The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-12
THE NEW WINTER COAT.
By Miss Marie T. Bonner.
Copyright, 1921, by Wheeler Syn
dictate, Incl

By Miss Marie K. bonner.
Copyright, 1921, by Wheeler Syn
dictate, Incl
Being a woman, Samantha Has
kins possessed goodly portion of
that leaven of human affairs-the
dramatic sense. Living as she did
in the isolation of a northern Maine
| farm, her husband and a few neigh
bors afforded small opportunity to
use that sense. But, given the
chance, she made the most of it.
1t was enc October evening when
she and Ephraim-her husband
sat together in their kitchen. She
had allowed him to go deep into
that quiescent stage that follows a
good meal, good pipe and sense
of welI-being. Samantha herself
sat erect, fingers working madly at
piece of knitting and her mind
racing even faster than the needles.
Finally. she spoke, casually
enough. Winters mo- hereI"
Ephraim stirred restlessly in his
chair. Winter in Pop-over juno
ton is a thing to be dreaded. High
on the side of one of those noun
famous hills in which Maine
abounds, the town faced the open
Atlantic on one side and the wild
stretches of lower Canada on the
other. The thought of the bitter
winds that swept through the sec
ton four or five months of the year
drew a heavy sigh from Ephraim.
Means I'll have TO build a new
cow shed directly, l reckon" he
growled. a
clicked her knitting needles before
she spoke again. Everything needs
tIimmin' up, guess. Storm doors
mo- rotted to pieces on the front
porch. and the fiue to the parlor
stove smokes like everything"
Her husband sighed again. I'll
fetch me home a new pair OF rub
Der Boots next time I'm in the
city" he said presently.
Samantha's eyes frightened and
she rocked her chair with short,
nervous jerks "That'll be capital,
Eph-jes' what you need! An fetch
me some black goods for a new
coat" she cried.
Eph sat erect. Nov, Samantha,
You know l amt able to fetch you
new coat, There's that COW,
she'll cost me nigh on sixty dollas
an that storm door! I'll have to
pay Abe Colts fifteen dollars to the
cent to fix it-an'-!" he suffered
into silence.
In the shadow Of the lamp light
Samantha's eyes narrowed-and
though she said not another word
about the coat, the thought OF it
never left her mind and remained
there even until the next day when
she went over to a neighbor's for
a chat.
Mrs. Carter was a crisp-tongued
old lady who lived alone on the
farm nearest the Haskins home.
Some people hated her for her
short speech, but others loved her
for the same reason. She saw the
point and always spoke as soon as
she sav-it
Samantha laid the matter before
her. "I reckon I'll need a new
coat this winter, Mrs. Carteri"
Mrs. Carriers head was bent over
a piece of sewing in her lap. eff
you need it, why don't you get it ?"
she asked tartly, and shot keen
look at her neighbours face.
Samantha shrugged. ooh, Eph
can't afford to buy me onei"
80 he saysi" finished the other
and bit of piece of thread with
click.
"Oh, reckon he can't" apollo
gized Samantha loyalty. There's
several repairs around the house
So" she finished the sentence
with another sigh and shrug and
looked of down toward the valley.
Mrs. Carter followed the direc-
ton of her eyes. When she spoke
presently her voice was crisper
than usual. why don't you earn
the coat yourself?"
Samantha stared down the hill
side an instant before she answer
ed She talked slowly, as II she
we're meditating. WE'LL can't