Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-03

anything about my own kitchen I'd as soor
think Of goin out and undertaken to learn him
\ how to curry horse
Mrs Rice senior shook her head dismally
| You don't know jim. He's dreatful hard to git
along with He's awful sot and contrary. Tbs
only way Lucy could ever cit things done was by
/ pretendn she wanted Jest the opposite.
/ Prue by this time had her work out, and wa,
/ sewing busily. Il amt Lucy she said, giving
her thread an emphatic jerk, "and I amt gon
to manage Jim that way
There was a moments silence, while Mrs. Rice
regarded her new daughter with some curiosity.
Prue's brown head was bent over her work and
her eyes were hidden, but there was a determined
curve about her red lips which decided the older
woman to drop that topic of conversation for the
present
''Was you plannin to do your preservn' next
week." she asked. Coz If You was I've got a
lot of currants that you can have just as well as
not"
''No. I guess I won't begin it Just yet" re-
turned Jims wife carclcssly. "There'll be so
much else goin' on. I'm gon' to git Jim to have
the house painted 1t needs it terrible
Then for the first time Prue heard her mother
inaw laugh. IT was short laugh, with no
mrth in it, but it was very expressive.
Land Of Goshen. child! you'll never 'complish
that I'd as soon think Why, that's one Of
Jm's sottest points P'rhaps you amt found
it ont yet, but he's terrible cose-hsted He was
alluz master hand for savin', even when he was
a bow and I'm afraid if he keeps he'll be a
reg miser by the time he's old. I'd have
warned you about this failin of his aforehand, as
/ done Lucy. if I'd ever seen you"
Prue laughed.
"Well it's So This house is regular town
joke We pestered the life out of him for years,
me and Lucy to make him paint it, but he would
Mt and now it's got to be sort of piece Of
stubborn pride with him not to have it touched.
That's Jim all over"
81 guess he'll paint it." said Prue, calmly.
Old Mrs. Rice bridled. well, if his own
mother and his fust wife couldn't make him do
it"
"His second wife will" Pruc finished firmly,
''I guess--this house will be painted
In the week that followed, Prue had a chance
of seeing for herself the truth of Mrs. Rces as
sertions in regard to her sons character.
James Rice unusually clever man. and
his respect for any one who could get ahead of
him" was unbounded. Lucys weak nature had
bowed naturally before her husbands dominant
will He had ruled her in the same way that
he had ruled his mother, merely because she had
meekly submitted, without protest to his ty-
ranny But Prue was different She seemed to |
have brought away with her of the spice
and strength of her own pine woods. and Jim was
often surprised to find at the end of an argument
that he had unconsciously yielded to her wishes |
In an unframed way, Prue a natural musi-
clan. and the harsh. tuneess notes of the thirty
yearold meodeon grated on her sensitive ear.
Jim was very fond of listening to her fresh Young
voice. and after supper, while he smoked his ev-
ening pipe by the open window, he always asked
for his favorite od-time songs
But Prue objected to the dscordant accompa-
niment which the melodeon furnished.
"Jim, you'd ought to git me a new panner,
she said, persuasively. one evening. ''Its real
sin to sing 'Blue-Eyed Mary to an accompani-
ment with FIVE keys off the notes in the bass and
two notes in the treble that don't sound at all"
Jim knocked the bowl of his pipe against the
window-sill and watched the ashes fall on the
grass outside before he answered.
"The melodeons well enough, if you'll just re-
member about not strikin them notes Tain't
the instrument want to hear, anyway; it's your
voice. Lucy understood how to make it go. She
used to play the music soft and sing loud"
"I'm afraid l shant be able to remember that"
said Prue, nnocently, and she began to sing "The
Minstrel Boy"