Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-01-24

pace. lave WON'T nave nOthln
further to say"
She looked of at the meadowland
as IL it were all settled. Libby would
have to tell her.
Ma" she said, 'its no use to write
to Dave.
why not?" she demanded in HIATT
frightened, half aggressive voice.
He's sold the place, Ma"
Whats that you say? Something
about Dave selling my place? Are
you gone crazy, Libby?'
you know you decided it to him,
Ma. 1t was his after you did that.
And he's sold it, and we'll have to
move out"
Hearing no answer she turned
around, and it was then she coveted
Dawes gift of saying things smoothly.
The old woman was crouched low in
her chair, and her face was CULVER
ing. and looked sunken and gray.
II didn't think he'd do that" she
faltered.
Never mind Ma" Libby said awk.
wardly. Poor Nal"
1t was the nearest to a caress that
had pissed between them since Libby
was a little girl.
Nothing more was said until after
Ma had gone to bed. Libby supposed
she was asl ep, when she called quav.
eringay to her.
Libby" she said, you mustn't be
thinkin' hard of Dave. He must have
thought it for the, best"
Libby was used to caring for Ma,
and she needed care now.
Yes, Ma" she answered, I'm sure
he must"
1t was not until the morning of the
fourth day that the silence between
them was broken. Libby got up to
take down the clock, when she heard
q strange noise behind her, and turn
ing she saw that Mas head was down
low in her hands, and she was rock
ing passionately back and forward
and crying as though her old heart
had broken.
She put down the clock, and again
she wished for little of Dawes sikh
ness of speech. But she did not have
1t, and the BEST she could do was to
pull Mas chair out from the barren
room into the sunshine of the porch.
The hills, she thought, would still
look like home.
Ma did not get up at all the next
day. Perhaps she was ill, or perhaps
it was only that she did not want to
go out in the sitting room and see how
unlike home it looked. But the next
day she did not get up either, and
then Libby went to town for the doc
tor. He said the excitement had
weakened her, and did not seem very
certain she would ever get up again.
That night Libby wrote a letter to
Dave. asking him again to let his
mother die on the old place. A week
passed and an answer had not come,
and still Ma had not left her bed. The
packing was all done, it was just the
first of May and she was just waiting
she did not know for what.
Her whole soul rose up against
moving Ma from the old place now,
when her days were so surely num-
bered, and so she sent a telegram to
Dave, telling him his mother was i'll
and asking leave to stay little long
err. There came reply from his part
.ner, saying that Dave was away and
would not be home for two weeks.
That night the old woman raised
herself and sobbed out the truth.
Its Dave that's KILN me! It's to
think Dave sold the place and turned
me out to die"
The disinherited child wrote let
ter that night and to 1t she signed
her brothers name. Out In the world
they might have applied to it an ugly
word, but Libby was only caring fer
Ma. She was long time about it,
for 1t was hard to put things in Dawes
round, bold hand, and it was hard to
say them in his silky way.
The doctor said next morning that
1t was a matter of but few days at
most, for Ma was much worse.
ut amt that I'm goin' to die" she
said, when Libby came in and found
her crying, "but was thinlsin' of
Dave. l keep thinkin' and thinkin' OF
him when he was little boy and how
he used to run about the place and
how pretty he used to look; and then,
just as begin to take little comfort
in rememberin' some of the smart
things he said, have to think what
he has done, and 1t does seem that
he might have waited TILL" But the
words were too bitter to be spoken,
and with hard, scraping sound in
ner throat she turned her face to the
wall.
Libby put her hand to something In
her pocket and thought of last nights
work with thankfulness.
About II o'clock she entered the
room with the sheets Of a letter in
her hand.
ma" she said, TREMENDOUSLY, here's
a letter just come from Dave"
II knew it'd GOMEZ knew it," And
the old voice filled the room with its
triumphant ring. Then there crept
into her face an anxious look. What
does he say?"
He's sorry about selling the place,
Ma. He really thought you'd like it
better in town. But he's fixed it up
for us to stay. He says you'll never
have to leave the place"
II knowed tt knowed DIT well
enough! You don't know Dave like
l do But read me the letter."
She did read 1t, and the old woman
listened with tears-glad tears now.
falling over her withered cheeks.
You can just unpack our things"
she cried, when 1t was finished, land
get this place Strengthened out. The
idea of your packin' up. and thinkin'
we was goin' to move to town! Nice
mess you've made of it! Jest as II
Dave would hear of us leavin' the
place. I always knowed you never
'preciated Dave"
Before morning broke Ma was
dead. Happy, because she had back