The Elbert County tribune., 1903-10-08

lc mfnu. lnel ifhu set uoWu iour oos'
lars and onc-half last revival time. and
only fifty cents OF il WAS paid. besides
the half bushci OF potatoes and what
butter she had spared.
EInboldened by his silence. she goes
on to remind him that Ruben needs
new pair OF boots. since he and the
team have been promised n week In
Turner's timber. And Mandy ought
to have a new calico dress IL she
takes the little ones 10 Sunday-schcoi-
And she. herself. would like to get
another bottle of that iron tonic just
to carry her over hnying season; the
other bottle had sort o. braced her up.
She hated TO go TO Dir. Dean again.
when he wasn't paid yet for tending on
Willie and the baby.
Jason Grant is astonished. Doesn't
he let her have half the butter and
egg money. and oughtn't n woman to
keep herself In little things with all
that? Don't all the stores where she
trades carry calicol And Nubens
boots will last anoiher two months at
least; he noticed them only last sun
day. As 10 the parson. doesn't he.
Jason Grant. give each of the children
penny every Sunday for the collec-
ton? She doesn't stop to calculate
how much that amounts to in year;
women are nothing at figures anyhow.
Well. he'll see the parson some OF these
days and see about that four dollars.
Maybe he'll take some more potatoes.
He settles back 10 his paper without
mention of the medicine. But his
..ts- halt f,.t. oil
at her own temerity. Can she hive Just
enough to get the tonic? she can't
sell butter and eggs Mt the drug store.
II she can only he carried over till
cool weather She isn't feeling right
sslart. and baby pulls her down
and"
Her husband breaks in impaticntly.
How much does bottle cost? Thirty
FIVE cents. He counts out the exact
change into her extended hand, mutter-
ing that he doesn't see how he Is ever
TO improve the Lower Ranch IL she
keeps on. Nearly a whole half dollar
for lottle of patent medicine that
won't do any good either. Women are
always sick or think they are. If they'd
only take care Of themselves. He Is
never sick. Always money. Does she
think his breeches pockets are chuck
full all the timcy \ man can struggle
along all his days and work like n
slave and never get ahead. And to
see his money. good straight silver.
cash, mind you. worse than thrown
away on such fool things as patent
bitters. 1t is downright outrageousi
And two new siclSles broken and new
sulky rake to buy. and stock-well to
dig on the Lower Ranch, and won't
that ranch be hers when he is dead?
After several such interviews. Mary
Grants aversion 10 the Lower Ranch
grew into n sort of manip Not only
did she refuse to see II. but she began
to tell her neighbors in n boastful way
that she had never seen the big piece
of land. bought when she was n bride.
now more than eighteen years ago.
and what was more. she never would
go near it. 1t was the one subject
upon which she was tallsative. The
habit grew upon her. She would tell
the same story to every one. even to
chance acquantances She went so far
as TO repeat her VOW TO the minister
in the presence of her husband-a vow
which the minister never forgot and
which the husband never forgave.
But one day. after n weeks absence
at the county-seat Jason Grant re-
turned home too jubilant TO remember
petty wrongs. The Branch Road was
to be built, in fact, was being built
The survey was completed, construc-
tion begun. and oh, what fortune, n
station was located right in the south
west corner of his section. A town.
rejoicing In the name of Granville
was to be laid out, and he would be the
Town Company. with the price of lots
to be fixed at his discretion. Now she
must go to see their town on their
ranch.
She heard him through with her little
mirthless smile, but shook her head.
She could not go; she was always too
tired.
And she clung to her resolution. The
road was completed. the town laid out
lots sold and houses erected by the
magic of all Western booms. Grant
vile fiourshed that summer and fall
There were the smell of new lumber
and fresh paint and the sound of saw
and hammer. A quarry was opened
within two miles of the town. The
new cemetery. with its two fresh
graves, was laid out in the northeast
corner of Jason Grants ranch. and
even there was boom in lots.
But the Town Company's wife never
saw the town. She Kept her vow with
the dogged persistence of her class.
though the town was their neares.
market. She remained at home alto
gether on Sundays after the services
were transferred from the country
schoolhouse to the new church In town.