Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1899-06-15
Saint Yarg's Beacon.
Polly and Tom.

degree he was aware OF this short
coming, but like the majority Of
mankind, did not realize to what
enormous dimensions the habit had
grown. His wife was at q disad-
vantage from the first, for instead
OF providing q separate establish
ment as he could have we'll afford
ed, he brought her to bis old home,
where his mother waited upon him
and continued to 'by inches until
her death two years later. After
this Mrs. Greenwood's horizon
frightened for awhile. Tom
began to keep things in better
order, to keep pace with her interi-
or improvements, for after becom-
ing sole mistress she changed things
about, added q few new articles,
polished up the dull furniture; in
fact the old fashioned homestead
was completely transformed and
spoke eloquently of artistic fingers.
After time Tom began 10 grow
careless, and gradually the place
took on Q neglected air, until at
the time this narrative opens, when
they had been married about Eve
years, an ordinary observer would
not have imagined for Q moment
that Tom Greenwood followed the
occupation of Q carpenter and
builder.
One night in June Tom retired
at his usual time, leaving his wife
finishing q bit Of needlework ; he
awoke about midnight. and not
finding his wife beside him, said !:
Polly, do come to bed
There was no answer.
MARY Greenwood Che always
called her full name when he was
in the least displeased), ARE you
going to sit up all night?'
Still there was no answer, and
looking sleepily toward the door,
he saw that the sitting-room light
had been extinguished. Thorough
ly alarmed, he now arose. struck q
light and went in search Of his
wife. He found q note on his wife's
sewing table. 1t read
Tom 81 am going back home.
When you reverse the old saying
that 'shoemakers' wives and black
smiths horses always 90 barefoot
ed / will come back, not until
then. Polly.
Crushing the note he threw il
into the woodbox. and strobe an
grily to bed /; sleep, however, was
out Of the question, and the re-
mainder of the night was not an
enviable one. A half.score of mos
quitoes came to keep him company.
The smarting bites upon cheek and
arm reminded him that he had not
mended the screens, although his
wife had spoken Of them more than
once.
I'll get the wire tomorrow,
sure ! another night like this would
finish me up. It's lucky Pm loaf
ing
When early dawn began to peep
in ne arose from his tossing and
turning, with the firm conviction
that he was very much abused
man, and that, come what would,
he never would ask his wife to re-
turn.
1'll gather the strawberries !;
there is enough for breakfast and
dinner he said, picking up his
hat but upon going to the garden
he found that chanticleer and his
family had arrived first, swallowed
the berries (green ones and ALI,
and wrought havoc amid the vines.
Tom shut his lips together and
said not q word, but went to the
shop for hammer and nails, secur-
ing the loose lathes. and, getting
some corn, soon had the feathered
marauders back in their domain.
Returning with bis tools he no.
ticed for the first time that Polly's
garden had likewise suffered, and
the pansies, in which she took es-
pecial pride, ware totally annihi-
lated.
Il believe Pm about the meanest
fellow alive he muttered. sI'll
get some new plants this very day
and set out. There's that gate post
needs fixing, and by sights the
porch ought to have q new floor ;
the south end is rotting fast. I'll
60 and see about the lumber now.
de started back to the shop, then
changed his mind ho;nc warrad -