Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1907-12-26
HIS MUTE
PLEADERS
HASTINGS
lCopyrigllt.)

farmhouse kitchen; the actors. two
people, man and woman. The woman
Amy by name. was small in stature
light in frame and quick in motion
her face was plain. its white, healthy
color marred by freckles, its mouth
heterogeneous. Her eyes, too. were
large, with such honesty and SINGER
ity in their depths of gray, they fur
nished the owner certificate of char
acter wherever she carried them. She
had come into the kitchen, holding in
one hand a cake. at which she glanced
with something CT the same fondness
which an artist shows for master
piece. AS she had entered the kitch
en-, she had stopped suddenly by the
door. her large, bright eyes taking in
quickly the details of the scene be-
fore her, while her face assumed an
expression of such dismay, as brought
broad smile uEon hcr companions
merry face. She hurriedly placed
her cake upon the table. then shrank
back at her first glimpse Of its grease
spots and Kettle crock: her eyes
roved to the floor and mopboard.
where they seemed to transfiX the
dust with their steely glance. There
was an unwashed frying-ran on the
hearth. She looked at it with eyes
of pity; then turned. with the same
expression. toward her companion. She
made quick, FESTIVE motion with her
hand. Wouldn't you" she said, fal
teringly, like to have me-have me
sweep a little for you, now I'm here?
like to sweep and clean, just as
another woman likes to sing and play
the piano."
NO" he said, laughing; Il think
it is enough for one woman to clean
out the cracks in her own floor with
a hair-pin. l couldn't think of con-
senting to such waste of strength in
my behalf"
She turned, with just touch of
vexation in her cheek.
Coed morning." she said abruptly,
as she started across the piazza to.
ward her own home. She hurried on,
as if some important duty waited her
coming. AS she clicked the latch of
the gate, she turned toward the house
which she had just left. He was still
standing there by the door; his face,
which had been but minute be.
fore. mirth-illumined, had become sud-
denly grave. She saw it, and its re-
Election fell upon her own. Yes, she
knew it was lonely over there. She
went on slowly into the house. The
room which she entered partook of
her own character; it was small, dull
in color. and spotlessly kept. Her
mother, diminutive like herself, sat
by the fire busily knitting. the lines
OF her withered, sharply.chisedel face
showing clear above the white kerr
chief at her throat. She had the
same gray eyes and the same grave
earnestness.
We'll, what did he say to the cake,
Amy?" asked the mother, looking over
her spectacles at her daughter as she
entered.
HE said he was Obliged" replied
Amy, drawing chair up to the fire.
You ought to see the Kitchen" she
went on; dirt and dust in heaps
everywhere. You can't hardly see the
table for the grease and crock" look.
ing plteously at her mother; land all
the rest is just as bad. There is a
frying-pan there that l shall remem.
Der as long as live"
What can we do?" asked the moth.
er earnestly, laying aside her knit.
tlng, as If that impeded the course
OF thought; what's to be done?"
Il don't know" said Amy, despair.
ingly. He wouldn't let me clean. I
asked him again."
I've thought sometimes" remark.
ed the older woman, that perhans
he don't like it-your not wanting to
marry him: sort O rescnts it. NAV.
be-" -'-'A'
"There'd be no sense in that" said
Amy. with show of energy and
surprise. "You might as well blame
me for liking pickles. MY mind is
set naturally on living single. Ican.t
help It."
He hasn't asked you lately has
he?" said the mother, when they
were launched safely on the steady
stream of work. Amy shook her
head.
Maybe he's getting tired of It," re.
marked the mother.
i don't know" said ANY a ,itt,e
Grossly. "He says he asks re once
year; but that's his wa, iokine
ABOUT things that are no joke. its bul
half dozen times"
It's too bad" said the mother. SIM
ming up the situation; shut what's :,
be done?" -
That question presented itso,f of+o,
to the two women, as they sat aroun,
their own well-kept hearth an(
thought of the kitchen in the hons,
opposite. From time to time ANY van
tured over with a cake and took MOT
of the increase of dust.
Its piling up on the mopboard
she said to her mother, who wa
ever an eager and sympathetic lister
er. "He scratches around with
broom sometimes; but he never hit
the mopboard."
The frying-pan. too. appeared occ;
siOnally in it's unwashed. unkemnt m,
dition; it had the forlorn air of on
who had seen better days.
The winter wore away at last. Whe
the spring had fairly come, the mot,
er gladly came out of her winte
prison house, and stepped BRISK
about the door-yard. drawing on tn
accumulated wisdom of years as sh