Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-05-25
THE
RESULT OF A DOUCHE.
I'll E


Maria Bonner and her brother jim,
old maid and old bachelor, lived alone
in the comfortable farmhouse their
parents had left them. Both were in
dustrious; better farmer than jim
would have been hard to iinl in those
parts; and as n neat and thrifty
housewife Maria posed for the neigh
borhood. They had no one but each
otter to care for or look after, and 1t
Is grevious to record that in their
quiet home peace was not con-
slant visitor.
The truth is that Jim possessed
enough bad temper for several men,
and Maria was not wanting in TINS
particular. 1t resulted quite natural
~, therefore. that they quarrelled.
ome,imes, indeed, quite often, Maria
bore off the laurels in their war of
words, and when she did, it so an
gcred Jim that he went to small cot
tage on the other side Of the farm.
and here he would keep house for
himself till he had exhausted his an
ger. Then. some evening, when Ma
ria was putting supper on the table,
in he walked, looking as serene as II
nothing unpleasant had occurred, and
with some remark about the weather
or the crops he would take his usual
seat. Maria always answered in the
same vein, and all went we'll till an
other squad came up.
If, on the other hand, Maria was
worsted in the quarrel, she woull be
take herself straightway to the house
of her married sister, there to stay
till Jim went after her. She would Of
ten smile grimly when she thought
that he must attend to her duties in
addition to his own. 1t gave her
great satisfaction to picture him try
ing to chuln when the cream was
too cold. or performing any of the
numerous tasks which require deft-
ness added to experience. But for all
that she knew that in her absence
the house was not tidy. and many
| things were going to waste. So, when
Jim walked in at some odd time OF
| the day, Maria was always glad to
see him. and when he was ready to
go home she was ready too. And
across the fields they would walk,
chatting as pleasantly as if they had
neve.' disagreed.
One very cold spring night found
Maria at her sisters. She had been
there two weeks, and during all that
time she had neither seen or heard
| 1ic. inn
had been unusually violent. Maria
was perfectly furious, Jim doggelly
stubborn. jim said Maria begun it
one morning before breakfast; she
knew he begun it the evening before
at prayer meeting, when he picked up
the handkerchief of that fast little
MINK Kathie Wood. If there was one
person in the world that Maria utterly
letested, that person was kathie
Wood.
She's he'll her cap set fer jim goin'
on three year now" said she with in
finite scorn.
This was the first time she had
openly attacked him on this subject,
though it had been the main cause of
many a scolding he received under
cover of slighter preteXts.
Three weeks passed, and Maria was
still visiting her sister. For a while
she had been too angry to think or
care anything about Jim's welfare, but
now she was growing restless. She
was sitting by the kitchen fire long
after the other members of the house
bold had retired. For the first time,
so far as she could remember, She
was sorry she had left home. But She
ing till Jim came for her, unless
and this was why she sat so late by
the fre--Jim might be sick.
EFF he is sick. it'll be my fault, fer
didn't have no business leavin' eff
he was agravatin. He don't know
how to take keer Of his self. | believe
! I'll step over and see how he's coming
on. Ef he's all right, I'll come back
and none of EN- will be the wiser
She wrapped herself up warmly in
her thick wooden shawl. and started
briskly on her half mile walk through
the bare, moonlt fields AS she
drew near the house, she saw a light
in the kitchen.
I'm afread he is sick" she thought
uneasily.
The window was in a sheltered cor
ner. and as she approached it, the
dead leaves which were piled up high
ratified loudly under her feet; but be-
ing anxious for Il look within, she pal |
little heed to the noise.
Applying her eye to a crack in the
shutter, she saw Jim seated before a
roaring hickory fire. his face halt
turned toward her as if listening in
tently. But-and Maria's eyes almost
bulged ont of her head-who was that
seated beside Jim, hands clasped on
his arm. bright. adoring eyes appraised
to his face? Kathic Wood
"Is Jim married. she gasped. then
shut her lips tightly. Has he brought
that woman to my house? don't
wonder he prefers my room to my
company. Oh. IF | he'd yer here, Ii