Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1901-10-26
- HE house door Stood wide omen.

glowed with fiery heat, which.
shimmering out into the sunshine, set
all the atmosphere to pulsing and duak-
ing with its intensity. Just inside, at
a white-covered board laid across two
chair-tops, a tired-faced woman with
gray hair was ironing. At the sink, a
man stood with a half-emptied dipper
in his appraised hand, while the tones
of his expostulating voice rang out dis
cordahtly.
I'm surprised, Mirandy," he was say
ing, 'rhet you should think of sech a
thing now of all times. Here's the
plantin' jest done-look at the heaps of
money that's cost mean the next
thingll be hirin' of extry help for the
haydn. An now you put up an want
money to go visitin' in town an buying
things"
He paused, breathless, almost, and
took a deep draught from the dipper.
Els wife raised her eyelids a little as
she answered him.
Its the first time sense I've lived
with you that l hev asked anythin' of
you, Josiah"
Let it be the last then" he inter
rupted, quickly; "a woman's place is
to home, mindin' her own business and
dom of her work, not gallivantin'
around an spendin' money"
The heavy pain of disappointment
was Juggling at her breast just under
the spot where the letter lay. Her sis
ter, younger than she, had married
well-to-do mechanic in small city
some thirty miles distant and had writ
ten inviting her to come there for
short visit and little shopping
Catch him ever alettin' of me 60
anywheres or glttin' any comfort" she
muttered, as she sorted out a great pile
of towels and put them to one side.
''Tell Helen l amt like her. can't go
an do as / please. l hain't never had
that chance, sense l knew him" She
cast resentful glance out through the
doorway, whence the sound of rural
industry came necessarily.
Then she turned away again, went
to the door, and looked sadly, longing
ly, at the distant blue hills. Behind
them lay the city and her sisters home.
For years she had planned this visit,
worked and added to the savings of her
husband, until at last, when she had
asked him, fearfully, yet expectantly,
he had refused fatty to consider her
request. And she knew him too we'll
to think he would repent or reverse his
decision.
Then one morning when the sun was
shining across the dew-laden grass
Farmer Brown strobe out through the
wide gate of the farmyard and down
into the meadow lot, leaving tired and
discontinued woman behind him In the
tidy kitchen. All the forenoon he work
ed steadily, sparing neither himself nor
those he hired; and when the sun rode
high in the yellow skies he turned again
to the wide-open door Of the big farm
house for the sustenance of the midday
meal
There was no woman in shabby gown
to dish up the food or pour the tea.
Farmer Brown glanced anxlously
1round, az If he half expected she
would come out through some of the
doors that opened out of the kitchen;
but there was no sound of football nor
reassuMng voice. He lifted every latch
and called her name. Only the echoes
gave back the accents through the emp
dness of the rooms.
As he turned again into the kitchen
the CLEAN of something white near one
of the plates caught his eye 1t was
letter. He picked it up gingerly, looked
1t over, and then opened it and present
ly had deciphered its unsteadily writ
ten message:
Josiah
"As long as you will not give me
money nor let me go on my visit as
intended to, | have taken 1t into my
own hands and gone without your let
or hindrance. You need not look for
me, for you cannot find me; and espe-
cially don't go to Helen's to look for
me, for she knows no more than you do
you get along without me little while,
and am going to take vacation.
When l get ready-when you have
missed me a little, and learned how
much | do every day, and how much
am worth to you, in dollars and cents
i am coming back. Don't worry
about me, for | shall have enough to
eat and place to stay, and that is
about all l ever had with you"
When he had recovered somewhat
from the open-mouthed wonder with