The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-06-01

Il
up good quarter of this room; n@ MA
ter brought ia; and the well way down
In front Of the house: not q single con
Vsnience TO make work handler %
casier, ana poor mother has had 90 pu
up with IL all these yearsl Why doeHn'
pa have that door cut through for her?'
She shrugged her pretty shoulders
Say, do tell me IL this ham h thin
enough. want my sandwiches TO b.
hrst-clasa."
Giles Hewitt was distinctly taciturE
ai the dinner table that noon, and il
view Of his lowering eountcnancc th'
meal proceeded in unpleasant silence
Immediately after dinner he made
ready 80 drive so IIoyt with load 81
grain. II was second nature fer Esther
to anNiously walt or him when h,
dressed to go anywhere. Sac s!weyi
put out his clothes, brushed them, TIED
his crayRt, saw that he had a clear
handkerchief, but to-day h. told hcI
cnldly 10 GO about hes WORK. Is ;.asis
hclp himself Presently he came int,
the Kitchen where she was washing %,
dishes 10 hlnckcn his shoes. phcw, bow
hot II was. and how dark that little cor
nrr whrrr the cracked square of I1nk
ing glass hung. before which she fun
BLEED with his rrasut
Esther stood NJ she sink with hri
back to him. aud just opposite the traf
door was white cross rhalkcd un the
rough wall boards, marking the spot
where she wanted the outer door cut
somehow the sight of the innocent
nIark anrrtr,l him again. she svrin,d
te have ehslhed Il fos purpose. and
be- went ont. slamming the door child
ishly.
Presently the girls rnmc Ia al In q
huttcr, looking very pretty and dainty
IN their simple lawns aud big hats and
quite overlooking with the plcasurabic
anticipatinns ~ youth
1T was Shame, mother, 10 leave you
in this hot place to do he dishes alone, Vt
-ai5 Ria, rvuiirui'y, "ba; sc hai "a
make ready. Srr, the Warmer boys
are driving in the gate nav" They
kissrd her and Hutt~rrd out and she
followed 20 take a look, q fond proud
look after them ar they rode away with
their Caya|irr=.
II was almost ipsufTerahlv hot that
afternoon; the mercury mounted high.
rr and higher In the tubs on the stnop:
the fowls went with dropping wings
and gaping bcuks: the cattle sought
grateful shade aud runuatrd In shat.
low pools: the house dog dug grave
! behind the rurTHnt bushes. ia which he
lay painting with lnllinr tongue; ,egr-
,atiou shri,clcd and viHc,l; the earth
was cracked aud baked; bat by aud by
clouds gathered In the west aud gusts
~ wind capriciuusly swirlrd the dust
aud caught mp sticks and straNs in 81.
/ I'm dances, An Oil farmer driving by
called TO "a man digging g ditch in a
field: Il guess the dry spell Is broken.
| 4 shower Is cumiug IN"
\ gloom almost appalling settled on
the landscape; the bees fcw 20 their
/ hives; the cattle snurtcd and ruccd
about. frightened ~ the rolling 81
thunder and the shooting ~ iayclins
Of fire from the Jagged clouds.
There was q going In the trrctupv, q
strange, distant murmur Of millions ~
rnludrops advancing with the swifincss
Of a mighty host.
II wonder il Giles shut the barn
door," said Esther. hurrying out: then
there WINS n thundcrclap that seemed TO
| shake the universe tu lis foundations,
and binding, swirling dclugc!
II Was four o'clock when Giles Hewitt
logged homrwnrd. Dixey aud Topaz,
his big black mares. resented being held
down 90 a sobcr gait and tossed their
heads and snorted Ms they splashed
through puddles. The clayey mud
caked the wheel rims. strcakcd thu
Npokes and chung In tenacious blnbs to
the huhs. Everywhere were signs Of
the storms havoc, and Giles WIS con-
ScIous Of certain ugly misgiyings lest
the new hHrn, the pride of his heart,
might have suffered: but no. as he
turned n corner hr saw It silhuuctted ON
It's hill, dominating the landscape. the
shining weather ,anc all aglram with
reflected glorics 0f the west.
He hrcuthcd more freely now aud
critically scanned his ncighhor's fields
Co see " hat damage had been wrought.
When he came In sight of the white
frame house he wondered 10 see q num-
Der 81 people In the yard. Then hc said.
by George, II the old elm hasn't been
struck What q shamc!"
Dan Comfy, his nclghbor. hurried
down to meet him as he turned up The
drive. His face was CHASTITY. What ON
earth allied the man?
Il say, Hewitt he ciusped his
hands mechanically rs he called stop
a minute hold On II want to tell you
Tod Almighty! mnu. how can /? The
lightning struck Esihers dead!
Whoa, there" catching the relns that
fell from Hrwiits pilsied hands aud
ieaping to the seat beside him. Lean
on mel There. thrrr. You hnd 20 know
II. God. bat It's rough"
Kind nrighbors stood aside in silent
groups as Giles Hewitt tuttered into
the room where Esther lay.
Obiyious of spectators. he fell on his
knees beside her with an exceeding
bitter cry.
Esther Esther! You are not deadi
Speak! Look up You vert always
good, Esther. You were never unrea-
sonahle. You shall have that door
made, You shall, say. Somebody get
Johnson"
Crazed with shock and anguish. he
gtroknd her cold hands. Speak Ia me,
Esther. speak 10 me, DO you want the
door,"
Some of the ncighhorH left the room
weeping. la the next room Mrs. Comfy
rocked hysterically back and forth.
''The Lord knows can't stand II 10
see a man going ON 20" she cried. ''It's
just awful. ] says TO Dan. says 4:
'Isreak II To him gently, Dan; kind o.
lead up To IT. and there; he's just gone
and right out with II and shocked him
crazy. iiark! there he goes again, talk
ing scnEelsss.like about door. He's
clean out of his mind."--N. Y. Indie
pendent.
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