The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1917-12-07

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unseeingly out upon a peach tree in
full bloom and at pair OF busy robins
who had chosen convenient crotch for
their nest. Finally she rose stifily, as
If she had grown older within the last
hour, and went outside to the place
where she had been mending the irri-
eating ditch the day before. She knock
ed the wet sand Off the shovel she had
left sticking in the soft bank and went
out of the yard and up the slope toward
the rock wall.
On tiny, level place above the main
ditch and just under the wall Marthy
began to dig, setting her broad, fiat foot
uncompromlsingly upon the shoulder Of
the shovel and sending it deep into the
yellow soil. She worked slowly and
methOdically and steadily, just as she
did everything else. When she had dug
down as deep as she could and still
manage to climb out and had the hole
wide enough and long enough, she got
awkwardly to the grassy surface and
sat for long while upon a rock, star
ing iumbly at the gaunt, brown hills
across the river.
She returned to the cabin at last, and,
with the manner of one who breads do
ing what must be done, she went in
where Jase lay stiff and cold under the
blankets.
Early that afternoon Marthy went
staggering up the slope, wheeling Jases
body before her on the creaky, home
| a NH ho In har
primitive manner in which they both
lived Marthy buried her dead. And
though in life she had given him few
words save in command or upbraiding,
with never hint of love to sweeten the
days for either, yet she went whimper-
ing away from that grave. She broke
off three branches Of precious peach
blossoms and carried them up the slope.
She stuck them upright in the lumpy
soil over Jase's head and stood there
long while with tear streaked face,
staring down at the grave and at the
nodding pink blossoms.
Billy Louise rode singing down the
rocky trail through the deep, narrow
gorge to where the hawthorn and choke
cherries hid the opening to the cove.
From there to the pink drift of peach
bloom against the dull brown of the
bluff Blue galloped angrily, leaving
deep, black prints in the soft green of
the meadow. So they came headlong
upon Marthy, just as she was knocking
the yellow clay Of the grave from her
irrigating shovel against the pole fence
of her pigpen.
"Why, Marthyw Once before in her
life Billy Louise had seen Marthy's chin
quivering like that and big, slow tears
sliding down the network of lines on
Marthy's leathery cheeks. With a
painful slump her spirits went heavy
with her sympathy. "Marthyw
She knew without a word of expla-
nation just what had happened. From
Marthy's bent shoulders she knew and
from her tear staiHtd face and from
the yellow soil clinging still to, the
shovel in her hand. The wide eyes of
Billy Louise sent seeking glances up
the slope where the soil was yellow;
went to the long, raw ridge under the |
wall, with the peach blossoms standing
pitifully awry upon the western end. |
Her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Mar
thy! When was it?'
I'm the night, some time, 1 guess"
Marthy's voice had a harsh huskiness. |
HE was-gone-when l woke up. Well |
he's better off than be. 1 dunno
what woulda become of him if I'd went
first" There, at last, was a note Of
tenderness, stifled though it was and
fieeting. "Git down, Billy Louise, and
come in l been kinda lOokin' for yuh
to come ever sence the weather opened
up. How's your nav"
what are you going to do now, Mar
thy?" Billy Louise was perfectly capa-
BILE of opening a conversational door
even when it had been closed deciSively
in her face. "You can't get on here
alone, you know. Did you send for that
nephew? If you haven't you must hire
somebody till"
Hes comm That letter you sent
over last month was from him. dunno
when he'll git here; he's liable to come
most any time. / amt going to hire
nobody. Charlie Fox, his name is. I
hope he turns out a good worker. I've
never had a chance to git ahead any,
but if Charlie II jest take holt I'll meb-
by git some comfort Outa life yit."
He ought to, I'm sure And every
one thinks you've done awfully well,
Marthy. What can / do now? Wash
the dishes and straighten things up,
guess"
"You needn't do nothin' you amt
mind to do, Billy Louise. don't want
you to think you got to slop around
washin' my dirty dishes. I'm goin' on
down into the medder and work on I
ditch I'm putin in. You jest do what
you've mind to-" She picked up the
shovel and went Off down the jungly
path, herself the ugliest object in the
cove, where she had created SO much
beauty.
Billy Louise sat down on the rock
where Marthy had rested after digging
the grave and, with her chin in her two I
cupped palms, stared out across the 6
river at the heaped bluffs and down at
the pink and white patch Of fruit trees. J
She was trying, as the young will al
ways try, to solve the riddle Of life, and G
she was bafled and unhappy because
she could not find any answer at all
that pleased both her ideals and her
reason. And then she heard a mans V
voice lifted up in riotouS song and she t