Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-04-18

"a T the open door Of the kitchen
IVA Mistress Taunston sat before
RA her spinning wheel, busy with
distaff and spindle, and at in
tervals as she paused in her work
looked longingly toward the fertile
lands Of the Maryland farm. But her
thoughts, never far from her son Jo-
slab, soon strayed back to him.
"Een now he is at his wooing,' she
said to herself with stern exultation,
Fan pray the good Lord who Is ever
watchful Of the faithful to put persua-
sive and convincing words on my lads
lips and guide him to the most proper
conduct"
For time she seemed lost in thought
until her distafr, falling from under her
arm, came to the floor with a rattllng
noise that reused her. Then the re-
membrance Of Hetty, who upon her
arrival from her cousins had been sent
to the brook to fill the ewers, coming
to her mind, she rose suddenly to look
at the sun. Finding the hour to be lat
er than she had at first supposed, her
irritation and anger caused by her
daughters delay at the brook knew no
bounds. She called the girls name
shrilly once, twice, muttering angrily
rs she got no response.
Just then Josiah rode in from his
visit to the Maryland farm.
"Cease thy shrewish screaming,
mother" he commanded roughly.
"Dost wish to rouse the village? Thy
voice can be heard half mile be-
low"
| The dame, angered at his rebuke, re-
sumed her seat in sullen silence, and
Josiah took his horse to the barn. In
a short time he returned and, entering
the kitchen, threw himself down heav-
lily on chair near his mother, who
continued to spin busily without ap
parently needing his presence.
At last he broke the silence by saying
with affected carelessness: Thou dds
not tell me-if my memory serves me
well on SO slight a matter-of what ap
pearance the cavalier was that rode
by Haggotts and mistook the Stern
! dorf road. Was he an unbearded gal
liant, tickle and changeable as the wind
one day mad in love with a prett.
face and forgetting it the next, or wa
he old and gray haired, with an eye tt
finishing his days in comfort on tn
} estate Of his bride?"
r His mother looked out through tn
! doorway. rehectively maintaining TO
: moment or two provoking silence
I After what seemed to the impatien
Josiah an interminable length Of tim
she remarked with i'll concealed eager
| ness, "Thou vert successful in th
wooing, Josiah, and ask now Of thin
enemy's appearance in order that tho
! mayst know the extent of th
, triumph
GAS to that matter, nothing /
t definitely settled he replied imps
j tiently. 81 will explain our under
t standing later, mother, when the moo
4 hour is not at hand and the animal
: to be fed. Canst not find words t
+ answer my question:" he cried out I
g harsh tones. "Didst thou see TIL
t Frenchman plainly? OF what appea
e ance was hep?
:, With quiet elaboration, which WE
/ in direct contrast to her sons excite
J. manner. she commenced her narr.
tive.
y "Josiah, I ha' told thee Of the ga
lant's sudden appearance at goo
:, Brother Haggott's door, of his lou
). knocking and Of how from my plat
g behind the lattice observed him car
y fully"
AYE, thou hast, but naught else
r Josiah interposed with eagerness.