The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-19
Copyright 1909. by Benz. B. Hampton)

tension lurLneT luQlCdLGu py TWO BIlguL spots OF
color IN her rounC cheeks.
Josiah Harris" quote she, 81 amt goip' to wash
one of them dishes till you've split that there
kindiin and piled it up good whar get it easy
thar in the shed. 1t is nOwayS fair fer you to go
gallivantin round listenin to that fool camp
meetin' teller who doesn't support his lawful
wife over to 'Hillsdale, whilst I'm slavin here to
home-and / wOn'tW she ended exploslvely.
What she wouldn't was plain enough to the little
man who stood with his finger the latch but there
was that in his long, obstinate upper lip which
came the kindness in the blue eyes, and he said with
aggravating smile, What won't ye Mandy! Won't
ye 60 galavantn' won't We support his
Josiah Harris" retorted his wife hotly, I've told
you what won't do and now III tell you what 1 will
DOLL go back home to Tanuck Falls, and I'll
work in the mills-and-and I'll never wash them
dishes, neverP she finished with burst of tears
"Jinnliny Christmas. Mandy, don't be as foolish
as that I guess it's pity if a can't look after
his own soul in this here vale of tears" Then he
mumbled under his BREATH 1 presume l can attend to
my own business
Mandy heard nothing but certain word which was
glove in her face. Soul" she gasped, her scorn
struggling with her sobs, you look after your
precious soul all you've a mind to, but | won't look
after your body mite longer, when you don't do what
you'd ought to do. There's them apples rottin on the
ground that ought TO 60 to the cider mill, and the
south field to be tended 70, and wood to split, and
brush to burn, and you go chasin that
AT this juncture, the torrent Of Mandys eloquence
was damned by the slamming of the door-JOslah
deeming retreat the wiser and comfortable part
of valOr. She sank Imply upon a straght-backed
kitchen chair and wePt convulsivey immersed in the
bitter sweetness of self-pity.
81 won't wash em-i won't!" she reiterated again
and again The clock licked with effect Of carrying
her steadily, irresistably into uncertain future.
Duly she looked about the familiar room which had
somehow grown alien and unfriendly within this brief
space Of half hour. By her Own words she had put
it out of her life.
Bus combating the sense of detachment this strange
new lethargy, her habitual energy of mind and
body; and as her intensity of indignation subsidized,
her inerent tendency to do things that needed to be
done reasserted itself. She would be good her
word; she would go TO Tanuck Falls-she would show
hmi-but first she must tidy up a bit The dishes
she would not wash, Tor principles sake but she
must shake the rugs and sweep the floor. When these
things finished, and her fingers tched 10 attack
the pile of breakfast Dishes her glance fell upon the
sitting room windows despatched with last nights
rain. Hurryng with nervous energy she got her pail,
her hot water her cloths, and proceeded vigorously to
make the windows worthy Of the bright October sun
streaming through them
ITS awful bad to wash windows when the suns on
en-" she murmured apologetcaly but jest couldn't
leave EN-"
She unlocked the sliding doors of the parlor busted
it with her usual thoroughnes and relocked the doors
with click that startled her into vivid sense of
fnality She filled and trimmed the lamps and she
was replacing the last of them in its bracket the
wall the clock struck twelve.
my soulr she exclaimed aloud, "if here it isn't
noon already, and I not ready to go. wouldn't have
ST Harris catch here-not for this world any
other. To think I've lived with him morn twelve
wears and never seen afore how mean he IS. He'll be
comn' in soon to get his dinner, expect same's usual
and-we, he'll hev to get i'll won't"
Slipping her gray shawl from the peg, she opened
the back door and started Tor the little SunnerhOuSc
Josiah had begun in an ornamental moment years be
fore and had finished because he had begun it. I'll
Just wait here behind these vines until has and
gone" she thought, with a lump IN her throat and
then I'll 60 back and get ready to 60" But Josiah
came not Mandy sat immovable, peering through the
Redeemed leaves, but there was neither sound nor mo-
ton about the house except when the big mastlh
Bulge. barked in sympathy with the excitement OF a
dog half mile distant Deprived of outlet for her
indignant energy, Mandy grew queter and the more
generous part of her nature responded to the beauty
of the day; her vexatOn was quoted by the large,
slow calm of Nature Presently she and wan
Sered hack to the house her intention of leaving It
grown hay. But when she drew near and saw the
several indications of Josahs late sraying after false
gods-he ungathered apples, the neglected wood-ple-
Indignation revived within her.
He hadn't ought to-, she murmured hereby and
he amt come home this noon, and I'm gOn
With fresh resolution she set about getting herself
something 10 eat; after which she carefully washed
and put away the dishes she had used The sacr-
lcal pile remaining from the morning meal she left
untouched.
After She had fastened the last hook and eye of
her best black dress, she remembered that the lowest
bureau drawer was in some disorder by reason of her
hastv search day two before for some one OF its
heterogeneous contents That would never do. Down
she went on her knees and fingered with hOusewfely
thrift the odds and ends she had been saving against
future need When all was put in order she shut the
drawer and rising stfy, made her way to the rocking
chair by the window. In her hand was little pile of
tiny garments yellow with years and darkness.
81 don't know as I'd ought to take en-" she thought
duly cause she was his too, and guess he thought
a lot of her, same as did
Conscientiously the clock licked the minutes into
hours as clocks do whether their ticking be for JOY
or sorrow The shadows heightened and
kzrdy did not move.
The red moon rising over the meadows lighted
Josiah on his hOmeward way
"Im kinder late, / guess" he muttered "but don't
care She'll hev to come TO her senses. She's too
blim bossy I didn't want to 60 to any old meetn'
to-day. but jest want goin' TO take any O her lip.
ANYHOW" he chuci1led "Annabel Riggs is ahead one
dolls cradle Who'd think o. them pesky little
things would take long to make That there tongue
O. Mandys makes me feel jest like pepper on the hot
stove dOes-est that hot, scrooged up feeln' l hev
been good husband to her in the main, and-welL
mebbe hev been sort O about this here, but
here the long upper lip drew down-"let her talk
don't care" He whstled hard to convince skeptical
universe how Indifferent he was but his footsteps
suickened perceptbly as he neared his home and saw
that no welcoming light shone forth from its win
dows dts funny Mandy amt got light" he
thought, with queer-gone feeling somewhere inside
Of him
had seen Bulge start off to meet his master She
heard Josiah whstling, and the fact that he could
whistle seemed suggestion of unbeiet IN her threat
Of the morning and caused strong rsvulsion OF feel
ing.