The Newtown bee., 1901-11-08

his nephew hoisted the trunk into the
wagon and tied it. Then Wesley came
up the porch steps and looked at her.
"Dosia," he said a little huskily,
" said l wouldn't ask you again to &c
but l will. Will you come with me
YETI"
"NO," said Theodosia, firmly.
He held out his hand. He did not
offer to kiss her.
"Good-by, Dosia,"
"Goodby, Wcs.'
There was no tremOr of an eyelash
with her. Wesley smiled bitterly, and
turned away. When the wagon
reached the end of the little lane be
turned and looked back for the last
time. Through all the years that fol
lowed he carried with him the picture
of his wife as he saw her then, stand.
! ing amid the airy shadows and waver'
ing golden lights of the morning, the
wind blowing the skirt of her pale
blue wrapper about her feet, and ruff
fling the locks of her bright hair into
delicate golden cloud. Then the wag-
on disappeared around curve in the
road, and Theodosia turned and went
back into her desolate house.
| For time there was a great buzz of
gossip over the affair. People wonder
ed over it. Old Jim Parmelee under
stood better than others perhaps.
When he met Theodosia he looked at
her with curious twinkle in his keen
old eyes.
Looks as if man could bend her
any way he'd mind to, doesn't she?"
he said. .'Looks is deceiving. It'll
came out in her face by an by-she's
too young yet, but it's there. 1t does
seem unnatural to see a woman so
stubborn-you' kinder look for it
more in man,
Wesley wrote brief letter to Theo-
dosia when he reached his destination.
He said he was we'll and was looking
about for the best place to settle. He
liked the country fine. He was at a
place called Red Butte, and guessed
he'd stay there.
Two weeks later he wrote again. lie
had taken up a claim of 300 acres.
Greene and Cary had done the same.
They were his nearest neighbOrs and
were three miles away. He had
knocked up a little shack, was learn
ing to cook his own meals, and was
very busy. He thought the country
was grand one and the prospects
good.
Theodosia answered his letter and
told him all the Heatherton news and
how the farm was getting along in
lrvingfs hands. She signed herself
'"Theodosia Brooke" but otherwise
there was nothing in the letter to in
dictate that it was written by a wife to
her husband.
At the end of year Wesley wrote
once more asking her to so out to him.
lie was getting on we'll, and was sure
she would like the place. 1t was
little rough to be sure, but time would
improve that. "Won't you let bygones
be bygOneS, Dosia," he wrote, 'and
come out to me? Do, my dear wife.
TheodOsia wrote back refusing to 90.
She never got any reply, nor did She
write again.
People had given up talking about
themattcr,and asking Theodosia when
she was going out to Yves. Heather
ton had grown used to the chronic
scandal within it's decOrOuS borders.
never spoke of her husband
to any one, and folks knew they did |
not correspond. She took her young
est sister to live with her. She had
her garden and hens and two COWS. She
was always busy, and the farm brought
her enough to live upon.
When Is years had gone by there
were naturally some changes in Hea-
therton, sleepy and unprogressive as it
was. Most of the old people were in
the little hillside burying- ground that