The Newtown bee., 1901-11-08

you'd ever see or want to see. When
old Henry Ford made up his mind on
any point a cyclone wouldn't turn him
a hairs breadth-nO, nor an earth
quake, either. Didn't matter mite
how much he suffered for it, he'd
stick to it if it broke his heart. There
was always some story or other going
round about old Henry's setness. The
family weren't quite SO bad-Cnly
Tom. He was Dosia's great-grand-
father, and regular chip of the old
block. Since then It's cropped out
now and again all through the differ
ent branches of the family. l mis-
trust if Dosia hasn't got spice of it
and Yves Brooke, too, but mebbe not. "
Old Jim was the only crOaker. Wes-
ley and Theodosia were married, in
the golden prime of the Indian sum-
mer, and settled down on their snug
little farm. Dosia was a beautiful
bride and Wesley's pride in her was
amusingly apparent. He thought
nothing too good for her, the Heather
ton people said. 1t was sight to
make an old heart young to see him
march up the aisle of the church on
Sunday in all the glossy splendor of
his wedding suit, his curly black head
held high and his round, boyish face
shining with happiness, stopping and
turning proudly at his pew to show
TheOdosia in.
They always sat alone together in
the big pew, and Alma Spencer, who
sat behind them, declared that they
held each others hands all through
the service. This lasted until spring;
then came sensation and scandal,
such as decorous Hea therton had not
known since the time Isaac Allen got
drunk at Centerville fair and came
home and kicked his wife.
One evening in early April, Wesley
came home from the store at 1.-THE
Corner where he had fingered to talk
over politics and farming methods
with his cronics. This evening he
was later than usual, and Theodosia
had his supper kept warm for him.
She met him on the porch and kissed
him. He kissed her in return, and
held her to him for a minute, with her
bright head on his shoulder. The
frogs were singing down in the south
meadow swamp, and there was a splen-
dor of silvery mOOnrise over the wood
ed Heatherton hills. Theodosa al
ways remembered that moment.
When they went in, Wesley, full of
excitement, began to talk Of what he
had heard at the store. Ogden Greene
and Tom Cary were going to sell out
and 60 to Manitoba. There were bet
ter chances for a man out there, he
said; in HeathertOn he might slave
all his life and never make more than
a bare living. Out West he might
make a fortune.
Wesley talked on in this strain for
some time, rehashing all the argu-
mentS he had heard Greene and Cary
use. He had always been rather dis
posed to grumble at his limited
chances in Heatherton, and now the
great West seemed to stretch before
him full ofalluring prospects and Wis
ons. Ogden and Tom wanted him to
90, too, he said. He had half a notion
%. IleathertOn was stick-in-the-
mud sort Of a place anyhow.
"What say, 'Dosia?'
He looked across the table at her, his
yes bright and questioning. Theodc-
'ia had listened in silence, as she pour
,d the tea and passed him her hot, !
laky biscuits. There was a little per-
wrinkle between her
straight eyebrows.
81 think Ogden and Tom are FOOLS"
he said crisply. "Thcy have got good
arms here. What do they want to 90
Vest for, or you either? Don't get
lily notions in your head, WeS."
Wesley flushed.