The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-04-14

joints stiff.
They got through the hot summer
somehow. Harvesting was the hard
est. Lizzie left and they could not
get anyone to take her place. Perhaps
they might have if Tom had been will
ing to pay more than the average
wages and thereby make it an induce
ment; but he said he needed every
cent he could save to buy new machin-
cry.
you see, May, am running the
farm on a scientific basis and must
have proper Implements" he had said
when she asked for a new dress.
Dresses and everything had to give
way to the farm, and May did not like
to go to the village dressed poorer
than before she married a well-to.do
farmer. She heard of the jolly good
times the young people in the neigh
borhood and village were having, and
wondered how other farmers found
time wi en- Tom declared he could not.
They, probably, were not farmers by
nature, but they got along and man.
aged to get some of the normal pleas
ures out of life that the village men
did.
When winter set in, c. id and bleak,
Tom took time to look at May.
"Why on earth don't you smile any
mort?" he asked her one day.
She started up surprised and fri gl.t-
ened.
"I-I-don't feel well," she burst
out, and hid her head over the basket
of darning. Great sobs shook her
form, and then Tom noticed how thin
and slight she WAS. She looked up
presently and smiled through her
tears.
"Maybe l am homesick," she said
in excuse.
"Homesick, and only three miles
from homer he asked.
Eyes, Tom, only three miles but do
you know when l was home last?"
Tom scowled. He knew it had been
over six months, but he did not like
to admit even 10 himself how little
thought he had given her or anything
outside the farm. She laid down the
stockings and went over to her hus-
band.
"What's the matter, dear?" she ask
ed, putting her arms around his neck.
"You used to kiss me every time you
came in the house and now you are
cross and sulky."
Tom shook her arm off.
"Oh, it's nothing you can help, l
suppose, but rather discouraging for
a man with farm like mine to have
everything TO do and plan himself.
Mrs. Horner said only last week that
Betty's butter took first prize at the
fair in September, and they had more
demand for it than they could supply.
I havn't said anything about it to you,
but our butter is getting worse all the
time. You don't work the milk out
of it and it spoils in no time"
AS he was talking he traced the pat
tern in the carpet with his foot. May
moved short distance from him but
did not sit down. She watched the
man before her, studied his face as she
had never done before. In it she saw
determination, steadfastness, honesty,
temperance, everything desirable in a
man; yet she was realizing to the full
est extent that these admirable quail
ties were not all that was necessary to
assure wife's happiness.
From his face she glanced at the re-
dection of her own. Where Was the
roguish laugh that used to hide in the
blue mirrors OF her soul? Where were
the roses that used to peck out from
her full round checks?
1t was not the first time she had
looked at herself since harvest, but it
was the first time she had really seen
herself
"Tom," she said, slowly, II think
you made mistake in not marrying
Betty Horner,"
1t was not quarrel, but it would
have been better had it been, for then
there would have followed a make up
and an understanding. AS it was,
Tom only laughed.
"Jealous OF Betty 3 butter, are you?
Well, you can do as good if you try.
I'm glad I've given you an Incentive" :"
He kissed her before going out to
milk, but the pitiful little droop in her
lips did not leave them.
jealous of Betty's butter,' she
whispered. jealous of somebody's
butter-eh, Tom, Tom," she sobhed