Middletown transcript., 1901-03-16

sat together on the washing-bench out
side the back door, waiting for the milk
to cool before it could be strained. She
was large comfortable woman, with al
unlined face and smooth, fine auburn
hair; he was spare and somewhat bent
with curly iron gray locks, growing thin,
and erow's-feet about his deep-set gray
eyes. He had been smoking the pipe o.
twilight contentment, but now he took il
| out and laid it on the bench beside him.
increasing bis legs and Strengthening
himself with the air of man to whom il
falls, after long pondering, to take some
decisive step.
"No 4; it don't seem as if It was goin'
to happen" he owned. cit looked
pretty dark to me all last week. It's 9
good deal of an undertaken, come tc
think it all over. I dunno IS care about
goin'."
"Why, father! After you've thought
about it so many years, and Sereno's got
the tents strapped up, and all You
must be crazy P'
"Well," said the farmer, gently, as he
rose and went to carry the milk-pails
into the pantry, calling coaxingly, as he
did SO, Kitty kitty You had your
milk. Don't you joggle nowP' For
one eager tabby rose On her hind legs in
purring haste, and hit her nose against
the foaming saucer.
Mrs. Pike came ponderously to her
feet, and followed with the heavy, sway
ing motion of one grown feshy and rheu-
matte. She was not in the least concerned
about Els change of mood. He was
gentle soul, and she had always been able
to guide him in paths of her own choos-
ing. Moreover, the present undertaking
was one involving his own good fortune,
and she meant to tolerate no foolish
scruples, which might interfere with its
result. For Eli, though he had lived all
his life within thirty miles of the ocean,
had never seen it, and ever since his
boyhood he had cherished one darling
plan some day he would go to the
shore and camp out there for week.
This, in his starved imagination, was like
a dream Of the Acropolis to an artist
stricken blind, or as mountain outlines
to the dweller in lonely plain. But the
years had fitted past, and the dream
never seemed nearer completion. There
were always planting, haying, and har-
vesting to be considered, and though he
was fairly prosperous, excursions were
foreign to his simple habit life. But at
last his wife had stepped into the van,
and organized an expedition, with all
the valor of Sir Francis Drake.
"Now, don't you say one word,
father" she had said. "We're goin'
down to the beach, Serene and Hattie
and you and me, and we're goin' to camp
out. It'll do us all good''
For days before the date Of the excur-
sion Eli had been solemn and tremulous,
as with Joy; but now, on the eve Of the
great event, he shrank back from it with
an underlined notion that it was like
death, and that lie was not prepared.
Next morning, however, when they all
rose and took their early breakfast, pre-
paratory to starting at five, he showed no
sign of indecision, and even went about
his outdoor tasks with an alacrity cal
as his wife approvingly remarked,
to " for'ard the v'y'ge." He had at last
begun to see his way clear, and he looked
well satisfied when his daughter Hattie
and Serene, her husband, drove into the
yard in a wagon cheerfully suggestive of
a wandering life. The tents and a small
hair trunk were stored in the back, and
the horses pail swung below.
"Well, father" called Hattie, her rosy
face like flower under the large shade
hat she had trimmed for the OCCASION"
guess we're goin' to have good day."
He nodded from the window where he
was patiently holding his head high and
strangulation, while his wife,
huskily with haste and import
ance, put on his stock.
You come in, Hattie, and help pack |
The doughnuts into that lard pail on the |
table," she called. ~ guess you'll have |
to take two pals. They amt very big"
At length the two teams were ready, |
and Eli mounted to his place, where he
ooked very slender beside his towering
nate. The hired man stood leaning on |
he pump, chewing bit of straw, and the
,ats rubbed against his legs, with tails
ike banners 4; they were all impressed
oy a sense of the unusual.
Well, good by, Luke" Mrs. Pike
,alled, over her shoulder and Eli gave
he man solemn nod, gathered up the
'eins, and drove out of the yard. Just
outside the gate he pulled up"
whoa p' be called, and Luke lounged
onward. "Don't you forget them cats
Get up, Doll r' And this time they were
,one
For the first ten miles of the way,
amiliar in being the road to market,
Eli was placidly cheerful. The sense that
he was going to do some strange deed, to
tep into an unknown country, dropped
lway from him, and he chatted, in his
serious way, of the crops
ind the lay of the land.
Pretty bad job up along here, amt it;
ather p called Serene, as they passed
sterile pasture with two plodding men
md yoke of oxen were redeeming from
is rocky fetters.
"There's good deal of pastur' in
iome places that amt fit for nothin' but
% hold the world together" returned
Eli and then he was silent, his eyes
ixed on Dolls eloquent ears, his mouth
working little. For this progress
through less desirable stratum of life
,aused him to cast backward glance
,ver his own smooth, middle-aged road.
"We've prospered, amt we, Maria ?''
le said at last; and his wife, uncon-