Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-03-19
COPYRIGHT eY mr. cE07U7Y GO.

Wnlle the 1usn deepeneu IN Amy |
cheek. Again she fastened her gaze |
upon the indomitable red rose which |
hung a pendant earring on the right |
side of Abraham's head.
"Yew wouldn't "a had folks a-comin
here ter bid jest out O. charity, would |
yew?" she demanded. An anyhow
in more gentle tone-the gently posi-
tive tone which she had acquired
through forty years of living with
Abraham-"we hain't so bad OFF with
one hundred dollars an tew cents, an
-beholden ter nobody It's tew cents
more'n yew need ter git yew inter the
Old Mems, an them extry tew cents
II pervide for me jest bewtiful." Abra-
ham stopped rocking to stare hard at
his resourceful wife, an involuntary
twinkle of amusement in his blue eyes.
With increased firmnese, she repeated,
Jest bewtiful!" whereupon Abe. scent
ing self-sacrifice on his wife's part, sat
up straight and snapped. "Haow so,
haow so, mother?"
''Itll buy a postage stamp, won't
it?"-she was fairly aggressive now
AN thar's a envelop what want put
up ter auction in the cupboard an
paper bag | kin iron out-ketch me
a-gwine ter the neighbors an a-beg-
gin fer writing paper-an' I'll jest set
daown an write line to Miss Hal
sey. Her house hain't a stun's throw
from the Old Mems; an III offer ter
come an take keer O. them air young
'uns o. her'n fer my board an keep
an'-ten cents week. | was a-gwine
ter say quarter, but ! don't want ter
impose on nobody. Seem that they
hain't over well-ter-do, l would go fer
ter keep up appearances on, so yew
won't have no call ter feel ashamed
of me when | come a-visitin ter the
hum" Involuntarily. as she spoke,
Angy lifted her knotted old hand and
smoothed back the hair from her
brow; for through all the struggling
years she had kept certain, not I'M
pleasing. girlish pride in her personal
appearance.
Abraham had risen with creaks of
his rheumatic joints, and was now
walking up and down the room, his
feet lifted slowly and painfully with
every step. yet still his blue eyes flash
ing with the fire of indignant protest
Me a-bunkin' comfortable in the
Old Mems, an yew a-takin' keer O.
them Halsey young 'uns fer ten cents
a week | wouldn't take keer O. 'em
fer ten cents short breath. Thar be
young 'une an young 'uns," he eluci-
dated, but they be tartarsl Yew'd
be in yer grave afore the fust frost;
taown7" His tone became gentle and
broken: mo, no, Angy. Yew be a
good gal, an dew just as we calc'lated
on. Yew jine the Old Ladies'; yew've
got friends over thar, yew'n git erlong
splendid. An I'll git erlong tew. Yer
know"-throwing his shoulders back,
he assumed the light, bantering tone
so familiar to his wife-"the poor
house doors is always open. I'd jest
admire ter go thar. Thar's a rocking
chair In every room, and they say the
grub is A No. l." He winked at her,
smiling his broadcast smile in his at
tempt to deceive.
Both wink and smile, however, we're
lost upon Angy, who was busy divid-
ing the apple sauce in such way that
Abe would have the larger share with
out suspecting it, hoping the while
that he would not notice the absence
OF butter at this last home meal She
herself had never believed In butter
ing bread when there was sass" to
eat with it; but Abe's extravagant
tastes had always carried him to the
point Of desiring both butter and
sauce as a relish to his loaf
"Naow, fur's I'm concerned" pur-
sued Abe, Il hain't got nothin' agin
the poorhouse fer neither man ner
woman. I'd as lief let yew go than
Std o. me; fer know very we'll that's
what yew're a-layin' out fer ter do.
Yes, yes, mother, yew can't fool me.
But think what folks would sayl
Think what they would sayl They'd
crow, 'Thar's Abe a-takin his comfort
in the Old mems hum, an Angelina
she's a-eatin' her heart out in the poor.
housed"
Angelina had. indeed, determined to
be the one to go to the poorhouse; but
all her life long she had cared, perhaps
to a faulty degree, for what folks
would say" Above all. she cared now
for what they had said and what they
still might say about her husband and
this final ending to his downhill road
She rested her two hands on the table
and looked hard at the apple sauce
until 1t danced before her eyes. She
could not think with any degree Of
clearness. Vaguely she wondered II
their supper would dance out of sight
before they could sit down to eat it
So many of the good things Of life
had vanished ere she and Abe could
touch their lips to them. Then she
felt his shaking hand upon her shoul
der and heard him mutter with husky
tenderness:
MY dear. this is the fust chanc'