The Washington herald., 1921-08-28


! haf stories high, with Fat gables and
shutters Of q brilliant green, stood in Q
neat little yard, shut OF. from the cleaning
pike By . pale fence Of equal whiteness.
From the gate, q narrow brick pathway,
bordered BY parallel rows Of inverted clam
shells, led straight to the pale blue porch,
which was a mere platform, seven, or at
most eight, feet square, with twin benches.
hard and narrow, nailed fast at each sid.
OF the doorway, where the house wall was
economically employed for the back.
Amos Dreisbach sat on one Of these and
his nsishbor, Daniel schleyelmilch, On the
other. When one sdds that there was to be
neither immediate funeral nor wedding on
ne farm, ons has shown clearly that the
late afternoon was that Of Sunday; since
In no other case would the front porch
have been tn use and it, mastsr enabled
10 ht there, With his large, hard bands
elaspsd IN bis lap, and bis mild brown
eues gazing idly toward the distant, wooded
hals snd over rolling fields Of yellow wheat
ready tsr harvest. and Of green Tobacco
Just beginning to tremble In the first per.
espebls breeze Of the summer day.
10 the Philistine from the city. ANN.
would have seemed In few particulars DIFF.
lerent from his guest, or, for that matter
from any Of a hundred other farmer, in
toe Lancaster County countryside. From
tne oiack, low-crowned, broad -brimmed ba.s
Q, eaen-to an uninitieted eye they were
almost shoVel-hats-the customary locks Of
deep brown were cut square across the
forehead and, behind. fell below the collar,
where they ended In the precise line that
eloquent Of home -barberinx, guided by
the useful earthen bowl.
Scniegelmilch raised the edge Of his waist.
coat with his right hand to permit m.
Aoorlous extraction Of his left hand from
tne horizontal opening to a trousers pocket
IN which 1t had been buried to the wrist.
So--o," be said, die Mabel ist todt :"
de sighed, though whether from physical
e1ertion or mental reflection it would be
oimcuit to determine. since Mrs. Dreisbach's
oemise had occurred fully a month before.
Amos's brown eye softened, and he per
nitted himself only the briefest nod.
Yes" pursued Schlegelmilch, this time
raising the waistcoat edge with his left hand
In order to permit a possible symbolic in
terment Of the right-"yes, she was good
Mabel, but she ist todt. Her schnits und
knep was the bes' I ever ct, and my Sarah
she says the same still. She was a good
cooker of the meat, too, II have had besser
wedgables Already. How are you gettin' On
Tisout your woman yet, Amos?"
Amos cleared his throat.
Ok" he answered, about as well a
you'd sink for. Martha Lutz, she's yet a
good housekeeper fer me, but it amt what it
used to. I want to bow to the Lords will,
Daniel, but it amt what II used to-"
1t was Amos who broke the pause His
remark seemed, at first, spropos Of nothing
at all, but was. in reality. the logical out
come Of thoughts awakened BY Schlegel-
rilch's recent attitude.
And 1 am going to buy one . them
rewin' machines" he announced.
Daniels eyes bulged large with horror.
Are you goin' to buy one o them SEWN
nachines?' he echoed.
Again the unrufied Amos nodded.
But. Amos" cried schlegelmilch, ''it
amt right, them sewin' machines. They
amt Gristian. They're a vanity"
schlegelmilch's faith could bear no more.
He rose. and faced his seated host, one hand
stir deeply pocketed, but the rude fore6nger
of the other shaking a warning emphasis.
"Amos Driesbach," he said. man an
nov have knowed You yet. knowed your
fazzer an your muzzer. And not these
sirty year have I had hard wis you. But
right here our two roads run away against
each other. It's all because you worked
once on the railroad and got them city
vays. The year pack It may be, mebbe,
hut you're a worldly man. Them orrick
,ew;n'-machines is vanity. Next it will be
p, nuxxy with springs, and then susbenders,
and puttons on your front eoat!
The dimples deepened in Dreisbach's two
cheeks.
I'm fer getting q sewin- machine" he
,,iterated % emphatically that the state
n.nt might have been q fresh one.
But what fer good will It do you, Amos
priesbach? Lizzie Lut1 she can't run no
sewing machine"
"Na."
"And there amt NO ur.er woman on tn.
farm, uEhT'
Ma"
schlegelmilch's imprisoned hand had
broken Eaol with a general convuldon, and
his arm spread wide with wonder.
Then wat fer are you goin' TO get .
,svin -machine?' he Easped.
AMOS did not move. His gaze continued
n calmly beyond his interiocutor, but there
was a moment Of pause.
Because" he said at last, "die Mabel
Nh. always was fer wantin' one.'
schIegelmilch's wonder only deepened.
.sBut die Mabel" he gan, what good is a
sevin' machine? Why, die Mabel fist
todtr'
eyes" nodded the widower, ''die Mabel
sst todt; but she always was fer wantin'
, ,ewin' machine, and I baked her. like.
.hout IL. And now she ist todt. 1t was
Ia. far. Liza hean