Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-07-04

good old name?"
But Jere answered quietly and
finally, "My mind is fully made up"
"Then, Jere Ketchum, you can go.
I won't have my other boy led
astray." And Abner Ketchum left
the room, his lips white and set.
All the latent stubbornness in Jere
was aroused by his fathers last
! words and all his mothers pleading
or his sisters tears could not make
| him change his mind. And now it
| was three years since he had left the
| homestead, and although the mother
| heart yearned for him, she suffered
in silence. Abigail heard her sigh as
they assembled the stairs and her own
| rebellion against her father harden
ed. If Abner Ketchum had seen the
notice of Jere's appearance in Salina,
he gave no sign but sat completely
| absorbed in the news. Mrs. Ketchum
| brought out the mending basket and
| putting the spools of darning cotton
on the table set grimly to work. After
| some moments silence she asked,
What are you going to do tomor-
row, father?'
| Abner Ketchum looked down over
his spectacles and shifted his feet
to more comfortable position on
the fender before replying.
Guess I'll oil up those harnesses.
I've been waiting for Henry to do it
| but he's always too. busy with his
studying. l expect to be pretty busy
in week or so. Why?"
"Well, you see," replied Mrs.
Ketchum, as she enveloped her hand
in a great blue cotton sock, ''that
fresh pork won't stand this warm
| spell and I want to take a mess of it
over to Martha and, as my weeks
work is well under way, I thought
Abbie and l would GO tomorrow"
! Now, Martha was Abner's sister
who lived in Salina and was in SYM
pathy with Jere. She always kept
Mrs. Ketchum informed as to his
whereabouts. Mr.. Ketchum, however,
had never suspected it, SO he said
somewhat pleasantly, ''Well, would,
mother. You've been working hard
putting up stuff for the winter and
the fall butcherin' is always hard on
women-folks. I guess daughter won't
be sorry for little change"
Abigail sat with reddening cheeks
and beating heart, not daring to
glance at her mother. Surely" she
thought, mothers made up her
mind to something"
Mrs. Ketchum finished her mending
| just as the old clock wheezed and
whined, then struck nine metallic
| strokes.
| 81 suppose you'll want an early
| start" remarked Mr.. Ketchum as he
shot the bolt in the sitting room
door.
Eyes, I calculate to take the quar-
ter past nine car" replied his wife.
did you have any word to send
| Martha?'
''You might ask her if she could
guess that porker's weight by the
size of the tenderloins, for I never
did see such tenderloins in pig be-
fore, and Martha always was good
hand at guessing"
Miss Martha Ketchum welcomed
her sister-in-law in her usual warm
hearted manner and-soon found that
it was more than a ''mess of fresh
| pork" that had brought her.
The mother and Abigail soon laid
their plans before Miss Martha and
she heartily approved of them. She
herself had intended to go to the
matinee that afternoon, as it was
Jere's first appearance in Salina
Two o'clock found the little party
settled, in good seats anxiously await
ing the rising of the curtain.
Abner Ketchum built a roaring fire
in the kitchen stove, carefully spread
out piece Of burlap on the spotless
floor and faithfully "oiled harness"
the greater part of the forenoon. He
looked particularly downcast as he
drew up his chair to the kitchen table
preparatory to eating the cold lunch
his wife had left for him.
'"This stuff don't taste right, some
how he said, munching away on
cold sausages and bread "Guess I'll
make some coffee" But the coffee,
too, had lost it's charm and the man
absent mindedly sugared it twice, and
stirred and stirred as his thoughts
ran on. The pie remained untasted.
Altogether the meal was most I'M
satisfactory. The old house shudder-
ed as if it, too, was overcome with
a sense of loneliness, and a blind in
the spare room kept slamming in
most refractory manner. Abner rose
| to FIX it. The spare room was an I'M
familiar spot to him and he instinct
lively stopped on the threshold to
wipe his feet on the braided rug The
! blind fastened, Abner stood mo-
ment IN the room and looked proudly
at the great snowy bed with it's red
embroidered shams; the old walnut
| bureau had been his mothers; just
above it a boyish face stared at him
from out gilded frame. Abner
| looked and looked, he seemed almost
| to devour it. Dash it ALL" he ex-
claimed, slamming the door, "I'm
getting to be regular grannie about