Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-10-14

second. or the thira!" Then she drew
a pencil and a foot rule from her
pocket and took some dimensions.
The next evening. sitting on her SIS
ters porch in the dusk, she heard
familiar squeak of boots on the gravel
patch; she saw the spare figure OF
Abner Bennett emerging from between
the budding hollyhocks. Instinctiveiy
she knew why he had come.
"Emmyline,' he began. sitting down
beside her, behold, the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit OF the
earth, and hath long patience.
Yes, Abner," she answered.
ITO everything there is season,
he went on. There's time to mourn
and time to dance. A time to keep
silent and a time to speak.
Yes, Abner."
There's time to love-" he ferv-
emily quoted, land Emmyline, l asked
you before | asked Marthy or Cor
della or Anne. I'm going to ask you
lust once more, for the Book says II
isn't good for man to live alone
1t was late when he rose to go.
.Emmyline," he asked, abruptly, az IL
the idea had just occurred to him.
i how much money have you got?"
u pait.-sixty dollars in the bank last
fall She canise suddenly close TO
him. "Abner." she qnehass ti.oned. don
the Bible say man and his W.. !. a. :
one?"
He nodded. There's only one purse
between them, Emmyline.'
She seemed reluctant and a suspi-
cion crossed his mind He remembered
that Martha had had thirty dollars
which she refused to give him, and
that Cordelia had had seven dollars
that she hid. Then an inspiration
came; ne dived into his pocket, found
an envelope, and divided it into
halves.
Man is of few days and full of
trouble" he began. But his mind is
strong. Woman is in wits the weaker
vessel. That's why it's mans right to
spend and why their purse is one.
Let's write that downfall there's
one free purse-and sign it,
Emmeline's eyes were dewy with
submission. 1T shall be as you like"
she agreed.
1t was after the wedding that Abner
had his first surprise. Emmeline tri-
umphantly led him into her sisters
small spare room. Two huge trunks
stood open. They held frocks-pink
frocks and white frocks and blue
frocl1s. There were a hundred other
feminine things.
Whose things are those?" he de-
manded.
Ours" The cheerful plural stung
him. She was beaming into his eyes.
We'll take them on the trip" she
cried. Wont that be fun"
''Tr-ip?" he repeated. The sweat
came out on his forehead. "Whose
trip? What trip? Where?"
"Oh, you dear!" she gurgled. Our
wedding trip"
Abner gasped like fish in mid-air;
his throat was dry. There amt
going to be any wedding trip" he
shouted. his voice coming like an un-
expected trumpet blast. There's
stock to tend and there's corn to
plant"
Emmeline raised a handkerchief to
her eyes. 1t was bordered with lace
and Abner used word, strong old
Saxon word.
THE tickets are bought she Sob
bed.
Blood was bubbling in Abner's ears,
but he heard her distinctly.
Il was afraid you'd feel you couldn't
go-so sisters all ready"
There was the rumble of the town
hack; it stopped at the gate Emme-
line instantly stopped crying and be-
gan to close the trunks She was
smiling again.
The clothes are lovely she cooed. |
and ! got them for sixty dollars, but |
you shall see every one of them"-she |
shook her finger at him-"when we |
get home, you dear old man."
His fourth wife waved to him as she |
and sister drove away. Abner, re-
to the desolate house, found |
no appropriate quotation. Memory was |
a Kaleidoscope of Marthas one best |
frock-of Cordelias humble thrift
the dog-like devotion of Anne.
A week dragged by--a week stepped
in anger and revenge and self-pity. |,
Spring brought an advance sample of |
hot days; the sun lavished the heat |
OF the tropics on the cornfields, and |
the continuous bleating of weaving
calf voiced the reigning spirit of dis
comfort. Abner Bennett, sweating
over his hoe, gazed down the county |
road. The town hack was rounding
a bend, and a handkerchief fluttered
from its window.
The hack wound up through acres
Of half-wilted grain-through the al
ready parched little orchard, and
stopped at the front door, Emmeline
paid the driver. Her skirts billowed
as she tripped over the rocks and into
the implanted house. Abner followed.
She went through the kitchen and
threw open the windows of the tiny
best room. The sun streamed in on
the red-and-green carpet-the carpet
that had been cherished by her three
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