The National tribune., 1904-07-07
Eyerybody's NfApdr1he.) }

designated by Mrs. Briggs and had gone
back downstairs. cutting his thick hands
with the relieved air of having finished Il
disa greeable performance.
He paused in the kitchen to gulp drink
of water from long handled dipper. Mrs.
Briggs, the wife of the poor-farm 5 keeper.
lifted one of the belching Stew-pans TO a
new position on the crowded stove and
paused. the crumpled flannel holder in her
upraiSed palm.
Il s'pose Mis- Lowe finds this an awful
comc-down," suggested Mrs. Briggs.
"She has took OH putty bad. huskly
returned the man, his draught still trick
ling in his throat.
"The's good folks live on a poor-farm
Jest the same" said Mrs. Briggs, stiffiy.
From various spouts and vortices the BIZ
lowing steam of a boiled dinner Kissed and
eddied i'm jets and whorls about her head
AS she lifted tin cover from Il Kettle,
up puffed a steam bomb that eXpioded
noseressly against the black ceiling and
rolled away in shredded conyolutions
Shielding her face with her palm turned
outward she went on with the querulous-
ness of a hard worked and heat-vexed
woman.
"Aie n Oleander was girls in school to-
gether, and her folks always stuck them
selves a little higher'n our folks. And
when she throwed over Yves Briggs as
though he want good enough for her and
married Cap'n Lowe. she thought she was
q little better'n ever. But I've found Yves
Briggs good enough for me. He han't
never drunk liquor. and run into extrav.
agances. and got locked into County jail
for debt, and left his wife TO be took care
of by the town. Our old cat has long
tail. but it gets stepped on at last. l hope
Oleander hain't been buildin' no hopes on
bein' coddled and put on pedestal here
folks had money. Mister Briggs was
sayin' only yistiddy when he heard that
the S'lec'men was goin' to send Oleander
here, that there couldn't be no discipline
'thout Mis- Lowe was put right down on
the same level with the other paupers.
She vindictively speared rose-hued tur-
nip with her teSting-fOrk, and despite her
age. her gray hair. her unlovely mouth
lines. and her faded eyes. there was a note
in her voice revealing that the fires belong
ing with youth beauty. and the rivalry of
fresh young hearts still smouldered.
IL don't think Mis- Lowe expects any
thing special" replied the man. with some
crustiness. Even his dull perspicacity had
detected that the keepers wife was preju-
diced 'She cried all the way here. and she
was about the most pitiful passenger l
ever took aboard in 23fyears' experience
in the liv'ry business. So fur's l know.
she's a poor. broken-dOwn woman. and
she's good deal this side of havin' her
nose in the air. All | can say is, l pity
her dretfully." Then his acerbity toward
the keepers wife melted in queer grin.
Il don't think she has come here to try
to cut We out with Wes. though they do
say he was turrible gone on her onct.
He humOrously rounded his back and
threw up his arm with jocular feint of
lodging a missile. then went out chuck
ling
Mrs. Briggs yanked the beet-kette off
the fire and slammed the stoye-lid over
the leaping blaze. In her indignation
rptOrf had failed her Shp uh irIod on two
old pauper women who had been potter
ing around the kitchen. listening with eyi-
dent relish.
"Mess. mess, mess-' she snapped.
''The two of We don't lift hand hard
enough TO lug Il lOuse an inch. It's time
for Mister Briggs and the men to come
from the field. Aunt Tamson, yOu put
your boots on and call Mis- Lowe to help
me dish up. Aunt Zeruah, git the tables
set"
kitchen. the keeper led his field force into
the yard. There We're four old men. all in
faded and patched garb. They trailed in
single file behind the keeper. Their mentor
dragged his muddy rubber boots across the
iron scraper on the step at the kitchen
door and walked in, after few brisk.
backward scuffs on the worn husk mat.
Each old man initiated him sedulously
''Trackin' and traipsin' in jest s much
curry as usual spat Mrs. Briggs through
the smother of kettle-steam. Here's
Aunt Zeruah and Aunt Tamson been
CONTINUAL forenoon" She added, spitefully
"Guess we'll need our new arrival If
were goin' to keep anyways clean here
durin' plantin'."
Her husband whirled to begin the ex-
change OF retorts that regularly made
from the riot Of which the men paupers
We're glad to escape to the fields. Oleander
Lowe was carrying TO the table n stone
ware bowl heaped with pink slices Of tur-
nip and pallid shreds Of cabbage.
"HOwde do. Mis- Lower" cried Briggs
clare I'm glad TO see We here"
Then the equiyocal nature of that kind
OF greeting occurred to him and checked
his embarrassed effnsiveness. 81 don't
mean I'm glad to see ye here as things
IS, he went on. But now that ye're here.
things jest as much as we can and be CON
sistent. The Walpole poor-farm hain't
home. OF course, but me n Mis- Briggs
is kind to paupers. Amt that so, boys?"
The old men affirmed without enthusi-
asm. 1t was apparent also that they af-
firmed without sinister reservation They
had simply old mems liberation of what
couldn't he helped.
II thank you. Wesley-you and your
wife. Of course. rememb'rin'-" Mrs.
Lowe began. but her face puckered into
an ugly grimace Of woe and the tears
flooded her cheeks. When she strove to
wipe her eyes by lifting her forearm, still
grasping the heavy bowl in her hands.
several vegetables rolled off the heap and
spudded mnshily on the clean floor.
"Mister Briggs" called his wife, testify.
81 don't interfere with your men paupers
when they are about their work, and now
this dinner is waitin' to be dished I'D.
REILLY wisht you and the men would use
the sink what We want to and then git
along ont Of the way. You and me and
Mis- Lowe can talk her troubles over
later"
The homely routine Of the poor-farm
kitchen went on in silence after that.
Aunt Tamson. Aunt Zeruah. and Oleander
placed the steaming vegetables on the tn
bles in the bare. bleak dning-room. There
were two plain board tables i'm perpetual
state of moisture from constant scrub
bings
The female paupers sat down at one
table. the men at the other, and the door
was closed on them. Keeper Briggs and
his wife always ate In the kitchen, i'm or.
der that their charges might not bestow
too many 'begretchin' looks on the con.
tents of certain special dishes that re.
mained jealously covered until the doc,
was closed