The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-08-16
| HESLOP'S WIFE
-~u>
She Started Out to Reform the.
World, but Became the Wife
of q Simple Farmer.

y of a Simple Farmer. 3
Observation-Disclosures faafatseaataess'a
Heaven knows where he picked heI
up, with her fine clothes and her fine
manners. A nice farmers wife trulyw
"You think he's really married to her,
JaneW
Married! OF course he Is, Mrs. Bis
sop. You don't suppose he'd bring any
lass about this place-his mothers old
home-with lie upon his lips? My
brother Joe's born fool, but he's no
liar" and the speaker painted.
"And she's book learnt, too, I hear
say" put in Mrs. Bissop mildly.
Jane, who was not 'book learnt" turn
ed crimson. aye, tits said So"
"She's well lookin anyhow. My man
saw her Friday-and it's week since
comm home from market, and he says
there's never been comelier seen In the
parish for hundreds of years"
Zine looks Is as good as they goes.
She's my brothers wife, and oughtn't
to speak against her, but she's SO sleek
and 80 composed and so learnable and so
CuEuy thhl L luhc IL Bic . becH ulUIc Va
the world than she ought"
"Lor', Janey! You don't mean to say
she lords 1t over your
"Over me? What are you thinking
about2 There's no one in the country
could do that. Oh, no; my lady is as soft
as wax, and asks to be shown that and
to be told this, and is mighty civil spoken.
: All put on"
"she amt said anything about your
goin yst-
"My whatT
"Your leavin the farm? You know
she's missus now"
"Not word. Itd-like to see her turn
me out" Jane snorted, but privately she
wondered why the young woman didn't.
Don't zee really know where she halls
fromF
"NO, don't. And, more than that,
t'other night made Joe so mad over
one thing and another that he owned
up and said he didn't know himself It's
hard on us--decent farmer folk for nigh
on 100 years-to have to put up with
some rubbish
Enough Of that talk, Jane Heslop.
II you can't speak fair of your own,
don't speak foul. Martha Bissop, you
know my sister; she wouldn't speak fair
Of her own BARN. Let me tell you-my
wife's as honest woman as any of You.
You car make that known about the
place."
The two women went off in different
directions without another word They
lived in a country where man still has
some little authority.
At the dairy door Joe Heslop brought
himself up, looked down on his shapely
limbs, clothed in well made cords, SEEM
ed pleased. pulled his coat together,
wiped his face and smoothed his hair
down with his hand
Come in, Joseph; you're just in time
to help turn this lot of milk"
She was beautiful, and especially so
with the glow and CLEAN Of genial work
upon her-a graceful figure, shapely
hands and arms, well cut features, large,
calm, wide apart gray eyes and glossy
hair, which hung in big knob at the
back of her head.
Joseph" she said solemnly, II do
wish could get hold of some technical
farming terms. l really think we had
better not butter make together again.
Don't. Oh, don't. Leave off! Wait
moment" And she went and fetched the
wet molds, put them in heap. jumped
upon the table near him and began to
wipe them.
"Pm sorry your sister doesn't like me.
like her,"
"Well you see, Jane is an odd woman
a very odd woman"
mot at all. Jane Is sensible crea-
ture. Why doesn't she like me"
"She doesn't object to you personally"
"Then she dislikes me theoretically?
"If you mean it's-it's because she
didn't know you before we were married
and because she doesn't know your
maiden name, maybe you're right"
"Would that weigh with woman like
Jane?"
"BIcss you. yes. Why, we've lived
here nearly 100 years, and we've always
married decent wenches, oil Of 'cm well
known in these parts, and l suppose she
thinks
II suppose she thinks you've not mar
ried decent wench?"
"Why, lass, they've only got to look
Ut you u bCe yOu III boLhCthiu6 pCtttt
than the others. No disrespect to them"
Joseph, have you ever-any-doubt--
yoursclfY
"Me. No, no; never" and he left the
churn and went toward her.
$50 back!' she cried warningly, and
he obeyed.
Joseph, when you first met met Is
not so very long ago, only few weeks
Il was poor, friendless and homeless"
He nodded.
"Tell mellow do you find me after
ten weeks acquaintance?
"Perfect. You are good, hardwork-
Ing woman. You learn more in day
:han the lasses about here could learn
in six months. You manage WELL You
lon't chatter, you don't rove, you don't
TOOL, aud-you love me-"
Size bent over and kissed him again.
~ believe l do. low. will tell you
how came to be in a destitute condi.
ton at the station that night"
ut doesn't matter II you'd rather not"
II will not, II you stop churning."
He went on turning She wiped care
fully into the intricacies Of the conipli.
Gated cowhead pattern.
~ didn't like my life. 1t was differ.
ent from this, very different, and
didn't like what the future had in store
for me. 1t would have been oil gayety,
nil usclessncss. I had schemes. by which
to benefit mankind, and l thought I'd be-
gin with women. left my home. My
people would only miss me from ono
point Of view; they would not grieve
for me. wanted very much to do some
really good work, but l miscalculated
avery thing-my strength, my knowledge,
my money. 1t was all n miserable fail
lre. l still want to work. but l want
to do 1t to please myself and my sur
Mankind goes right out of
my calculations hereafter. What l saw
IF it hurt me, robbed me, insuted me
Ind landed ME In the situation from
which you cxtricated HE. Do you, can
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