Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-11-24


Alan thinks that you N Sally ort to
live in a better house than jest this
hecr log cabin, an
The wan face of the tired woman
was aglow with expectation She
sank down OH the doorstep and sat
still and mute. her hands clasping each
other in her lap. She had always dis
liked that cabin and its sordid sur
lroundings, and there was something in
| Bishops talk that made her think lie
was about to propose renting the new
farm, house and all, to her husband
Her mouth fell open: she scarcely al
lowed herself to breathe. Then. rs
Bishop paused. her husbands voice
struck dumb dismay to her heart. 1t
was as if she was falling from glowing
hope back to tasted despair.
"Thar's more land in that farm an
could do jestice to, Mr.. Bishop, but
eff thar's a good cabin OH it an you see
fit to cut of enough fer me an one
boss I'd jest as soon tend that as this
hecr. want to Go what you an Alan
think is best all round.''
"Oh, Pole, Pole!' The woman was
crying 1t to herself. her face lowered to
her hands that the two men might not
see the agony written in her eyes \
house like that to live in, with all
those rooms and tircplaccs and Win
dows with panes of glass in them! She
fanced she saw her children playing
on the tight. smooth floors and on the
lcneysucklcd porch. For one minute
these things had been hers, to be
snatched away by the callous indiffer-
ence of her husband, who. alas, had
never cared II straw for appearances!
ooh, l wasn't thnkin' about rcntin'
it to you" said Bishop. And the wo.
mans dream was over. She raised her
head. awake again You see," went
on Bishop, still struggling for proper
expression, "Alan thinks = well, he
thinks you are scch q born fool about
not acceptin' help from them that feels
nigh to you an, may as we'll say,
grateful, exceedingly grateful, fer what
you've done, things that no other livin
man could a done-Alan thinks you
ort to have the farm fer yorc own prop
erty, an SO the deeds has been made
out to-
| Pole drew himself up to his full
height. His big face was flushed. half
with anger, half with Il strong emotion
of !: tenderer kind. He stood towering
over the old man like Il giant swaycd
by the warning winds of good and evil.
81 won't heer word more CT that,
Mr.. Bishop" he said, with quiyering
lip-"not word more BY golly,
mean what say! don't want to hecr
another word Of it. This hcer place is
good enough fer me an my family.
It's done eight yeer, an it kin do an
other eight
"Oh, Pole, Pole, Pole!' The wom-
ans cry was now audible. 1t came
straight from her pent up, starving
soul and went right to Bishops heart.
you want the place, don't you, Sal
ly?" he said, calling her by her given
name for the first time, as If he had
just discovered their kinship. He could
not have used tenderer tone to child
of his own.
"Mind, mind what you say, Sallyw
ordered Pole from the depths of his
fighting emotion. mind what you
snyw
The woman looked ut Bishop. Her
glance was on fire.
Eyes, l want til want itv she cried.
II amt goin to lie. I want it more
right now than do the kingdom of
heaven. want it eff we have right
to it. Oh, I don't knoww She dropped
her head in her lap and began to sob.
Bishop stood up. He moved toward
her in jerky fashion and laid his
hand on the pitifully tight knot of hair
at the back Of her head.
"Well, it's yores," he said. "Alan
thought Pole would raise kick about
II, an me an him had 1t made out
lin yore name, SO he couldn't fetch it.
It's yores, Sally Ann Baker. That's
the way it reads"
The woman's sobs increased, but
they Were sobs Of unbridled joy. With
her apron to her eyes she rose and hur
ried into the house.
The eyes of the two men met. Bishop
spoke first:
You've got to give in, Pole" he said
"You'd not be man to stand betwix1
yore wife an thing she wants as bat
as she does that place, an by all that's
good an holy. you sha'n't!"
Whats the use O. ME tryin' to gi
even with Alan," Pole exclaimed, SCI
he's eternally a-goin' to git up some'n
I've been tickled to death ever since
cornered old Craig till now. but yo,
an him has spilled 1t all by this hee
trick. 1t amt fair to me-"
, '.Well, it's DONE" smiled the old maj
as he went to his horse, IAN eff 20,
J don't live thar with Sally I'll make e
git divorce"
9 Bishop had reached little pigpel
8 in fence corner farther along on hi
3 way home when Mrs. Baker suddenl
= emerged from patch of high corn Il
= front Of him.
, .'Is he gain to take.it Mr.. Bishop?'
! she asked, painting from her hurried
walk through the corn that hid he
, from the view of the cabin.
: "Yes," Bishop told her. I'm a-goil
e to send two wagons over in the morn
3 In to move yore things. l wish 1t wa
, ten times as good place as it is, blu
!, it will insure you an the children
. Twin an a comfortable home"
: After the manner of many of he
Kind, the woman uttered no words {
9 thanks, but simply turned back into IL
| GOWN apd ocn,Ipied with her own yicto