Middletown transcript., 1907-11-09
coN1zk FRoaI LAsT MEEK

rows Darce looked ct then
wonderingly How had thei
cleavage to line been accompEs Esh
ed Suddenly he recalled tn
ssee-whoaha haws which b,
had heard from various fields.
Gee, be shouted, SO sharpl.
that Calphurnia veered quickl,
to the right somewhat startle'
and dragging the plow out Of th'
ground.
Whoa said Darce angrlly, AM
Calphurnia. very Willingly, stool
still. She shook her sweaty bacl
until the chains ratified. Sh'
was thinking of the soft earti
and Of how much she would like
to roll.
Darce stared at her in exasper
alton, then he carefully and worc
lessly guided her into line again
which, as Calphurnia was no
used to silence and action com
bined, took some time.
How the deuce can one animal
and q ploW stock be so hard to
manage I? muttered the clubman
I suppose haw-haw, there
you freckled lump Of laziness
Oh, hang it, she's clean outside
of the furrow gain!
Supper was on the table when
the paroled captive brought
Caiphurnia to the barn. He
curtly ordered Lafue, waiting
there for him, to unharness and
feed the mule, and then to go to
his sleeping quarters in the vii
lage. Lafue had not been al
rested. He had, as the Justice
explained, an occupation.
Jennie, her eyes vexed and
troubled, her flushed face pref
tier than ever, presided over the
Widespread table.
Get through ? inquired Justice
Mathews non-committally, as he
helped Darce to eggs and ham.
No, said the clubman compos,
edly, I always break my land
several times. It-er-elimi-
mates clods and makes the soil
er-spongy. ! shall finish it
after supper. Your Georgia
moonlight is as good as day.
Something like suppressed
quiver fickered at the corners Of
the Justices mouth. Later on
the quiyer deepened to q smile,
as he sat on his piazza Present
ly he began to draw long breaths
of content from his corncob pipe.
Upstairs Miss Mathews was
weeping bitterly in her room.
Oh, shame-what will he ever
think of us? she sobbed. And oh,
he can never plow that field
right! 1t takes 0 long time to-
learn to run a straight furroW.
And there he is toiling in the
moonlight, and father out there
smoking as if nothing was hap
pening. Oh, ] wish / was dead !
Then, being courageous girl,
she suddenly dashed away her
tears and began to do up her
cloud Of hair with rapid, anxious
little twists.
No, no, I don't want to be
dead, because then | couldn
help him, and / just must help
him somehow. Oh, is he going to
plow all night?
Half an hour later her father
went to bed. He stopped at
his daughters door for a good
night kiss, and she gave it like
an artful mink, though she was
boiling inside. Once the Judge
was safe in bed she hurried up
to the roof outlook. Yes; there
toiled the outraged white mule.
Behind her, buggy whip in hand,
stalked Darce, his goodly height
outlined against thersky.
Oh, oh, how tired he must be.
she moaned. There-he's stop
PED TO rest poor fellow. Oh, /
just know he's aching all over
That was true. 1t was nearly
ten o'clock and Darce. surveying |
his twisted furrows with fierce
resentment, thought perhaps be
might plow the better for little |
rest.
He tied Calphurnia and lay
down in fence corner just for a
few moments.
Fifteen minutes elapsed and
still Calphurnia was not disturb
cd The figure watching above
guessed how matters stood.
Then an idea of rescue crossed
her fertile womans ) brain, She
darted downstairs.
When the yard gate opened
49, q