The Newtown bee., 1901-11-08
Wouldn't you go with me, Dosia?'

wouldn't you go with me, Dosia?"
he said, trying to speak lightly.
"No, | wouldn t., said Theodosia, in
her calm, sweet voice. Her face was
serene, but the little wrinkle had
grown deeper. Old Jim Parmelee
would have known what it meant He
had seen the same expression on old
Henry Ford's face many a time.
Wesley laughed good-humoredly, as
if at child. His heart was suddenly
set on going West, and he was sure he
could soon bring Theodosia around.
He did not say anything more about it
just then. Wesley thought he knew
how to manage women.
When he preached the subject again,
two days later, Theodosia told him
plainly that it was of no use. She
would never consent to leave Heather
ton and all her friends and 60 out to
the prairieS. The idea was just rank
foolishness, and he would come to see
that it was in time.
All this Theodosia said calmly and
sweetly, without any trace of temper
or irritation. Wesley still believed that
he could persuade her. and he tried
perseveringly for fortnight. At the
end of that time he discovered that
TheodoSia, in law a Brooke, was in
fact Ford still. She was ''set," and
there was no moving her.
Not that Theodosia ever got angry.
Neither did she laugh at him. She
met his arguments and pleadings
squarely and seriously enough, but she
never wavered
eff you 90 to Manitoba, Yves, you'll
go alone" she said. "I'll never go, so
there is no use in any more talking"
Wesley was descendant of old Hen
ry Ford, too. Theodosia' s unexpected
opposition reused all the latent stub
hornneSs of his nature. He went over
to Centerville oftencr and kept his
blood at fever heat by talking to Greene
and Cary, who wanted him to go with
them, and spared no pains at induce
mcnt.
The matter was gossiped about in
lleatherton, of course. People knew
that Wesley Brooke had caught the
''western fever' and wanted to sell out
and go to Manitoba, while Theodosia
was opposed to it. They thought Dosia
would have to give in in the end, but
said it was a pity that Yves Brooke
couldn't be contented to stay where he
was well off.
ThcodoSia'S family naturally sided
with her and tried to diSSuade Wesley.
But he was mastered by that resentful
irritation, reused in man by OppOsi-
ton where he thinks he should be
master, that will drive him into any
course.
One day he told Theodosia that he
was going. She was working her but
ter in her little snowy-clean dairy I'M
der the great willows by the we'll.
wesley was standing in the doorway.
his stout, broad-shouldered figure fill
ing up the sunlit space He was
frowning and sullen.
I'm going West in two weeks time
with the boys, Dosia," he said Stub
bornly. "YOu can come with me or
you can Stay here-just exactly as you
please. But I'm going"
Thcodosia went on spatting her balls
of golden butter on the print in silence
She was looking very neat and pretty
in her big white apron, her sleeves
rolled up high above her plump, dim
pied elbows and her ruddy hair curling |
about her face and her white throat. |
She looked as pliablc as her butter.
Her silence angered her husband.
lie shutlled impatiently.
"Wcll, what have you to say, Dosia?"
.''Nothing,' said TheOdoSia. eff you
have made up your mind to go, go you
will, suppose. But will not. There's
no use talking any more. We've been