The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-01-09

waitress brought and distributed the
trayful Of small dishes holding their
supper. When she had gone, Brooke
asked gently: "And has the girl
thrown you over now?"
Ellsworth looked with sharp sur
prise at his questioner. who? Mar |
tina? No, she amt. You don't seem
to understand what sort of a girl she
is. no. sir! She's hung to me like
sheep stay with an old bell Wether.
That's what makes me nervous. She's
been-there amt no telling what that
girl amt said and done. She's made
me stay awake. nights and think, and
that's more than anything or any
body ever did before since L was born.
1t was her that made me take that
piece of land ON the shares this sum-
mer, so I couldaipay5 back the money
to- old Burton. Fl had to furnish my
own seed corn, and she helped me to
bug it. What do you think of that?
Say, I've wished a dozen times this
last six months that she would drop
memo, / ain't" either; but I've felt,
pretty near like wishing it. A good
woman can make a man feel SO
/ DANCED uneasy. Oh, judge, you don't
know that girl! Why, I'd about made
up my mind once or twice to RUN
away, after the sheriff let me CO., and
/ get rid Of the whole business. but she
Wouldn't have it. She said I'd got
to be i man. Let me tell you; she
I come down to the train night before
+ last with me-. to. see me off; that's
ljWhau she did, and she told me then
|'I,d get to be q man if she was to have
i anything to do with me. She said
|. she could wait while I was takin' my
medicine How does that strike you?"
|, = He had, laid aside knife and fork,
land was leaning forward with his ell
l. + fol h hi
forgotten in the ecstacy of his speech.
/ a Quit me-! Well, I should say not!"
/ :, Brooke too, had lost interest in the
supper; but Stillings was giving stolid
| attention to. his. beefsteak and fried
|potatoes. There. seemed to be no need
for professional intervention. Brooke
thoughts were, much engaged. 1t waB
evident that. EllsWorth's exuberant
speech was apotheosis of the woman,
rather than an excuse or justification
of himself; he seemed to have lost
sight of himself altogether, save as he
made the merest@ lay. figure for the
exercise of Martha's SURPRISING steady
virtues. Such a man does not plead
for himself
80, you see,'' he continued, chats
why I'm anxious. IF it was only me I
wouldn't care-not so much, anyway;
but now seems like I've got to care. j
want to show her that she amt
trusted me for nothing. I want to
make it all right with Martha"
Brooke's foot sought Stillings broad
Etoese beneath the; table and gave to
: them a, gentle pressure of inquiry. "A
barely perceptible. nod was Stillings
answer. Stillings was not inattentive
5 but: do you feel sure Of yourself
5 Ellsworth? % Brooke asked. ~ on
mustn't think only of the woman's
t power over you, In matter like this
I man must, after all, rely chiefly
upon himself. He doesn't want some
| one to lean upon, he must learn tc
) stand alone You have to think OF
: that"
t Yes, I know have" Ellsworth
Unanswered. rive spent lots Of time thi
: summer thinking over the whole bust
ness. There amt many men that ar
any good at standing alone or walk
ing straight by themselves. I don
+ suppose I could do it don't sup
.. pose I would if / could unless | hat
somebody else to- think about beside
! myself This is. the way I've figured
it out: A man----just a common man
: like me-most generally amt ambi
, tious to amount to much just Tor tn
sake of being proud, Of himself.
? never cared I never thought abou
: it one way or the other. 1 reckon tn
reason I never stole before this tim
1 was because I never thought about il
e But it's different when the mans go
a woman to think, apoul-lI she 8 an
7 good. Why, it looks to me now Xix
i woman, he's going to be just as goo
t as she makes him be- Amt that rea
e sonable?- If she won't put up wit
d, so sure that the two are so sharply sep
/; said to me, See here, Jimmy, youv
Z. got to be a mani why t I'm he's goin
S to do it. Same as if she was sittir
r on the top rail of a high fence, an
V she says to, him, come UP here an
. set bseide me..-Won't he climb up
s You bet he will. But if she WASH
:. there that top rail wouldn't draw hin
q not by itself. iQh, I've thought abou
t it a heap!''
q ''You two will be in the court ROOF
at nine in. the morning" he said. "
o shall think of the matter. over nigh
4 and attend to the. sentence at ono
e. when court; is opened. There is. moth