Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-28
ness: and he knew all.


One afternoon she found him sitting
in the big wooden chair in the kitchen
studying his old twisted hands. He
gave her a tremulous smile as she
ccre in.
I'm NEST broken up, Hester" he
said.
"Don't." Sc cried, don't, Ezra,-I
can't bear it. We're both getting
older, but that's all it's
He shook ais head sadly. mo faint,
Hester-I've been a-seeing it for long
time. You're young yet-you can see
and hear just as you ulster, but Tim
an old man, Hester. You've been a
good girl, and we've had a happy life
together, but l didn't calculate for you
to be tied up to an old man. I've got
to thinking about it lately, and some
times I think folks was right and it
hadn't orter BEEN
The woman listened and a great
pain seemed to beat up in her throat
and choke her voice. She leaned
over and put her trembling hands on
his
Ezra" she cried, and the appeal in
her voice carried it with clear dis
tinctness to him, Ezra, have / ever
said or done thing to make you feel
SOP"
He looked up, startled God knows
you haven't, Hester" he said earnestly
And Ezra, if anything should hap
pen to me-if l should be sick and
helpless, would you love me less?
Would your
! change came over the old man: it
seemed for an instant as if the face of
his youth looked back at her. eff it
wasn't for your suffering, Hester,
wish you could see," he said almost
passionately.
He rose stiff1y and stood with his
arm about her, looking down the road.
1t was toward nightfall and the valley
was full of shadows, while above the
hills floated soft gray clouds-the
dead sunset. And even as they looked
a sudden thrill and flush came across
these, and the valley was filled with
the glory of the afterglow, and the
two old figures stood silent in the
midst of the golden light
It was a few weeks after this that
Hester caught a severe cold. She was
in bed for several days, and Mamie
came and nursed her, but Mamie had
her husband and child to care for, and
her mother would not let her stay
long. They'll be needing you'll can
get along now" she said.
81 guess they can get along without
me a little while longer" answered
Mamie.
what did you say?"
Mamie looked alarmed she raised
her voice and spoke with careful en-
phasis. 81 guess-they can get along
without ne a little while" she re-
peated.
Her mother nodded. 'I said it had
been quite while" she said. I'm
glad you're going, Mamie, though We
shall miss you So"
Nannie's face filed with a pitiful
tenderness. Her mother looked up
suddenly and noticed that a strange eX-
preston came into her eyes and she
spoke with curious eagerness.
"Nannie,' she said, tell me true
don't hear as l used to-"
Nannie's face flushed; with a sudden
impulsive gesture she threw her arms
about her mother, sobbing bitterly But
in her mothers eyes the strange ex-
preston grew into glad light
Don't feel so, Nannie,' she said.
II guess I'm almost glad. I'm go
ing to tell your father.
Mamie went home the next day sore
ly against her will. She told her
husband that it almost broke her heart
to think Of them SO; if it wasn't for
little Mamie she would go back there
and stay, but she couldn't take the
Child-it might hurt her throat seri-
ousiy to have to shout to them. Then
she caught Mamie up and kissed her
again and again; she wondered how
she could live if she couldn't hear that
baby voice. She was troubled, too,
for the child had a delicate throat and
old fOlks-and they would miss her so!
But it was not so hard; her mother
spoke of it herself and said that she
and father had talked it over and
they knew it would be best not to have
the child there often. And Mamie
mustn't worry-they could get along
all right as long as they could hear
each other Indeed it seemed as if the
bond of suffering drew them closer to-
gether. 1t was beautiful to see the
old mans care for his wife and his
tenderness in speaking to her. The
neighbors who had pitied at first talked
often of it; they said they never saw
two deaf people take such comfort in
each other. Often on summer days
the two old high-pitched voices would
be heard, and people passing would
smile at each other and sometimes
linger a little. '"Tis kind O. social to
hear them" they said.
So the winter passed and the sum-
mer, and quite suddenly, one night
when the earth was lying hushed and
silent under a soft fall of snow, the
old man passed from the silence Of his
life into the greater silence that is be-
yond the reach of human voice.
The neighbors for miles around came
to the funeral, and the house was full
of grave, decorous whispers, broken
strangely when any one spoke to the
wife. She was pale and silent; only
once did she speak Of anything that
she wanted done, and then she called
Mamie heSitatiDgly cts about the
minister" she said. Tell him l don't
want him to speak SOS l can hear. 1t
If wouldn't seem nrOner somehow