The Portland daily press., 1899-09-14
HESLOP'S WIFE
-~p@
She Started Out to Reform the
World, but Became the Wife
of a Simple Farmer.
~


Heaven knows where he picked her
mp, with her fine clothes and her fine
manners. A nice farmers wife trulyw
you think he's really married to her,
Jane?"
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, hear
say" put in Mrs. Bssop mildly
Jane, who was not. book learnt" turn
ed crimson. AYE. tbs 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 a comelier seen In the
parish for hundreds of years.
Fine looks is as good as they goes.
She's my brothers wife, and l oughtn't
to speak against her, but she's so sleek
and so composed and so learnable and so
carrying that take it she's seen more of
the world than she ought"
''Lor', Janey! You don't mean to say
she lords it over your"
Over me? What are you thinking
about? 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 YET
"My what?"
"Your leavin the farm? You know
she's missus now"
Not a word. I'd 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
from?'
mo, don't. And, more than that,
tother night i made Joe so mad over
pne thing and another that he owned
mp 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.
If 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 can make that known about the
place"
The two women went off in different
directions without another word. They
lived in n 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
10 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, 81 do
wish / could get hold of some technical
farming terms. really think we had
better not butter make together again.
Don't. Oh, don't. Leave off! Wait q
moment" And she went and fetched the
wet molds, put them in a heap, jumped
upon the table near him and began to
wipe them.
I'm sorry your sister doesn't like me.
like her"
"Well. you see, Jane is an odd woman
Ia very odd woman"
mot at all. Jane is a sensible crea-
ture. Why doesn't she like me?"
"She doesn't object to you personally"
''Then she dislikes me theoreticallyT
ST you mean it's-it's because she
didn't know you before we were married
and because she doesn't know your
paaiden name, maybe you're right"
Would that weigh with woman like
JaneY
"Bless you, yes. Why, we've lived
here nearly 100 years, and we've always
married decent wenches, all of 'em well
known in these parts, and suppose she
thinks
81 suppose she thinks you've not mar
ried decent wenchT
'sWhy, lass, they've only got to look
at you to see you're something better
than the others. No disrespect to them"
Joseph, have you ver-any-doubt-
yourself"
'Me. No, no; never" and he left the
ehurn and went toward her.
go backw she cried warningly, and
he obeyed.
"Joseph, when you first met melt Is
not so very long ago, only few weeks
II was poor, friendless and homeless"
He nodded.
'eTell mellow do you find me after
ten weeks acquaintanceT
Perfect. You are a good, hardwork-
ing woman. You learn more in day
than the lasses about here could learn
in six months. You manage well. You
don't chatter, you don't rove, you don't
fool, and-you love me-"
She bent over aud kissed him again.
II believe do Now. / will tell you
how / came to be in a destitute condi-
kion at the station that night"