Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-07-23
XIII.
One Blow for That to Seffy.

He look the papers nome again, anu
was very gentle with her afterward,
for the things which the world blamed
in her. His was the only real kindness
she knew. Her little canting world
had no pity for her. But to her drunk
en- husband, in spite of all. she was
loyal wife, and the old man liked her
the better for 1t.
So it came to pass that they two,
the bent old man and the girlish wife
of the drunkard, separated more and
and more together. And often they
were seen in the fields together and
walking along the roads arm in arm.
With Sally's little fortune at COM
mand, Sam had gone rapidly to the
bad. And Sally came to know what
tears were, and that dreadful kind of
waiting which falls to the lot Of such
women-the waiting for the fall of a
footstep which makes one shudder
yet rejoice.
They told her to get rid of him, but
she shook her head and thought of the
inscription in her wedding ring.
After a while it was the gentle old
man who helped to make these vigils
less intolerable-going away stealthily
by the back door when Sans unsteady
step was heard at the front-an angel
of light If ever there was one in
plowman's jacket.
1t fell grimly to his lot, too, to pro-
vide for Sam by diminishing the little
farm he had longed and hoped for,
acre by acre. There was no conten-
ton between them as to this. The
young wife's wishes were his law.
He married me for that" said Sally,
the first time, "and let him marry me
for that-just for spite. Only no one was
spited but me-but Newell, he shall
have it-all-all'-her voice broke a
little-"all but Observation-Disclosures
no one shall have but-you-or Seffy
when ] die"
Only once he interfered Sam
raised his hand to strike her and he
laid the drunkard at his feet with a
blow such as he had struck but once
before in his life.
Il am her guardeen!" he cried as he
struck. by the Lord, I'm her guar
deem"
For a moment he gloated over the
PROSTATE brute. Then he stood up
trembling before Sally.
"Forgif me-" he begged. "But
couldn't help it. 1t done itself Mebby
Coda mighty only knows!-it was
a chance to efen up for the other one.
And yit it was righteous blow-yas,
it was a righteous blow"
YES" she said. You are the first
that ever saw"
1t was too late to stop. And before
it was done he knew that this was not
a new experience to her, and that she
suffered it-and was almost glad of it
for penance.
by the Lord" cried the old man,
"if he efer strikes you ag'in I'll kill
him!"
NO." said Sally softly.
"Yas!" he insisted with some Of
his old violence.
NO" she repeated sadly. Because
it is all my fault-all the shame-the
shame-because deserve 1t! And
Thou shalt not kill,' You know we
have tempers! And we have both
used them!"
He shuddered and thought of the
plowed field with Seffy lying there.
Good night" he said with averted
fGce.
81 didn't mean that, pappy-I didn't
mean that you killed him. He's not
dead. Pappy, kiss me-good night.
And forgive me-"
But this also made her dearer to
him And so, little Ey little, they
drew closer and closer, until certain
happiness was his and certain con-
tent hers. Occasionally they laughed.
But this was not often. They were
we'll satisfied to sit before the winter
fire. she with an elbow on his knee, he
Nth his rugged hands in her hair.
And after while she would ask him no
more to kiss her good night-he did
it as of right, and very beautifully,
on her hair-so much like Seffy, that
first dear kiss-that it made her sob
always.
Just like Seffy!" she said the first
tine and cried, pushing him cut of the
door when he would have asked a
q estion.
PIT he asked hIs dYestion one SSy,