The Prescott daily news., 1920-05-04

never menH Honed to ES.eha6. she had
 bitterly resented from the first. On the Sunday following "old home week, ,' when she came out of the church al the close of the Sunday school. she found Lorenzo, with horse and buggy drawn up by the horse block.
 Wondering vaguely what had de
 tained him, but never suspecting for an
 instant that she had anything to dc
 with his presence there, Martha, from
 mere force of habit, started on, or foot as usual.
 Lorenzo called out after her.
 "Marthy, hi there! You'd better climb up--it's as cheap to ride as to
 foot 1t, bein' as I'm goin' your way
 She climbed up. Her demeanor cer.
 tainly offered little encouragement to
 gallantry but. having made up his
 mind to it, Lorenzo was resolved not
 to abandon the theory with single | test; therefore, when his wife came | out of church the following Sunday | after Sunday school, she again found Lorenzo's horse and buggy drawn up | beside the horse block.
 The following Sunday, as Martha
 washed the breakfast dishes, she looked out upon steadily falling rain No mere wetting kept the church-going Bethelite from morning preaching, but
 she said to herself:
 q wish 'Renzo would come after me today-Pve great mind to ask him But almost in the same breath, she | gave her gray head defiant toss and added If he don't think 'nough of
 me to come 'thout my askin' him, why
 he needn't come, that's all! !" But all during Sunday school her
 manner was so preoccupied that, more | than once the members of her clas; of half-grown girls stared at her 1T open wonder. As she made her way 1 to the door, her heart beat fast an( the blood surged to her head, in g way that made her dizzy and faint She pressed both hands tight over hel | breast before looking toward the horse | block
 Yes, Lorenzo was patiently waiting in the downpouring rain.
 Her rebellious heart broke entirely | away from her-the tears streamed down her cheeks.
 "I'm sure, 'Renzo," she sobbed, tits
 very good of you to come arter me ir | the rain, like this"
 "Why, Marthy! Why, Marthyl" he gasped again and again, like one dunn founded. q hadn't no idea you cared so much about footin it." "Why, 'Renzo, it isn't that at all but | 1t makes me so-so-happy to think I you care 'nough bout me to come fol me-"
 Lorenzo climbed out of his buggy | He put his arm awkardly around his
 wife, and patted her heaving shoulders
 "You poor creature, you! You pool creature" he repeated, with quiverins chin. "Marthy, I see I've made ar awful botch of our married life, but, ii you think you can forgive me, I'll try 1 to treat you from today as woman ought to be treated. Df you know
 Marthy. you old precious, you. rvs about made up my mind that married | life is a good deal like farmin'. Now l ain't such drotted old fool as t( think that if I plant piece O ground once I'm goin' to get great crop of 1t, year after year"
 Just then the rain ceased to fall. an6 | the sun, flashing through an opening 1T A 1vn de %v-<, f1fr ured the whole landscape. In the re fiected glow Martha's gentle face took on a delicate, youthful pink. Lorenzt gazed at her with new seeing eyes. Al she smiled up at him he suddenly ben l down and kissed her--it was the firs | time in--well, good many years. |