Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-09-14

how peaked the child was. It must
be she was not we'll. His heart har-
dened with indignation at mis- wife for
not telling him. A man ought to
know about his family. If she needed
doctor he guessed he could afford to
have one. He wasn't poor man. He
never begrudged his family anything!
He glanced at Sarah. She was the
Oldest. Her eyes were downcast and
her checks vivid red. Mrs. Hollis
was looking at the minister. Little
Bessie had fallen asleep and her yellow
shoulders rested in Elias yellow lap.
His eyes wandered beyond to the
other women in the congregation.
There were the summer boarders in
all sorts Of light, fluffy things, and
the farmers daughters in white or
blue or pink, or even black. He never
looked in black. He must buy his
wife black dress next time he went
to town. She didn't need it, of course,
but it was just as we'll sometimes to
give women folk things they didn't
need. It humored them. She used
to be very pretty woman, but some
how today she looked terribly old and
faded.
He wouldn't forget.
The next day the yellow dresses ap-
peared again. So on for week.
One morning Mrs. Hollis explained.
81 hope you won't think I'm extrava-
CANT a-wearing our new clothes all the
time" she ventured. ''But really we
amt got anything else. We'd just
got reduced to rags, and them 1 had
to take for cleaning cloths just as fast
as got the dresses done.
'There was enough for two dresses
apiece for the girls, so they have some
q little mite more fancy for Sunday
wear. It seems to be real good wear
ing stuff, and l guess it won't fade
much.
Her voice seemed far away. He
was staring hard at his plate. 1t
seemed to have running pattern OF
crook neck squashes.
Mr. Hollis did not attend church
next Sunday. He pleaded sick horse
for excuse and retired to the barn,
from whose cobwebbed window he
saw the family depart, all save Sarah
she had refused to go. The laugh
Of the girl last Sunday echoed in his
ears and he shut his teeth hard.
'It's good wearing stuff, he NUT
tered to himself rs he vindictively
kicked keg.
The third Sunday Mr.. Hollis had
business out of town.
81 really can't attend to it any other
time" he explained to his wife.
She, Bessie and the boys attended
church. They were all at supper when
he returned, and he took his place
quickly at the table
Suddenly his eyes rested on Jed.
He seemed to see something familiar.
He rubbed his eyes and looked again.
1t was a blouse covered with the palm
leaf pattern.
His knife and fork fell with thud.
''Go and take that thing OF, he
commanded, in laundering tones.
Jed looked scared and half arose.
Then he looked helplessly at his
mother.
"He hasn't got any other" she
whispered in an awed voice. "He
spoiled his only other one yesterday
when he got caught on some nails, and
L couldn't mend in nohow. l sat up
late to make this out of a breadth from
Sarah's dress. Hers got terribly
burned somehow"
There was short silence. Jed
stood holding on to his chair uncer-
tain, Sarah looked at her plate, Bessie's
blue eyes peered startled over the rim
of her mug
Mr.. Hollis moved uneasily. He
opened his mouth to speak. Then he
shut it again, took up his cup and
drank long swallow of tea.
81 wish," he said, speaking in a
loud voice and looking past his wife
out Of the window beyond-'I wish
you would take all that stuff away and
never let me see mite OF it again.
I'm sick of it."
''They are good-wearing dresses"
she began. cit seems waste ="
Her husband brought his fist down
SO that the dishes ratified.
"Waste be hangedp he shouted. He
put his hand into his pocket and drew
out roll of bills. These he showed
across the table to his wife. ''Tll
hitch up in the morning and you can
drive over and get what you want, -
he said, as he pushed back his chair
and started for the door.
81 s'pose 1 can use it up in
dusters," his wife ruminated to her.
SELF
"No!" The command came swift
and stern from the doorway.
"No busters, no-no nothing. I'm
sick to death OF crook neck s9uashes. !"
He slammed the door behind him
and bolted through the shed. In his
haste he upset barrel. Out from it
rolled the torn, cut and burned re-
mains of Sarah's dress.
81 don't blame her one mite" he
chuckled as hs vindictively kicked it
into dark corner and sent an old
boot flying after it.