The Abandoned Farmer

some work of moving with joyous zest. I had chalked a number on every piece of furniture and box of sundries, also on the door of each room in the farm-house,

trade-marked idea is usually a gauntlet flung into the[Pg 46] arena, the activity of my mind producing a reflex action upon hers. In this case I took extraordinary care to provide against anything happening to mar the successful carrying out of my s

be trouble. W'y, in Lunnon you don't ketch the bobbies botherin' about common drunks in movin' season, for they knows there's goin' to be a full docket of assaults an' batteries an' 'busive langwidges. W'y, with your plan there woul

on inspired me with confidence, and when he drove off with his two helpe

all likely to result in a sigh; for my own part, I prefer to look straight ahead if I suspect there is to be any attempt to stir up my well of emotion, and, in consequence, on rare occasions I have been called cold-blooded. Paul is different in this respect; he is the dividing line bet

tenderly, her eyes moistenin

y; but now, with a woman's pensive touch, my carefully built fabric collapsed. Paul's big solemn eyes grew cloudy; a faint crescent appeared on each side of his mouth, deepening gradually. I watched this development in dumb despair, while Marion was ab

and almost pulled me[Pg 49] backward—Marion's flashing ey

so speech was superfluous. As a matter of fact I could have disproved the charge, but not before Paul, for we strive to avoid discussing such matters before him; anyway, I w

ed out, bending over him; "we'

into the empty house, where she pacified him in course of time. I do not know the precise method she[Pg 50] adopted, but I think, from snatches of conversation that reached me, that beautiful nati

t and proper under certain conditions, but I object to being openly accused of prevarication. Paul, as I have said, is not an ordinary child (and although people who are not his parents are inclined to use a compassionate tone in making that remark, I do so with defiant pride), therefore he should[Pg 51] be treated with tactful consideration not accorded to common children. He responds to my sympathetic touch, I am glad to say, with sweet concords; that is, of course, if my elbow is not joggled b

about the room, for it was quite empty and[Pg 52] I feared that our goods had not arrived, but when I peered fearfully into the next room I saw that what looked at first like a railroad box-car was a rectangular erection of all our household belongings. We stared incredulously by the light of the flickering candle, walking arou

rtain-pole; it was covered with rude pencillings, which we deciphered t

er C

v a

s ner

ki

fur emt

mutinin bou

dark to ce

ex bes

a gob

um b

welcome. As we gazed, a second light appeared near the farm-house; evidently some person had come out with a lantern, for we could hear his carolling whistle accompanying the gliding movement of the light. It was coming nearer, for we could soon make out the lilting melody of the whistler and the encircling glow that surrounded him, and I felt Marion's grasp tighten on my arm with a sudden hope that had als

ht you might be kinder upsot, so I come to see if you wouldn't step along over to our place and have su

ard pause, for we were du

he proceeded. "Mine's Andy Taylor, and my place is

ome in. I was afraid you were an angel—perhaps

g

egan Marion, the

d?" he asked, looking

ng forefinger and called down vengeance on the head of the perpetrator. A spasm shot across my visitor's face and his wide-open mouth closed with a snap; he leaned forward helplessly as if

or we might have been dangerous lunatics, or worse,—we might have been vulgar people! But yet, with the all-embracing charity that thinketh no evil, Andy's sprightly step led us from the chaotic discomfort of our new home to the warmth and cheer that awaited us in his. No wonder, then, that Marion wept like a tired child on the shoulder of the motherly old lady who welcomed us, or that Andy, after one glance at my expressive face, backed away with a hurried remark about having to attend to the fire. Later, when Paul had been put to s

oticed the lateness of the hour. Andy rose re

be a neighbor of mine. The women-folk seem to have hit it of

ed our ears. The voices no longer rose and fell—they rose steadily, each dominating the other, it seemed, an

n?" whispered And

g

plied; "it woul

he speakers—of gussets, and pleats, and back width

hisper, "I've been married forty-two years, and I ain't f

d, "what about the

hat I had said something rather neat, and tried not to smile

er what them men is talkin' about so quiet in the kitchen. If your h

lor," she said, "how absurd! You don't

g

here's more gossip goes on among the men down at the post-office

air across the floor ostentatiously and announced in a