Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-11-15

fash yer bonny held over the books,
ma lass. Come ootbye wi me, an We'll
leave the door on the sneck, an yell
shin hear il the wee yin waukens. Are
We comin?"
mot tonight, Davie I've plenty TO
do in the house, and
Chats what we're aye tellin me!
Its Just the truth
"Maybe that's the reason di'na ike
| it. whites think ye're over hard
wrocht i the hoose, Jess. If that's the
case III
mo. no. no." she answered lightly.
| "I'll complain when I'm overwrought.
| AWAY to the garden or the light IL be
gone. and then you'll have to look after
| your pansics instead of Katie in the
morning"
"Thats cyceedin'ly likely" he retort-
ed with pleasant irony as he left the
parlor.
Jess drew forward the hood of the
cradle and lit the lamp, for the dow
light was failing in the room. She pick
ed up the letter her husband had writ
ten to his assistant and carried it into
the kitchen, placing it upright on the
chimney piece there SO that it might
not be forgotten in the morning.
davies sure to see 1t when he's at
his breakfast" she thought. II don't
want to bother him speaking about it
again."
Returning to the parlor, she first
i Snnthpt1 t1ln f.hilJ y.t,n cbo ,ipu
signs of restlessness and then seated
herself ut the table and resumed her
examination of the ledger, from which
she was drawing up rough balance
sheet and profit and loss statement.
Her husbands present state Of affairs
was vastly different from that first one
which she had sighed to set on paper
two years ago. The ends that no
stretching of the most hopeful imagi-
nation could then bring together were
now tied and with something to spare.
David Houston was solvent, and not
barely SO.
And yet Jess considered the cheerful
figures before her with anxiety. 1t
was as If having done all she could to
make ends meet and tie the knot she
saw the knot already giving and the
ends slipping slowly but surely apart
How could she secure the knot before
1t was too late? Had she thought and
labored in vain? Was her great idea,
her sweet secret desire, her never SUM
bering hope, to come to nothing? What
could she do to stay the dull falling
away of David's trade and bring back
the recent bright prosperity?
She could tell her husband every.
thing-everything she had done, every
thing she had endured through the
past two years. That would rouse him
she knew, to the strong effort of which
she was convinced he was capable
But in what way would it rouse him!
Through tender love? Through hot
pride? Through pure shame?
All, no! She could not bear the
thought Of her good man shamed be.
fore her. Nothing was worth that-not
even her great idea. Moreover 1t sud.
denly flashed on her, if she told him
all, her great idea would become hel
, ruined hope.
81 can't give in! won't give in!'
she. murmurcd. 81 don't want Davie
to be sorry for me-" she thought mo.
ment later II don't want him to be
bitterly veXed with himself. l must
rouse him without hurting him; must
be A1tient with him; must try to get
him to take things seriously without
seeming to take them too seriously my
self, Oh, If he could only have another
year like the last don't think need
toto hide things from him any more.
Only one more year, and then he No!
don't care If it takes five years, ten
years, won't give in! won't give
in!' she repeated firmly to herself and
bent steadily over her work
She started up listening. She fan
cied she heard a faint cry outside. She
rose to go to the window when David
came lurriedly into the parlor.
what Is she began, seeing his
face white.
"Therc's man in the waiter DOT
thonder" he said rapidly. "I'll be back
ina wee while"
He was gone.
Jess FASTENED to the window and saw
him running out at the gate. The
hedge hid him for few seconds, and
then she saw him leaping down the
rocky shore. A thick haze hung heav.
lily over the loch, and out of 1t came the
cry she had already heard. Something
seemed to grip her heart, and sickly
chill came over her body.
"Davie" she cried stupidity. "Come
back! Come back"
She beheld him wading into the loci
H. deeper = deeper = and somehow she
could not move
, A little cry from the cradle broke thu
, spell of horror that seemed to have
+ been cast upon her. She turned swift
ly, caught up her baby, wrapped thu
+ tiny mortal in Il heavy sofa blanket
and fled from the house into the sum
= mer dusk, not calling, but pantingly
! whispering her husbands name.
From the road she could see nothing
q but when she reached the waters edge
how she passed over the rough beacl
a burdened and without stumbling she
= could never afterward tell-she per
1 ceivcd through the mist dim, darl
/, monstrous shape like the back of 1
/
i, whale, and, her nerves giving way, she
, screamed loudly.
r Some one-she does not know who Il
was today-came to her side and re
lieved her of her baby, patting her OF
the shoulder, endeavoring to sootht
her.
whats that? What's that" she
) cried wildly, pcering and pointing.
) THAT'S the boat, upside doom. Kecr
up yer hert, Mistress Houston. Yel
man II no. get droonit."
People began to collect on the beacl
where Jess stood, and not far away &
e couple Of men had launched small
boat and were pulling to the rescue.
Then, after what seemed an age t.
the distracted young wife and her ex
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