Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1900-11-01

From the Ladies World. New York. Reprinted
by special permission.)
WITH shadow of Impotence on
wv her wrinkled brow. Mrs. Page
tossed the garment she was mending
on the table and leaned YEARLY back
in the old-fashioned willow rocking
chair. Turning to her husband, who
sat by the window reading, she said,
complainingly:
''Dear me! Jonas, believe I've got
in many day. An there's SIGH a
stitch in my left side, I really
"Thar We 60 it ag'in, Car'liny!" ex-
claimed Mr.. Page. irritably, as he
crushed the newspaper in his hand
and flung it into the rack above his
head. II VOW never saw the beat!
Wimmen are curious critters-allers
maxim SIGH great how-d'-ye-do bout
nothin'. Got some new ache or pain
ev'ry mint of the day. Then they be
forever whinin' an tellin' We of it!
Ye never hear none O. us men groanin'
over ev'ry trifin' thing that happens
to u.s."
''Now, Jonas, ye know better'n that,
but ye alters was SO unreasonable: no
symp'thy for anybody, an no feelin's
morn stick o. wood! If I'd had
the least idee in my girlhood days
how heartless you was, never would
hev married."
"Lan' sakes, Car'liny! don't din that
old story into my ears ag'n! Three
hundred an sixty-ive days in the
year, I've heard We singin' it regular,
itill I kin repeat the hull bis'nss, word
for word. If I'm heartless an crool,
las We 'cuse me of bein', it's yer COINS
Ion like this what's made me. Ev'ry-
body has his own ills to bear an
saint exempted from 'em more'n We
sbe, yet amt a-tellin' We of it all the
time. Mother thing, firmly believe
it's over half imagination that ails
ye-ye let yer mind git too much
control over yer body!"
AS these haunting remarks left his
lips, the ill-natured spouse seized his
hat and founced out of the house,
slamming the door behind him.
Two silent, unbidden teardrops
trickled gently down the thin, faded
cheeks of Mrs. Page, as she bent far
forward and resumed her sewing.
''Mebbe l am rather fretful." she
said to herself, thoughtfully. "l'll try
to keep my troubles to myself after
this; but it's hard to git no pity when
ones f.ef.n' so miser'ble.
"Jonas alters looks to me for SYM
p'thy, when he's SICK" she continued.
"He'll 20 to his bed an take on an
hev me wait on him; with me it's
dif'rent-I've got to keep workin'
away, no matter how bad feel
Imagination! Jess you wait till Jonas
Page has his next ailin' spell an see
how I'll symp'thize with him!"
Her eyes cleaned and glowed, and
her lips closed tightly with peculiar
twitch of determination.
Nothing more was seen of Jonas
until he came to supper. He appeared
somewhat disconsolate and had his
left hand wrapped up in his red ban
dana handkerchief. He didn't say
anything when he removed the Gov
ering and an ugly, ragged wound, ex
tending half way across the palm, wa!
disclosed to view. He looked consid
erably disappointed, however, whe1
he found that the sight of it attracted
only a passing glance from "Car'liny,
and didn't even arouse her womanly
curiosity enough to inquire how i
had happened.
How tantalizing she could act. Sh,
didn't offer to assist him in bindin.
it up, let alone express regret at it,
occurrence, but stood by the stow
dishing up the potatoes as uncon
.cernedly as though nothing out of tn
usual had taken place.
Jonas heaved a heavy sigh ant
walked silently into the pantry, wher
,on the little corner shelf he procured
strip of court plaster with whic]
he carefully drew the edges of tn
wound together.
The evening meal was eaten il
moody silence. Jonas always dram
two cups of tea, but rather than max
the first "break in the ice'' by askin
Tor the cup W Dc IcplcutSIleu, he SC
along with one. All the time he KEEP
wondering what could possibly hav
occasioned this remarkable alteratio
in his wife's department.: he fnall
came to the conclusion it was OWN
to the Indifference he had manifesto
concerning her headache.
~This kind O actin is somethi
new" he grumbled. on his way 10 til
barn to finish the chores. ''1f she
so sensitive as to git her back Il
bout trifin' piece O. nonsense lii
that, she kin jest keep it there! tt
only time ever got down on II
knees to her was when I popped Il
marriage question; an now if 81
thinks tina. by goin' round with
pout on her 6sce, she'll git me to bat
down ar eat humble pie, she's bark
up the wrong tree. When I say
thing, it's said fer all time!"
His hand was exceedingly sore;
was continually in his way and ever
thing he attempted to do he injur
1t anew.