Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-04-09
Rosalba's Easter Hat.
A Story of Life in the Mountains of
West Virginia.

When Abe Corners, the wag of
the county, met any of the Little
Backbone people he always asked
HAS Rosalba White left her hus-
band yet 2"
To the assurance that she still re-
manned with him, Abe was wont 10
say
"Then, I guess she's just stopped
long enough to give him piece of
her mind"
And the witticism never lost its
flavor in his mouth.
For three years-she had only
been married four-Rosalba had
been meaning to leave Jefferson, but
as she never got any further than
telling him OF her intention, he gave
himself no uneasiness in the matter.
"Folks don't talk so much about
things they're really goin' to do be
said to himself. Then he usually
took down his fiddle.
When Jefferson courted Rosalba,
her father often said 81 never yet
seen the man chat played the fiddle
an was fit for anything else"
Rosalba might, bad she known,
made the plea that Jefferson played
very badly. She did not, however,
and her fathers opposition probably
did as much as anything else to
bring about the marriage.
When she met Jefferson White at
a Sunday School picnic, Rosalba
was very much in love with young
itinerant preacher, whose affections
we're divided between herself and the
daughter of the presiding elder.
But Rosalba fell out of love with
the preacher and in love with JEFF
ferson in about twenty minutes.
Alter that as the young preacher
Ishmael Noon by name, was only
human, he promptly forgot the pre-
siding elders daughter and resolved
that Rosalba should be his bride.
Six weeks later she married JEFF
ferson, while people wondered fish
mael Moon had Tilted her.
As matter of facs she had twice
refused to share the preachers SAL
airy of nothing year. She was
shrewd enough, however, to tell no
one, for Ishmael's cheeks were pink
and his eyes black, great marks of
beauty in the mountains, and she
would only have risked her veracity.
1t was dull on the Little Back
bone, and Jefferson was not the ideal
husband she had pictured him. He
was kind, but be played tie fiddle
when the fire was low and no wood
cut, and he had the cabin full of ma
chimes which were to make his for.
tune when they were quite finished.
When she first came to the cabin,
Rosalba used to sit in the freight
and listen with bated breath to the
story OF what he intended to buy
her when the fortune came.
As time went on, however, and
the inventions remained unfinished,
she lost faith. Then when the -four
was low and her wedding finery al.
most gone, she began to say she
would leave him
AT first jefferson was alarmed.
For . few days the chips few in the
shed which was his workshop.though
he began new models rsther than
com pletei old ones.
By and by, however, he ceased to
fear, contenting himself with play
ing soft and melancholy music.
That always reduced the fire of Ro-
salbas wrath to ashes.
1t was two days before e ster. 1t
fell late that year,so that even in the
mountains spring seemed near. The
oaks we're still laden with last years
rusty leaves and the snow was
scarcely melted in the sheltered
spots, but the sky was deep blue and
| the birds were coming forth.
Rosalha stood at the cabin door,
watching an approaching figure.
1 Che 1SNx1n.1 - - l.