The Washington herald., 1921-09-04

Lon viii never b a. mean to me - Ed
10 TO sister. He viii never lot me milk ten
cows"
In the strength Of her sure love and hope 1t
had been easy to defend her lover and her
self. Her fathers most savage attacks, the
sneers Of her sisters, the questioning or pity
ing glances Of her girl friends. all passed
her by. But a. the years slipped away IT
was only the dssp. strong current Of her love
and the stsadfastness Of her nature that held
Edna UP under the hardness Of her life
Goodrich, whom he found that Edna would
not consider Randall. nor sooept the atten-
tions Of other men tentatively offered, de-
ciared: "wsr, n you think am going to
keep on supporting you IN idlsness until
Lon Baxter can make enough to feed two
mouths ysrs mistaken. Hatty can 70 and
you can do her work"
b. It takes al three q NJ 10 feed and clean
after four men. and taks care o the milk
and the chickens, and the garden. to say
nothin' bout fssdin' pigs and calves. We all
o. us-Edna does morn her share by rights
now-vs al O. ~ work hard ths better part
O. fourteen hours . day
Yet, though I" Ma Goodrich BY her weight
and her rhsumatism. and her long years Of
service, was entitled to rsiisf rather than,
new burdens, hsr husband carried out his
threat. Hetty. who had helped since Edna
was . child. was dismissed Mother and
daughter were compelled to the drudsery
that eats the vitality out Of the most robust
body and the most hopeful soul.
Lon had no suspicion Of what life had come
10 be 10 the overburdensd and much harrsed
sfr1 She had bean pretty and popular. had
sung IN the choir Of the Baptist church. and
besn counted In for an msrrymakingsL He
thought Of her stu as the village belle, before
whom he had trsmblsd- He was stin won
derins how she had ever come to favor the
big, awkward lout he felt hinnssf to Be.
In her own heart Of late Edna had found
herself fearing that Lon had changed-that
he no longer wanted her. " was in Despair
that she had determined not 10 answer his
last hurried note She would put him to this
. test: II he did not speak she would admit that
1t had all been . biundsr and try 70 gather
up her life and make something Of what was
left, after she had torn hsr one love out Of her
heart Day after day passed with no letter.
It was the fsvsrish. hurrying time Of harvest
Lon, she told herself. Yet with slowly dying
faith, she waited and feared and trisd to
hops.
One night her father. with . eontempeneus
snort, tossed her . lstter he hid 6ruaght
from town. Pears like your man amt In
served. scidly.
She made no answer. She waited untn she
was In hsr own room. at the sod Of . scoring
days work Hr lips w~s whits - she
slipped the sheet from the envelope and read
the words that had come from Lens heart
She read the letter over again with quickly
responding spirit. But ths sparkis and glow
Of loves nrst happy hours bad been sorely
dfmmed by toll and disappointment.
Once more. With . new season, the resur.
rscting force Of spring pulsed In Ions veins
The man who drops sesd into freshly stirred
depth Of Mother Earth cannot help count
ing on the harvest, however often or bitterly
she has nouted him. This year the winds
were gentle, rain came at the right moment
the sun was tsmpered. The yield was o
abundant that the one railroad could moi
move trains fast enough.
That fan Lon Baxter bought and hauist
lumber. Through the winter. with his svr
hands, he built his house.
rhs home Tor Edna was ready.
Lon rolled . window shads back and forti
win touch Of prids n hs remembered tn
green paper shaAss manipulated By . strini
ana always tippins ons way Or ths othei
A1le 4p