Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-05-21
THE TWO HOMES.

days, 1eH IlaL. Ofdnutlld am DOugHC Ine
Peaslee place! Not for one instant did
Martha deceive herself with the idea
that she had done this in order to pre-
sent the property to her son and his
wife. She had not summered and win
tered Jonathan Bartlett and his mother
so many years for nothing.
With her brief statement they had to
be content. She divulged no more of
her plans They inferred, of course, that
she was moving into the Peaslee house,
but to all their inquiries she preserved
logged silence. Even when Nose
Marble, the local expressman, came to
move the goods, grandma'am superin-
tended the proceedings in person, while
Jonathan and Martha stood bravely by,
parrying Noses jocose remarks and pre-
tending, for the speech of people, that
they understood and thoroughly APP
proved.
After the last load had gone grand
ma am gave comprehensive look about
and started down the road.
Good bye" she called. I'm going to
the Peaslee place"
Jonathan drove into the yard from
market the next day, more fully in
| formed.
"She's started an old woman's home,
| guess" he confided to Martha, as he
brought in the packages from the wag-
on; Il didn't say much, an | guess most
folks don't suspect but what we knew
all about it, Bart Hackett's dom a
good deal of talkin', though. He's worse
than a woman for meddlin' in other
folks affairs Mary Tracey's mothers
81 bar oh
the two Simpson girls out of the poor
house. an Mis- Bees comm over tomor-
row an folks, say there'll be more as
soon as she's had time to turn round.
It's maxim lots of talk. | drove round
by there on the way home, an | see
mother out under the window down on
her knees, a-diggin' away"
planting BEANS" said Martha, softly.
eyes, L thought likely myself. It's
pretty late, but she'll make 'em grow if
anybody can. Mis- Tracey was lookin'
out of the window, watchin' her. |
called to mother, but she didn't answer.
Maybe she didn't hear me- She didast
turn round. But she amt so very deaf,
an / hollered,"
He sank heavily into a chair Martha
went out without answering. Walking
in the garden, she heard a noise in
grandma'am's room. Sho crept to the
window and softly parted the vines.
Jonathan was standing in the empty
room.
1T don't seem right with mother
gone" he said under his breath. She
turned quickly away, and something
that was not dew fell on the scarlet
runners.
The weeks went by, dull and unevent-
full, except for the comments of the
neighbors.
One day Bart Hackett, passing, heard
digging in the Bartlett yard.
"That you, Jonathan?" he called
"What you planting this time of year ~
Martha's voice replied: mo, Bart, it's
me- | was Just loosing the earth round
Mother Bartlett's beans here
shes got great place up there,
amt she?" volunteered Bart makes
us old boys kind of envious. l asked
| 'em t'other day when | was round that
way if they couldn't tuck me away
somewhere. But Dell Simpson started
her everlastin' giggling and said, Not
unless you marry one of us, Bart and
tell you l skipped out lively. | amt
run single harness all these years to
! try tandem hitch now, specially with
mare in the lead. But a place like
that must be mighty nice to live in,
particularly if you amt got no great
shakes of a home"
After he had gone Martha stood
watching the scarlet runners with eyes
that did not see.
Jonathan seldom mentioned his
mother. He had locked the door of the
empty room and carried the key in his
pocket That night Martha had long
talk with him.
Six weeks later Dell Simpson went
into the east parlor of the home to pull
down the shades. The sun was shining
too holly on the carpet. 1t would fade,
Land o. mercy!" she exclaimed.
What's to do on Marthy Bartlett's lot y
Hurryng back to the kitchen, she
broke the news to the others. "Marthv
Bartlett's either sold her land or else
she's goin' to build herself There's a
house staGed out there, an it's big as
an ark"
There was an exodus to the east par
lor.
"Aamt you comm. Hetty?" called
Mary Trocey's mother from the sitting
room
Il got my hands in the dough" an
swered the old lady Il guess Marthy
Bartlett's lot amt goin' to fly away"
The old lady Bartlett preserved an
outward s,olidity, but when her com
panions were taking their afternoon
maps she stole eagerly to the paror and
peeped out through the crack at the
side of the lowered curtain.
Not only was there a building staked
out, but a large gang of men was al
ready at work digging the cellar. The
puveyor of news, Bart Hackett, was
seated on pile of dirt, attentivey lis
tening to the proceedings.
Dell Simpson saw him there later and
called to him. As he came toward her
she cried eagerly. what they dom.
Bart? What's it goin' to be?'
Dunno yet" he answered hopefully,
but Jonathan and Marthy's abuildin'
of it. l found out that much."~
Grandmother Bartlett watched the