Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1898-08-06

take him has hat-he'M be so mortified
zen be come to-and he's the best, OH
he's the very best husband -apy woman
has W EN- he's all himsetf''-
"There, Mis' Lavender, don't now,
don't get 50, as Imay say, excited He's
=a-leanin ON 10 the gate now-yes, quite
quiet. Yes, and you neenn't--that is to
-.say, you needn't worry none. I won't
SO nothin thout your-your eeo-opera-
tion AS loag's you oaA-yes, control
Aim
Mostly 1 lean manage" she's sid, her
Singers shaking SO she could not tie her
bonnet strings. Hes reauy--really-
oh. he's fond Of mel''
Yes, 1 knoEE-yes, =" said Mr. Hodge,
taking up his bat and pouring crt the
bandaDna to mop his face. -'Butrdon't
yo1-yes-don's you think you,would
be- happier, as you may say, safer that
is, yes, easier every way. ef he was
took care Of
~Oh. oh, ohl"' suddenly cried the lit
tie woman, covering her face with ther
hands. through which the tears spurt-
cd. 81 can't bear another word The
dear Lord knows what I've borne al
readF-w'en frs found it out-and 1
couldn't believe tt thought / was
teched myself-but W 'en I'd wake mp
in tbs night with his hands at my throat
and the baby, oh, the babyi'
"By graciousr' cried the startled
Mr.. Hedge. And be would have said
''By graciousl' again if he could have
made up his mind in season, when she
took down her hands. wiped her eyes
and with scarcely a trace of her tears
Looked out the door and smiled. His
exclamation had restored her self con-
troll.
81 shall have to leave you to lock
up" she sid, turning TO MIR. Hodge
with pretty dignity, and as if nothing
had been said before. "We0was goin to
take a walk together, my husban and
me.
well" said Mr.. Hodge when ho
Went into Mrs Mather's fore room,
room respondent with picture Of Cap
tain Nather's three master, the Man Of
Null, under full sail and Ia a gilt
frame. and with a portrait of the late
captain himself that looked much as if
the figerehead of his schooner might
have sat for ii, and where the pretty
black eyed mistress always braided her
mats in the afternoons "Well. I'm
free-yes, free to confess / never, as you
may say
"You may say jest wat you please,
Mr. Hodge" cried Mrs. Mather, land
I'll say it after you. For eff ever see
sufferin saint put upon and NO way to
hinder and enough to make yon doubt
the ways Of God TO mani
"Or-or woman either, as it were
yes, said Mr.. Hodge.
(which is jest wat / mean. She's
done everything she knowed how 20 keep
it from gettin out. And w en- he's right
ag'in she acts jest's though everybody'd
forgot it. Forgot it My land / can
look right into their house, and w'enI
see him flourishin the AK roun that ba-
by a-settin on the floor and lookin up and
laughin into his face till he dropped it,
or a-seizin Sally by the hair of her
head and bendin her head back, and she
a-lookin at him with them great still
eyes o. bern. patient as dumb critter S,
and nothin but spark of the old love
left in the midst Of all his fury savin
her from destruction. and nothin bein
done"-
but, Mis- Msther-yes, Mis- Mather
| theirs nothin TO do. She don't want
him took up. And that's all--yes, that's
ali the selec men are empowered-yes,
as l may say, empowered to do. It.
yes, it looks to me, Mis- Mather, as if
you was-yes, as it were, blessin the
Lord more than the selec' men, yes.''
81 dunno but be. But 1 dunno how
tbc ord cor, loDlr Co a xro..lo. =. a.. 4.
face. There-I've said it. "
Mis- Mather, IL shaE't, so to say,
yes, repeat wat you've said. It-yes-
in one point of view it does credit to
your feelin's. But the Lord he-yes, as
you may say, he rules the world his
own way-yes. Z"
81 dunno whether he does or not.
Humphrey Lavender amt the first of
his people on the mothers side that's
ben beside themselves, and he wouldn' t
"a been the last of Polly'd been spared
To look at that dear baby, with her lit
tie rosy, smilin face, a-squinnyin up
her sweet eyes, laughin and shown her
pretty white beads of teeth and to think
she's got to go. through the same thing
wal, Of there's anything makes you
| 0cACe JC1tASO
"There ain't," said Mr.. Hodge, tax
ing up his hat and looking into it~ lift
ing out the length of his handkerchief
and putting it carefully back-''there--
there amt. Idon't want no better-yes,
argument for another life than the
way-yes, the way Sally Lavender's bein
trained for it, as you may say. And Of it
amt the sperit of the Lord that makes
her keep that mailman from doin her a
mischief, then there amt no sperit of
the Lord. And there is, Mis- Mather-
yes, as you may say, there isP'
Mrs Mather was silent, the strips of
her rug braiding hanging Imply over
her fingers. Il don't myself, =" began
Mr.. Hodge again-''I don THAT is to
say, myself, believe in no evil PRIMER
pie. It's contrary-yes, to my idee of
the power of God. Yes. But / ain 4
never spoke Of it BEFORE so to say, as
it might be thought-yes, little-yes,
little irreg lar in deacon. But bein
] H.. a