Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04
WHY SHE KEPT STILL


There 10 d young Washington business
man who has lately developed q hatred for
cisterns that may seem wholly beyond rea-
son to those not acquainted with hts tragic
story. A certain cistern he declares IL the
cause Of the somewhat strained relations
that exist between himself and the woman
whom he soleu,nly promised two years ago
to love. honor and cherish
A few weeks since this young business
man and his wife closed the doors and
blinds Of their ive-rooms-and-bath domicile
in the city. and with a small trunk full Of
wearing apparel betook themselves to
quiet country place down In Virginia. 1t
was q lovely place In which to rest and
fight mosquitoes. and the young business
man and his wife found great enjoyment
In the country scenes during the first week
or so OF their stay. There were cows and
horses and pigs and such other animals az
are usually found on a farm and, besides,
there were groves of beautiful trees, and
near the place was shady stream on
whose grassy banks one might stretch out
in the middle of the day and listen to the
murmuring waters and the singing Of the
birds and other soothing noises Of the
woods Everything was lovely.
And. in addition, ct this farm place there
was Deep old-fashioned cistern, one of
the old oaken bucket variety. walled up
on the inside with messy rocks, against
which the two wooden buckets tangled as
they were let down and pulled up by means
OF rope through pulley overhead. The
young Washington business man and his
wife loved to draw q cool. refreshing drink
from this old cistern after they had return
ed to the house from long stroll through
the woods.
One day the vie was leaning over the
cistern gazing into the depths OF whole
some rain water. when she heard and saw
q splash in the water below She saw the
widening circle OF ripples caused by some
thing falling In.
Now, wonder what that can be?" she
said to herself
Then instinctiveiy she felt in her belt
where she carried her watch. The little
gold timepiece. set with diamonds, which
had been given her by her father. now de-
ceased, was missing.
.O-ohi's she cried. Its my watch! Oh,
Charley! Chariey!'
ably In the hammock on a shady porch. He
had been there for some time working up a
deal with q gentleman who was going to
give him something for nothing. and he
large bundle OF gold certificates which
would place hinton easy street for the rest
Of his sIife-when he felt fierce clutch at
hts shoulder. the money was snatched out
of his grasp, and he was shaken into con-
sciousness by q whole lair full OF Wall
street bears. That is the way it appeared
to him.
Charley. Charley. I've lost my watch"
/
up and get 1t for me. Hurry up!'
t'Oh e. way an let feiler res. Hain't
got no wasch," replied Charley, rub
bling his eyes and preparing to take another
excursion into dreamland.
But the wife was resourcefui little wom-
an. She wanted Charley to get her watch.
So she promptly turned the hammock over
and upset Charley on to the hard floor of
the porch
Then he awoke He was in no mood for
jokes. What he said was not good for the
hearing. It would not do for an after din
ner speech at q Ladies Aid Society fes-
tivaL
When he had subsidized and his wife, with
real tears in her eyes. told of her mlsfor-
tune, Charley begged her pardon and that
of the rest of the household within hearing.
and, like dear little husband, went around
to the castern to try and fish out the watch.
There had been a heavy rain the day be-
fore and the cistern was quite full of wa
ter. Charley and a small boy were the
only men folks" at the house, and Char
ley's wife refused to be comforted unless
he tried to get the missing jewelry without
delay. Besides, the watch was valuable
and rain water was not good for its COM
plexion.
There was no waiting for the men folks
and the watch could not be seen from the
top of the cistern and therefore could not
be fshed out. SO all that remained for Char
ley to do was to empty the cistern. That
was suggestion of the wife. The husband
entered q spirited demurrer, but 1t was
promptly oyerruied and the poor man was
elected .it.'
With many a low-muttered complaint
Charles pulled up his sleeves and started
to empty the cistern a bueketful at - time.
There was nothing slow about this young
Washington man and he went at his work
with rush-for while. Then he grew
calm and settled into an all-day stride.
Bucket after bucket he lowered and drew
up, inch by inch the water in the cistern
subsidized. The wife stood close by, now
weeping and again uttering words of
couragement and endearment Charley
seemed unaware of both. He steadily low
cred and raised the buckets and emptied
them in little drain beside the we'll. For
an hour or more this went on. There was
no stopping to rest, and poor Charley'S
back ached and his hands were blistered
with the rope. and his temper-weli. his
temper seemed simply benumbed, to all
outward appearances.
But every bucketful of rain water that
Charley drew to the top increased his
Only few more feet OF water remained In
the bottom of the well and Charley was
almost ready to drop from fatigue. But he
was too game to give up. BY this time the
wrung her heart to see her dear husband
working so hard for her sake, she decided
to go into the house for moment and re-
iieve her eyes of the narrowing scene.
Still the husband worked. The cistern
was almost dry. The buckets bumped on
the bottom. when from the house there
sounded a delirious shrek, evidently en-
anating from Charley's wife.
Now, what has she dropped. wonder!"
exclaimed Charley as he YEARLY paused to
glance toward the door of the house. I'D
think she'd be satisfied for one day?''
After the shrek Charley had not long to
wait for an explanation. Before his wife
had reached the door he heard her shout:
I've found 1t. I've found 1t! Here 1t Isl"
Eureka said Charley, trying TO be jocu-
lar. What have You found ?"
In answer his wife came boiling out Of
the doorway. holding aloft the missing
watch, to recover which Charley had
broken his back and blistered his hands
and decreased his chances for a peaceful
rest in the hereafter.
Here's my watch!" shouted the little
woman. II didn't drop it in the well, after
all. found II In the top bureau drawer In
my bed rooom, and it's all right: it isn't
wet-and 1t wasn't IN the cistern at all
"!i -i!s ----t!i** ---i!.tSsF
said Charley. He also said a lot more.
Then he threw up his hands and collapsed
on the greensward by the cistern. When
they brought him to a little while after
ward his language was such that no one
would come near him, and all the rest or
the day he was an exile. as 1t were.
For three days Charley and his wife did
not speak to each other, but the fourth
day they made up and were sitting on the