Putnam patriot., 1912-11-22

- E q i fa
"John, What Are You Going to Dor"
ably, set In my ways as an eight-day
clock. l guess | look like it and act
like 1t. But | amt so awful old-on
the edge of forty. that's all. And
when l was your age want so awful
homely, either. | had fellers aplenty
hangin' round and | could have mar
ried any one of a dozen. This ain I
boastin'; land knows I'm fur from
that. / was brought up in this town
and even when | was a girl at school
there was only one boy | cared two
straws about He and | went to pic
MICS together and to parties and every
where. Folks used to laugh and say
We was keepin' comp'ny, even then.
We'll. when l was eighteen. after IA
ther died, | went up to New Bedford
to work in a store there. Wanted to
earn my own way. And this young
Teller I'm tellin' you about went away
to sea, but every time he come home
from a voyage he come to see me and
things went on that way till we was
promised to each other. The engage
ment want announced, but twas so.
Just the same. We'd have been mar
ried in another year. And then we
quarreled.
Twas a fool quarrel. same as that
kind centrally are. As much my fault
as his and as much his as mine, | call
late. Anyhow, We was both proud. or
thought we was, and neither would
give in. And he says to me, You'll be
sorry after I'm gone. You'll wish me
4 guess not. There's other fish in the
sea- He sailed and | did wish him
back, but | wouldn't write fust and
neither would he And then come an
other man"
She paused, hesitated. and then con-
tinued.
Never mind about the other man.
He was handsome then, in way, and
he had money to spend, and he liked
me. He wanted me TO marry him. If
if the other, the one that went away.
had written never would have
thought Of such thing. but he didn't
write And, my pride bein' hurt. and
all. finally said yes to the second
chap.
We'll. for the first year 'twa'n't so
bad. Not happiness exactly, but not
misery either. That come later. His
people was well off and he'd never
worked much of any. He did for
little while after we was married, but
not for long Then he begun to drink
and carry on and lost his place. Pref
ty soon he begun to neglect me and at
last went off to sea afore the mast.
We was poor as poverty, but l could
have stood that: did stand 1t. took
in SEWN and kept up an appearance,
somehow. Never told a soul. His
folks come patronizin' around and Of
fered me money, SOS ! needn't dis
grace them. l sent EN- rightabout in
a hurry. Once in while he'd come
home, get tipsy and abuse me. Still
| said nothin'. Thank God, there was
no children; that's the one thing I've
been thankful for.
''You can't keep such things quiet al
ways. People are bound to find out.
They come to me and said, Why don't
Won leave him. but I wouldn't l
could have divorced him easy enough,
there was reasons plenty, but |
wouldn't do that Then word came
that he was dead, drowned off in the
East Indies somewheres. / come back
here to keep house for Sol, my broth
er. and l kept house for him till he
died and they offered me this place
here at the parsonage. There! that's
nv story, part of it, more'n ever told
Twin soul afore. except Sol"
She ceased speaking. The minister,
who had sat silent by the window,
alphabetically listening or trying to lis
ten, turned his head.
81 apologize. Mrs. Coffin" he said
DULY, you have had trials. hard ones.
But"
But they amt as hard as yours,
YOU think? Well, haven't quite nm
isbed yet. After word come of my
husbands death, the other man come
and wanted me TO marry him. And
wanted to-oh. how / wanted to! l
cared as much for him as / ever did;
more. l guess. But ! wouldn't
wouldn't. though 1t wrung my heart
ont to say no. l give him up-why!
cause thought ] had duty laid on
me-"
Ellery sighed. II can see but one
duty" he said THAT is the duty
given US by God. to marry the one We
love"
Keziah's agitation. which had grown
as she told her story. suddenly flashed
into fame.
rs that as fur as you can see?" she
asked feresly. Its an easy duty,
tben-or looks easy now. I've got a
harder one; it's TO stand by the prom
Use | gave and the man | married
He looked at her as If he thought
she had lost her wits.
"The man you married." he replied
-Why. the man you married is dead.
NO. he amt. You remember the
1sttar Won saw me readin' that night
back from