The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-06-11

down on pile of lumber at the end of
the building. Behind him a horse
delved in a manger for hay and sneezed
the dust from his nose every moment.
The night was very dark; perfect
blaCkneSs began at an arms length
The light of the lightning from some
distant storm could be seen playing
low on the horizon. Frogs in a pond
a quarter of a mile away kept up a
dreary concert
But George noticed none of this He
sat in a stupOr, looking toward the in
visible ground. How long he sat in
this way he did not know, but rain be
gan falling, and he moved under the
shelter of a shed and sat on a sill The
rain poured down for a few minutes,
and then stopped as suddenly as it
began. Soon after it stopped George
heard his mother calling him i'm a
doubtful voice from the. other corner
Of the barn. There was that timidity
in it that voice usually has when it's
owner has doubts of being heard. She
was afraid that he had gone away on
his horse before she got there.
George" she repeated, a little
louder.
"Yes'm," ne answered.
Where are yOU2'
Here" was his absurd reply.
She went in the direction Of the
voice.
George. I have come to get you to
for you to"
We'll. I guess I have stood it long
enough 7 don't see that it is anybody S
business who I marry
oh. George. We are all interested in
you. and want to see you do we'll
Then you side with pa" he said,
sullenly.
l. -. se- &c
to speak so harShly. He ought to talk
with you and advise you, If he thinks
you are wrong. but he OUghtnt to be
so harsh
She paused for a moment and as he
did not answer, she went on. Jenny
Is an awfuily nice girl, but pa thinks
she would be a burden TO you because
she has got the-because she is sick so
much. He doesn't like the Wigginses,
but he wouldn't refuse if Jenny was
well and strong. A wife can be a great
help to a Dan. or a great load"
THE load 'uld be on me and nobody
else" George almost sObbed- As his
mother talked. the hOpelessness and
sadness of his position came to him
I know" she went on; but you
don't know how much we are interested
I'm you. You can't ina CINE how much
a father and mother love their chill
dren and want them to do well. When
you were a little baby and lay in your
cradle I thought that / loved you so
much that I could not love you more,
but I love you more now than | did
then. You are a man. and feel like a
man: but you are little to US yet, and
we want TO guide and advise you just
the same. We've had experience, and
know the hardships Of life, and we
would like to give our knowledge to
Won and save Won as much sorrow and
pain as we can.
She paused. and George said, husk-
lily. You aren't saving me much sor-
row.
But. George. we may be. Things
might be worse You are young yet,
and so is Jenny. She may get well.
and then you can get married. But l
wouldn't say anything more about It
now; let it drop for awhile" With
more cOaXing and encouragement she
succeeded in influencing him, and the
two went to the house together. They
found Mr. Morgan reading a paper
The fathers and sons eyes met in a
half-defiant and half-em barTassed
look The young man sat in the back
room. while the father continued read
ing Neither wanted to make any adj
vances: each wanted to feel that the
other was doing the beQding. George
soon went to his room, and the others
retired not long after him. The next
morning the relations. though still con-
strained. were easier. and became more
and more so. until at the end of week
the two men were back in their old
positions as far as appearances went.
IL was on ono pleasant day in Decenl-
Der. about 4 o'clock, that the small
Virgins boy came down the road
toward the Morgans' house He went