The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-01

t&sNA
strewn from Celebes 10 Malabar. An
as for Will Mather no one knows Wher
his grave is to this day.
When the loss was a definite thing (
the underwriters. Ann received her III
! surance money, a tidy little sum IN
her small way of life. and she put on
her black. and in time she took it o,
| again. and a brisk and busy body. sh
took her Measure with her ~neighbors n
She had always done. If her wash Wa
out before Mrs. Burns whitened the var
behind. if her baked beans were pro
nouncad one atom criSper than Mrs
Dennis. If the recipe for her rule o
fruit cake was in demand If she IA
cherry tonic and jellies to send 10 tho
ailing. If her house cleaning was owe
the first along the shore, If her pes
black silk would stand alone. If she
knew all that was going on. and keep
ing one eye on Sally LayeIfiar door
for the last news Of Humphrey and hi
| odd behavior. and another eye on the
ton in Ivy Hodges admiration of her
! village. she was content enough, and
! after Il while Ann was not OF all un-
happy. and even had n mild satisfac-
ton in Try Hodges admiration of her
still buXon beauty.
But it was n much longer time before
Miss RhOdy would accept the fact o
Will Mather's loss. He had been 50 full
! of life and vigor she could never make
him dead. She was always expecting
to see him step down from the coach
every time it came numbering along
from port. She did not see n strange
boat in the stream along the shore but
She thought it might hold Will. Every
time she ran over to AIMS she hoped
to hear a great voice roaring out 4 wei
come: and when that failed to sound
she still had time to hope Ann had had
Il letter saying he had been wrecked on
| desert shores and was now on his way
home again. Her dreams We're all Of
this. Now she saw him struggling with
| might and storm in the black seas. now
wandering forlorn among sctrnnge folk
Of a strange tongue. now cast on barren
places and watching feveriShly the gleam
Of Il sail upon the sky line. and every
! dream Il misery and chiefly a misery
because the atmosphere of power with
which Win had always been clothed in
her mind was wanting there. But on
the other hand, her day dreams were a
JOY In them. as she went about her
nursing. as she washed the newly born
or stroked the newly dead. as she sat at
home sewing in her parlor, Will was al
ways returning, after multltudlnOus
deeD-sea adventures: she saw him hur-
| ~ liz UP tIC Ioalt ttliNt II IhS ", AL
big and bronzed and full of glad cX-
pectation, and, although she varied the
dream Il thousand ways. it was always
the same dream-WiIl Mather coming
home.
You may judge then of her dismay
when she heard that the banns were
published for Ann Mather and Ivy
Hodges; for somehow Ann had not
been able to bring herself to break the
news to RhOdy. She hurried over, MS
you may suppose. Amt she cried. And
then she softened the reproach. Ann,
dear, what does it mean? Do you
know what they are saying about you?
Really, you must not let Ivy in so much.
1t is making NO end of talk. They say
people say-O, l know they say is a
liar! But they DO say-that-you are
going to marry IVY
And so l am" said Ann. But she
looked out of the window.
Ithody sat frozen to stone. She could
not move her lips at first. And when
she could, it was only to whisper, You
are Will Mather's wife"
20, yOu be still, Rhody," said Ann,
| biting off the thread with which she
was running UP the breadths of a fine
wedding garment and showing all her
handsome teeth.
'NNThy, l can't be STILL" whispered
Rhody, who for the life of her could not
more. what will Will say?
Nothing, l guess"
but if he should come back, ANN
gathering strength.
What 4 simpleton You are, Rhody,
After all these years an the insurance
paid and all. You're Il perfect DEATH
head at the feast. An look here, [
| won't have YOU talking 50 to me. And
Ivy wouldn't like it all
20, Ivy. with infinite contempt.
Yes, Ivy. | always liked Ivy. An
he's the lawyer of this village, an 'tisn't
| every one marries the lawyer. And
every one respects him.
'Ivy's well enough. | amt nothin' to
say against Ivy. I've allus liked him,
too. But Ivy amt no business here"
"He amt comm here. I'm goin' to
his house.
Ann! Well do no how you can
STAN that long-winded talk o his'n.'
"Rhody, if you wasn't my oldest
| friend"
In more'n your friel'. I'm YOU blood
relation. I've Il right to speak, an
you've 4 right to think shame of your
self. And to think what if Will
The Man-o.Mull hesn't ben heard
from for morn seven years. And I'm
quite within the law. Ivy says So
But there was Robinson CrusOe-"
70, Rhody, you'll be the death of me
yet. | believe you're rs crazy as Hum
phery I~ayendar. | guess one Robinson
Crusoe III do. An now you've spoke out
and done your duty, your conscience's
clear, an so is mine. | was a good
wife to Cap'n Mather, and | shall be a
good wife to Ivy Hodge"
Then murmured Rhody, the tears
pouring over her face and her thin,
purple-yeined hands, with which she
tried to hold them. .'the day you marry
Ivy-O, my. l do'no' how you can-II
should think You would be. You
needn't ask me to come TO the weddin'-l
| shant countenace it. But YOU will
send me over Wills picture, then. won't
You! You won't want it for a reminder
And Ia better take care of it for you"
u don't know" said Ann rlancinn -