Middletown transcript., 1908-10-05
SOUTH BRANCH FARM
BY REBEGCA HARDING DAVIS

made a cake-a real brides cake.
| hope William won't be angry.
But this is SO different from
weddings in Virginia. Oh, Lefty
if you and | could only go to the
old house and sleep for one night
in the room which was mine
when was child! | think just
that little thing would give me
years of life.
There they come! cried Lefty,
as the big Crawford carriage was
seen dashing up the road. She
grew very pale, and shrank back.
The girl had always been afraid
of her brother William; and his
wife, she suspected, would be as
hard a ruler, and a more vulgar
one.
But Mrs. Taney led her to the
porch.
You must welcome them,
Lefty, she said.
The bride watched them from
the carriage window with keen,
Jealous eyes. Her father had
given her a hint as to her future
course.
You've made a good match,
Sophy, he said. Bill Taney's got
as long a purse as any man in the
country, and the farms comfor-
table. But the old woman an
her da'ater ill be a drawback.
They'll try to ride over you
rough-shed, likely. Just take
your stand at once. Let 'em see
you'll be mistress in your own
house.
Trust me for that, pappy, said
Miss Sophy.
The whole Crawford family
had accompanied her to see how
she would hold her ground.
When poor Mrs. Taney step
ped forward, therefore, her thin
face reddening and her hands
held out, the bride received her
welcome with a careless nod.
hope you will be happy in
your new home, my dear, said
the gentle lady.
Oh, no doubt, ma'am! l gener-
ally hold my own pretty well.
Come in, pappy. Come, Sue; |
want you to see my house before
it is dark. Here's the living room.
Bill must tit that up into a par
lor-double. quick, too. Dye
hear, Mr.. Taney? laughing loudly
You needn't trouble yourself,
ma'am, to show the way. Come
along, all of you.
William stopped and looked
with sudden pity at his mother,
and then followed his wife, who
went, talking loudly, up the
stairs.
Mrs. Taney and Lefty placed
the supper on the table. The
bride came in, the noisiest of the
noisy party. She went hastily to
the head of the table, saying.
This is my place, | believe.
William gravely motioned his
mother to q seat among the stran-
gers. His wife bore herself as
though she had been mistress
for years, and found fault freely
when the humor suited her. The
bread was dry as chaff, the ham
was bitter with salt, she said.
That's your idea of cooking,
Mother Taney, eh? I'll give you
a hint or. two tomorrow. We
young people have progressed,
you know. Not that / mean to
take the work out of their hands,
she said to her sister aside. No,
no! If we feed 'em, they've got
to earn their bread.
Lefty overheard the whisper,
and her scared face grew a shade
paler.
Very nice old silver, William!
said the bride, directly, weigh
ing the spoons on her finger, and
then reading the mark. Cleve-
land, eh? You must have that |
altered, please, to our initials. I
can't use spoons with strange
names on 'em.
William glanced uneasily at his |
mother. But the latter did not |
speak. Very we'll. my dear, it
shall be as you please, he said.
AS the days heightened into |
weeks, the bride found her sway |
becoming more absolute, Il oc-
Cured to William that she might |
share in the work. But. like
most farmers of his class he was
used to see his mother drudge
from morning until night, and
yagnely supposed it was her nat
ural condition of life. Sophy
carried the keys, and dealt out