The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1914-03-23

flung himself out of the small kitchen
I" the small barn ten rods aN3v.
There his approach evoked scueals IF
delight. Nell. hearing. vas moved TO
deeper wrath. The author. Of the
s1ueals We're the immediate causes
of the quarrel, although its real CT
iein, as she had confessed. lay twr
wears back, hut if Joe hadn't taken
the $c5 which, she had saved 10y selling
butter and eggs to buy a litter of
H%q1nalinE. pink pigs she would have
gone on its usual monotonous. uneX
citing way. Rut she had saved the
money for > pllonosraph and she
wouldn't listen to Joe's explanation
that he hadn't meant ,o--that he had
been passing tho farln where the sale
wax being held. and they were going
SO ridiculouslN cheap,
Without a word Nell put the dinner
upon thc table. After a few minutes
iuhilant talk over his acquisition he.
became aware that his iuhilaiioh was
altogether one-sided. He looked up,
and tho expression in Nell's flashing
brown eyes made tine happy snap in
hta own disappear. And then each
talked.
And when Nell. frounins over the
ircessa11t s%aueallng. had washed the
dishes. she deliberately went upstairs
to the bedroom and began to pack
her clothes. She frowred still more
at the short time that required. I'm
two years she had had nothing new.
There had been interest and taxes,
and chickens. a plough, and other
things to buy: But just as soon as
we're stocked" ice had promised,
you'll have sorne things" Now that
there was money over that was not
4 "a bcn11lfS1, ,,ooSnI I,;e ,.ro,,,iro~ Ia. =
proven false. He would rather look
at fourteen dirty pinkish white little
pigs than her. Very we'll. he could
have them. She snapped the suitcase
shut. She would take the early morn
ing train. That would get her into
the city at sac. She could get her old
bookkeeping position or another b.
noon. This was the busy time OF the
year. Then she could get a room in
the afternoon. and Joe could scrub
and feed and talk to his pigs.
: The short afternoon was consumed
by the time she had finished her prep
arations. She got supper as usual.
Joe was silent. He had gone UP to
the bedroom just before supper. but
he gave no sign of having seer the
strapped suitcase. Nell didn't care
whether he had seen it or not.
After supper he read the weekly
paper. Nell washed the dishes and
went upstairs n soon afterward
went TO bed. Through the open win
dow carnc a shrill squealing. Two of
tlle pigs were having a fraternal rum :
pua over sleeping quarters. wish
ono. Dirty little things 7 wish
they'd have cholera right away do"
But. having spent the morning loeing
she soon went to sleep and never
knew when Joe finally came to bed.
Tile alarm hat shc had set reused
her'at $50. Joe turned Yer drowsily
with: That darned alarm has gone
off again and went back to sleep.
Nell got out of bed and dressed rap
idly. The train whizzed through the
small town 3 mile and a half away at
G:55. She had time for breakfast
and the walk there, but she had none
to spare. It. vas a fast train and
wasted no important moments for
loitercrs.
She made some coffee, poached two
eggs. and ate hurriedly. The morning
air was crisp. The fragrance from the
~hcneysuckls vine outside came in to
her. She broke off q few sprays to
take along. Upstairs Joe slept placid
". Nell tossed her head. Very we'll,
IL he couldn't wake up. Quite like
JS liz NdS dNdhc dil4 ~ ctcIluluE w
be asleep. so that he needn't have to
ask her to stay. Not that she would
stay if she was asked. But still she
didn't see how any one could sleep
90 sound1y when she had dropped a
cup and a tin pan and two knives.
She got her suitcase and leather
! handbag and went swiftly down the
path that led past the barn and out to
the road to town. In the east a yell
low sun was smirking radIantly
Through a curtain Of pink and gold.
Some wild morning glories perked up
white heads as though surprised at
her appearance so early. The hens
''brainless things she scoffcd-saw
her and ran, clukety-cluck. to her.
las if a suitcase contained cornmeal!
She shooed them away Grossly. She
was tired of their clacking. The pigs
ran squealing toward the bars that
separated her from them. They. too.
were brainless things. II they knew
: how she hated them--this. in a fierce
whisper-they'd run to the far end of
the pen. But they, didn't know. and
being friendly. hungry, little beasts.
they yapped and squealed and shrilled
and entreated for something to re-
lieve the starvation that had endured
la.lapx might She stamped her foot.