s'pose you mean slips o.
plants an things, but caIc'late Johns
wife has all she can do maxim slips out
o. dimity cloth, for at Johns there
were little children.
Reuben laughed and pushed away
his plate. But Leah rallied for the sec
ond attack.
"Mebbe she's dreadful busy, but
Johns wife will always find time to
keep growin' things around"
"0f course. There's six there now,
if l remember. guess they all grow
fast enough"
The immediate prospect Of change
made Reuben unwontedly jovial. He
chuekled in pleasant appreciation of
his little joke. But Leah was intent on
her own thoughts and remained grave
enough. If she could only have some
of Johns wife's slips, and, may be
and think of it Johns wife had roses
all around the house!
"An' Johns real poor beside Reu-
ben," sighed Leah's thoughts.
The last thing, as Reuben drove out
of the yard, she called out after him,
wistfully:
''If you're a mind to speak of the
slips, Reuben"
And then she went back to her work,
and Reuben rode along the pleasant
country ways with the beautiful resur-
rection of spring all about him. The
air was full of the smell of newly-turn-
ed sods, as he passed by fields fresh
from the plow.
The first birds back from their win
ter resorts tilted on Timber twigs and
sang to him. 1t was spring-spring-
spring.
Reuben Coles blood quickened and
ran more thickly through his veins, as
the sap was flowing under the little
song birds feet.
He passed jogging couple in a
quaint, old-fashioned wagon aud
caught a glimpse of their placid en-
joyment of each others company.
''EdecIare," he thought, "why didn't
l bring Leah along? 1 might've as
well as not. I'd go back now if l
warn't a third of the way to Johns"
At Johns good many things inter-
ested Reuben Cole, and good many
things astonished him. The tiny farm
was just out of its winter dress, and the
spring cutting and fitting had not
begun.
"Ain't you late about your plowin',
John?r questioned Reuben a little sur
prised. "Down our way it's all out o.
the way, and plantin' will be comm
along pretty quick.
ayes. l am late" laughed John,
cheerily enough, looking up from his
work-he was helping his wife prune
the roses and shrubs. "You're ahead
this time, sure. But 1 told Lefty here
she shouldn't do all this prunin' and
and tyini up alone-the plowin' could
wait a bit Don't you worry. I'll
catch up with you"
John and Johns wife were bending
over a white rosebush, and their hands
and fingers came together, now and
thea, in the friendliest nudges. Both
of them were laughing with their
voices keyed to a spring music. 1t was
very pleasant out in Johns front yard.
Reuben sat on the doorstep and re-
volved new notions in his head.
''Why shouldn't I help?" went on
Johns voice. "Half this front yards
mine, an / guess want things to look
aaurishin' in it, too-hey, Lettie?
What's that you say about men folks