Evening star., 1927-10-08


ton arose: Where to go?
Their daughter. Ada. prosperouslv
married and living in New York, had
invited them to come to her for as
long as they wished to stay. And so
Melissa. cogitating the problem as she
washed the supper dishes. half-turned
and addressed her husband over her
shoulder-her gaze hazy with thought,
her voice wistful with desire:
Don't you think. pa. that 'twoufd
be kind y nice to visit with Ada a
spell before we decide where we'll set
tie? We could go to the theater and
some concerts. and maybe the opery.
always did have a hankerin' for
somethin' real high class before 1 die.
An we could take IN one o them boat
trips Ada writes about: up the Hud.
son where the river winds through
the mountains; an down the harhor.
where we could see the statue O. Lib
erty and all the big ships. An heaps
O wonderful things. Ada says that
all them big electric signs, colored like
rainbows. refiectin' in the wet pave
| ments. look mighty handsome. An
the tall buildin's an the big bridgesl
an the museum; an the aquarium
where they keep all kinds o fish in
glass cages. There's heaps o. won
derful things, Ada says. I've been
wishin' for a long time l could see em
but there's never been a chance to go
with so much to do here.
But Alvin's mind was drifting in
other channels. Ignoring her soul
hungry soliloquy-if indeed he had
sersed it-he announced musingly:
Hank Downs told me when he lett
the mail that he heard that Seth At
kins lows to sell his place, now Mall
vina's gone. Was kind o thinkin'
I'd buy it. There's land enough TO
keep couple o cows. and a horse,
and you could keep your hens and
ducks
Yes, an I could feed 'em an fuss
with EN- when they wanted to set.
an make butter, an weed garden
| truck, same's always have" snapped
Melissa, her black eyes showing her
Indignation. well, jest amt agoin'
to do it. Go ahead an buy Seth At
kins' place If you want to. And live
in 1t! I'm goin' straight to Ada 3
where l won't be expected to slave
all the rest o. my life" And with a
| swish of her dishcloth around the pan
she wanged it under the sink and.
head defiantly back. flounced out OF
| the kitchen.
'Humph," opined Alvin with drawn
| in lips and lift Of the brows as he
! scratched a match under the chair
seat to light his pipe. Just womans
| tantrum. She'll come to reason whent
wears off,
! But Melissa didn't; and next day
| departed. still in high dudgeon. for
| the city of her dreams.
| At first Alvin took it philosophical
| ly. sure in his own mind that she
| s1Ir axxI
! But time was getting short and he
must soon vacate. Seth, too. was get
| ting impatient. 1t was a case of buy
| it or leave it..
/ But still he hesitated. Not that he
! needed the small farm for a living.
but for a place where he could put
ter round to his hearts content. He
must decide on something, that was
sure. II Melissa only hadn't got up
on her high horse and prace6 off so
high-falutin', leavin' him everything
to attend to, 'twouldn't be so mixed
up. Drat the women, anyhow, always
a-wantin' their own way in every
thing. No sense to 'em, n never was.
And finally, growing desperate in
his perplexity from bandying between
his own will and his wife's favor, he
| took to driving around through all
of assuaging his harassment of soul.
And on one of these excursions he
came upon a pretty little bungalow,
just built. and close upon the out
skirts of the town. A For Sale" sign
caught his eye and he pulled up his
horse and considered.
Plenty Of shade trees and shrub
bery-for the house had been built in
an old garden-and sufficient land for
chickens. And a garage, too. just to
the rear Of the house. Melissy'1
been hectic a. him for a long speN
to buy a car Said horses were too
poly for these days. Well. perhaps
he did owe it to her; she'd been a
faithful helpmeet ever since their
| wedding day.
Him, him.
Alvin weighed the two places In his
mind as he fingered his chin re-
f1ectively: Seth's place without Me-
lissa. this bungalow with her. For
he never doubted her ultimate return
in such case.
A week later he rang the bell Of
Ada's city apartment, and was re-
ceived by wife and daughter in sort
of questioning silence. Words were
unnecessary; attitude and facial ex-
pressions were enough. Although
eaCn was QulVerlnS Wltn curiosity -
to his coming. neither gave it voice.
But Alvin minced no words. Facing
his wife, he blurted. schoolboy FASH
ion: I've bought the prettiest little
bungalow place We ever saw, Lissie.
Right on the edge o. town, SOS We
can go to prayer meetin' an the
sewin' circle often's you like. An
there's a garage, an I've bought an
auto, an got all moved in. Reckoned
ye'd have your fill O. city sights by
now, an mebbe would be hankerin'
for the old town again."
Melissa's black eyes grew dim with
tears. Well she knew what this self
abnegation had cost her husband i'm
pride. Never before had she known
him to yield so vital a point. Her
defiant self-assertion melted to wifely |
devotion as she took a step forward.
II know it's beautiful" she smiled I
tremulously. twitching away her
tears. Wen start home in the
mornin', Alvin. II hope you've kepS
some o. the hens"
The end.
fCopyrght. 1927
EDUCATIONAL.