The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1901-11-14

!
CO HE house door stood wide open.
The top of the kitchen range
q glowed with fiery heat, which,
shlmmering out into the sunshine, set
all the atmosphere to pulsing and quak-
Ing with Its intensity. Just inside, at
q whte-coyered board laid across two
chair-tops, a tired-faced woman with
gray hair was ironing. At the sink, a
man stood with half-emptled dipper
In his appraised hand, while the tones
of his expostulating voice rang out dis
cordantly
I'm surprised, Mirandy," he was say
Ing, tibet 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
thlng'll be hlrin' Of extry help for the
haydn. An now you put up an want
money to go yisitin in town an buying
things"
He paused, breathless, almost and
took deep draught from the dipper.
His wife raised her eyelids little as
she answered him.
Its the first time sense I've lived
with you that | hev asked anythin' of
you. Josiah"
LET it be the last then" he inter
rupted, quickly; IA woman's place Is
to home, mindin' her own business and
doin' Of her work, not galliyantin
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 a
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 go
anywheres or gittin' any comfort" she
muttered, as she sorted out a great pile
of towels and put them to one side.
Tell Helen amt like her. l can't go
an do as | please. hain't never had
that chance, sense l knew him." She
east 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 well
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 anxiously
around, as 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
reassuring voice. He lifted every latch
and called her name. Only the echoes
gave back the accents through the emp
tiness 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 a
letter. He picked it up gingerly, looked
ly had deciphered its unsteadlly 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 it 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 Helens to look for
me, for she knows no more than you do
where | am. All it is. am going to let
you get along without me little while,
and | am going to take a vacation.
When get ready-when you have
missed me little, and learned how
much | do every day, and how much
am worth to you, in dollars and cents
1 am coming back. Don't worry
about me- for shall have enough to
eat and a place to stay, and that is
about all ] ever had with you"
When he had recovered somewhat
from the open-mouthed wonder with
which this letter had afflicted him, be
proceeded awkwardly to set forth the
dinner and to wait upon the men as
well as he could.
A few days passed thus. As long as
the plentifully supplied larder held out,
they managed to subslst without the
busy hands and tireless feet that had
hitherto served them; but the house
gradually assumed reckless, down-at-
the-heel air, dust lay thickly In the cor
ners, while the pile of soiled dishes In
the kitchen sink grew to gigantic pro-
portions. Then the good farmer began
to look about him and to remember all
the little duties she had assumed so
uncomplainingly, while he looked on,