Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-12-28

different. There was Mary Ann.
She went OIL to explain: settlements
is money and property II man gives
his wife SO If he gets to specializing,
that much is safe for her and the chill
dren."
She did not propose to he more ex-
plicit. but stood tall, straight and de-
FAINT by the mantel. He could only
protest: why Mirsndy. you'll be pro
vided for when die"
Yes. and every time I want five
.ents. and don't care about asking you
Cor it, may wish you We're dead. so
wouldn't have to. don't suppose you
intend to pay me wages. same as now,
ma let me take the most Of 1t out Of
the privileges of being Mrs. Ander-
ton"
He shook his head douhtfully. IL
aon't know, Mirandy, about the set
Elements"
"Oh, yes" she said. confidently,
you'll fix that all right. III tell the
folks were engaged: and, John Ander-
son, do you know. if a man goes back
ON a promise Of this sort a woman
never raises her head again.
He sat long by the fire in utter be-
w%ilderment, and at last. because the
Idea was SO new TO him that he could
see nothing deeper In it. concluded
that it was nothing more than caprice
When a woman gets a fool notion in
he head o might just as well wait
until it wear itself out or give in at
once" he thought. He resolved to
wait.
When Mirandy came down to get
breakfast the ext morning she sang 9
little hymn. But it was pathetic to seq
under her assumed cheerfulness the
tender way in which she regarded the
familiar breakfast cups. Some late fall
morning glories blew in at the open
window across the table, and the odor
of ripening apples came in from the
orchard. When would she come back
to it all? Perhaps never. She recog-
nized the impossibillty Of coming back
to live there in the old order Of things
after what had happened. 1t made
her still more uncertain to see John
AlloSl sui y CletIlul, COllLIUSul IiauIlcI
as he brought the wagon around to
the door.
"You'll be back In a day or SO, l
reckon, Mirandy, and will be ready to
go and get married" he ventured.
"ItM take longer than you think to
get the papers fixed. I thought WE'D
better stop and get Granny Simpson to
80 over and keep house until you're
ready for me-" she answered.
"oh, pshaw, now, Mlirandy; there
amt any need of that. IN Just drop
work at any time und come for YOU.
You can just tell Jake you are ready
to come home. Hell be picking APP
pies in the south orchard for quite a
spell"
Thus they talked for two long miles,
each ignoring the others intention. UNI
til he set her down at the farmhouse
gate. Then he gave her a pocket
book, saying: That's to get weddin'
fxin's. Spend as much as you like,
The blood rushed to her face at the
offer of the bride, but after Il moment
DIV Sh'b buiSlIs 4 HULK SOu, L Ipck-
on it'll be used He drove away, leav-
ing her much astoDished by his fit of
generosity.
wedding fSin's for me-" she said,
contemptuously. u need them about
as much as a wagon does five wheels.
But l reckon Mary Ann cun find use
for 1t. I'll make her believe her ia
ther sent 1t and me too. I wonder
which will prove the greatest bless
ingT With that she walked into the
house and asked where she should
hang her hat and shawl to the grea,
delight Of Mary Ann, who looked upon
her intention to pay a visit Of indef-
mite length as nothing less than a mir
ncla,
While affairs at the farmhouse were
Mt their worst, work became scarce at
Mary AIMS. and Mirandy at last faced
a day when there was nothing to do.
What would become OF her? Every
thing would go smoothly for a while
now. until the need Of money was felt
again. She had nc doubt she could
tioo oNeI SuCn places Win IQem al
ways. But that was not right, no
Just, and bitter words might pass and
remorse.
She would go to John Anderson and
tell him plainly what her thought had
been; then, though he might not for
give her. still she would have done
right. She walked over to the house
in the bleak afternoon. A snowstorm
was brewing in the sky. 1t was still
early, and she could sit by the fire un
Till supper time. As she entered the
house she saw that Granny was gone,
and evidently intended staying to tea,
because a cold supper for one was set
out on the table. The fire was out
and the kitchen cold.
Mirandy pulled the table cloth
straight mechanically, picked up a
rusty knife and eyed the feast crit
cally. The hand towel over the wash
'tand- was like the typical one in a
printing Office, only Mirandy had