The National tribune., 1904-07-07

that I've had good vittles in my lifetime?'
grumbled Uncle Larrabee.
''Ye hain't got no right to grind the iron
into a mans soul" said Micajah 'Jote' S
old and childish, and ye keep stirrin' up
the things a man don't want to remember
when he's a pauper, with everything wuth
liyin' for laid away in some graveyard.
Shet your clack: And furder n that. the
rest of us hain't craven images. We've
had homes and wives and vittles of our
own
Uncle Larrabee was silent then, and
sullenly scrabbied the potato in the gravy
on his plate.
But Jolham, who had apparently not
noticed the conversation, pushed his chair
from the table and hobbled across the
room. Had the old men and women pos
sessed as keen eyes and as shrewd wits
as in their younger days, when they used
to analyze emotions, they would have seen
that while Jotham Bailey was weeping
softly at his table Oleander Lowe was
gazing at him through her tears.
Now he went straight to her and took
her corded hands in his rough. brown
palms.
"Oleander." he quavered. "the' hain't
nothin' an old pauper can say to ye to help
ye one mite. l never was no hand at sayin'
things anyway. But l guess ye know how
sorry it makes me to see ye here. | un-
to have Mis- Briggs CROWN over ye. Aw-
full. Awful! It's a mans fault when he's
a pauper-but faint woman's. She de-
pends on the man that has said he will
keer for her and cherish her-and-and-
then don't do it"
His voice was harsh now and his eyes
blazed.
Il know" she murmured. chokingly.
"Ye're blamin' the Cap'n now. But he
hain't all to blame"
HE is" persisted lothian. He raised
his voice, but the rest Of the old people.
| with emotions long ago deadened, scraped
knife on plate and munched with increas-
ing physical satisfaction.
"Ye know how all the men chased the
Cap'n up, and he was poplar and easily
influenced, Joe" stammered the loyal wife.
Il know know" broke in Jonathan,
irritably. "He was poplar enough to cut
me out, and Wes Briggs out, and all the
rest. He got the best girl there was in
| WalpOle. and then he got so blamed pop
lar he has let her come onto the town."
| The woman looked up at him with q
| trace Of the old-time fire in her eyes.
| Il know what We mean by that look,
Oleander," he said; ''ye mean that I'm
only pauper myself. But with the heart
| gone out of a man, and no one dependent
on him. and no one to encourage him, We
needn't expect he's goin' to git to be mil
| liOnaire. Some men are took that way, but
/ han't. And look here"'
He laid ont his hands before her, turn.
ing them over and over. The joints were
bulged and knotted and distorted.
Fifteen years Of rheumatic" he ex.
planned. wistfully. 81 couldn't work a
mite. Oleander. Ye've knowed of it prob
ry."
"I knew it. joe" she answered earn.
estly:
| mn mi tho ha rad AT
the look of pain on her face. he added
hastily, 81 want castin' no slurs on the
| Cap'n, Oleander. ! was Jest settin' myself
right with ye. l reckon that little is due
me. l hain't lost all pride"
He pat his hand on the table beside her
own and leaned to her ear.
81 reckon We hain't thought nothin
about me for years." lie went on, softly
'.Ye've had plenty i'm your life to make ye
forgit. But l hain't never stopped lovin
ye. Oleander Hain't tried to. Don't want
to try. Love We now, Oleander. Needn'i
think I'm crazy. but hain't ever seemed
able TO git In love with any body else. Kind
o shiftless about that like ev'rything else
hey"
He hobbled away. but came back.
Take good heart. Oleander," he coun
selled. Mis- Briggs is snappy and-and
some prejudiced still-ye understand! Blu,
she means well. And if We want anything
Of this old pup. jest whistle. P'raps
can't do nothin' but bark. but even that,
comply"
The tagging days went on. There was
the dull routine Of kitchen-work for Ole
ander, and the wearisome round OF tn.
fields for lothian. who toiled as well al
his crippled hands would allow. A fore
noon OF Mrs. Briggs fretful nagging was
always forgotten when lothian yankei
his CHEEKY little nod at her as he came
into the kitchen mt noon. He beamed OF
her as he scrubbed his gritty hands in th.
basin. prolonging his ablutions until tn,
other old men grew snappily impatient.
Once in a while Of an evening, when h,
was smoking his pipe at the corner OF til.
house, she would come to him and sit will
her hands rolled in her apron. She talked
OF her troubles and found him q patien
and comforting listener. He constantly In