The Newtown bee., 1901-11-22

blew out the candle, for it was not yet
dark enough to justify artiti cial light
to her thrifty mind Q She thought the
big, empty house IN which she was the
only living thing, was very lonely. 1t
was SO very still except for the slow
tick of the solemn "grandfather's
clock" and the soft puff and crackle of
the wood in the stove. Josephine sat
down by the window.
81 wish some of the Sentners would
run down." she said aloud. ''If David
hadn't been SO ridiculous I'd have got
him to spend the evening. lie can be
good company when he likes. He's
real well read and intelligent. And he
must have dismal times at home there
with nobody but Zillah."
She looked out across the yard to the
little house at the other side of it,
where her French Canadian hired man
lived, and watched the purple iral
of smoke from it's chimney orr y
against the sky that was
great flower, withln
crocus and D1iange.
Poirier Rotle black-eyed,
brow 10y? No, they never
Gy to each other.
so cold I'd go up and see
I'D. GAS tits, l guess I'd
back on my knitting, for
Cnntnor3S fnnC fjaEi
through his socks the other day. How
set back poor David did look, to be
sure. But I think l settled that marry
ing notion of his once for all, and I'm
glad OF it,"
She said the same thing next day to
Mrs Tom Sentner, who had come down
to help her pick her geese. They were
at work in the kitchen with big tub
full of downy feathers between them,
and on the table row of dead birds,
which Leon had killed and brought in.
Josephine was enveloped in a shapeless
print wrapper, and an apron tied
tightly around her head to keep the
down out of her beautiful hair, OF
which she was very proud.
"What do you think, Ida," she said
with hearty laugh at the recollec
tion: "David Hartley was here to tea
last night, and asked me to marry HIM
again. There's persistent man fol
you. l can't brag of ever having haC
many beaux, but I've certainly hao
my share of proposals.
Mrs Tom did not laugh. Her thin
little face, with it's faded prettiness
looked as if she never laughed.
"Why won't you marry him:' she
said fretfully.
"Why would II" retorted Josephine
"Tell me that, Ida Sentner.'
because it is high time you were
married." said Mrs Tom decisively
81 don't believe in women living sin
gle. And l don't see what better yor
can do than take David Hartley"
Josephine looked at her sister with
the interested expression of person
who is trying to understand some
mental attitude of another which is {
standing puzzle to them. Ida's evi
uCllC VlSIl W SCC llC1 HAL INV dt
amused her Ida had married YER,
young, and for Is years her life haC
been one of drudgery and ill-health
Tom Sentner was a lazy, shftlesS fel
low. He neglected and abused his
family, and was drunk half his time
Meadowby people said that he beat
his wife when on his spree, but Joseph
inc did not believe that, because
she did not think that Ida could keef
from telling her if it were SO. Ida
trials in silence.
Had it not been for Josephine's as
sistance Tom Sentner's family wouIc
have stood an excellent chance OF
starvation. Josephine practically kept
them, and her generosity never failed
or stinted. She fed and clothed her
nepheWs and nieces, and all the gray
socks whose destination puzzled Davio
SO much went to the Sentners.
AS for Josephine herself, she had a
good farm, comfortable house and q
plump bank account, and was an in.
dependent, unworried women. And
yet in the face of all this, Mrs Tom
Sentner could bewail the fact that
Josephine had no husband to look out
for her. Josephine shrugged he1
plump shoulders and gave up the CO.
nundrum, merely saying ironically, in
answer to her sisters last remark
J "And 60 to live with: Zillah Hart