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Show seem a breath left in her. I never tho.!, much of it myself tiU I wenTfor down to my sister's in town and st the va they have things fixed! Kobody In that house o' hers raises drop o' water cepttodnnkit. It all cornea through pipes and runs away through pipes. Bnt folks in the country don't have such fix- ns. They rort taoiiey, and flesh'n' Mood s cheajier'n money." "But there's a new pump set in now " '",With a snort, mirthless laugh; it 11 make things easier for the second wife. Mr. Hill rapidly made his war out of reach of the voices and found himself in the current which passed on to the par- T' a r9 ha realized jt hestood beside the dead, and in one glance took in the expression of ineffable peace. But the wear' look had not been quite smoothed out by the kindly finger of death, and sharply into his heart smote the idea that it was like what he had seen in his wife's face as he had furtively scanned it that day. It seemed to rest there now as she eat near the coffin. Making a signal to her, he drew her our. of , linno - i ; TAKEN IN TBIE. " " ,lTv9 carpenters are about done. " - made quick work of it, I must - They'll be ablo to quit to-iught." F nner" Hill came into the cheese nin which his wifo waa busy to tell f" che tamed to him in mild surprise. Why. without cutting that door'r" Well, I did wn as much as could to have that door cut, and the hole Veen the pantry and the kitchen to "jt tb0 dishes through without walking I gut you see the men have made ch Bd t"'"19 tliat 1 thouSnt ib would I best to let 'era go, as it's Saturday vbt and not break into another week. 'T.yes, of course," said Mrs. Hill, with he ready acquiescence she always gave o her husband's decisions. fni going to have it done, though," rent on Mr. Hill with euergy. "I've ,-omiseJ it long enough aud it ought to !avo been dono long ago. I shall have la men back here before long, for I've 'tout made up my mind to have a wind 'ti this fall. Folks say it's a grand I uuiura UUU and toward the buggy. "Ain't we going to the cemetery, James:-" sho asked, as he untied the horse. "No; I think I can give you a mora cheerful ride." He drove home by a road she had always al-ways liked, and on reaching home told her to go nl lie down. Sho laughed and j he went to ..ad his daughters. "Girls, do yon know mother's ran 1 down and tired out, and that if wo don't I look out she'll bo tho next one to go?" j It seemed a cruel bomb to drop into the light hearts. I "Why, father, is anything the matter? j Where's mother?" I "No, Btay here; there ain't anything : the mutter yet, perhaps. It's only I want to have it stopped before tho matter mat-ter comes." There was a long talk, i "I've begged mother time and again to let me take the dairy work," said Harriet. "She says it's too hard for girls." . "We'll make it easier then. We'll make everything easier for you and for her. We must get her away from home for a change, girls." "She won't go." "Let's go'n tell her she must. She's lying down." "Lying down?" said Janet with a laugh. "Look there." Mother in her working dress was walk-; walk-; ing around tho house to the dairy house. Father took her arm and brought her in. "Mother," he said, "I'm going over to Reuben's next week to seo about that business between him and me. I shall have to again three weeksfter. I want j jou to go with me and stay between 1 whiles." Mother's face flushed, but Bhe shook 1 her head. "I couldn't do it," she said. "I don't say but what it would be pleasant to make a good visit to Sister Ruth, but I couldn't take the time and I couldn't be ready. I shouldn't want to go looking shabby, and I don't need anything new for here at home. It's the girls' time for wanting things." "Oh, yes, yes," said father, half irritably, irri-tably, "but it's the girls' time for taking care of you, and they know it. Some girls know it too late."; "Don't bother now, father," urged Mrs. Hill. "It would take a week of fussing and hard work sewing for me to get ready, and would do more harm than j good." ' Another talk and a conspiracy against mother was proposed, so astonishing and so delightful that Harriot could not repress re-press a shout of laughter. "It'll cost money," she said. "There's moro valuable things than money," said father, taking out his pocket-book." pocket-book." And tho girls grew sober, realizing how strongly he felt all he was saying as he laid out one $50 bill, then another, saying: "Send for anything she wants ready made, so there won't ba'any fussing. Thon she can't help herself." And for a week mother was sorely puz-elod puz-elod at the whisperings and tho sly glances, surprised at sudden hugs and bursts of laughter from Harriet, half inclined in-clined to feel angry at seeing very plainly plain-ly that something was going on which no ono would tell her. At the end of that time a Btnall trunk was delivered at the door. It contained a blat'k silk dress, WTap and bonnet, with gloves and other accessories to a neat "That's the secretof all those measurements measure-ments I had to take last week for that wrapper," said Harriet, pointing to them. "Will you ever forgivo yoarself, little mother, for the way you growled at me? You seo we girls are getting too old for you to be mistress here any longer, so you might as well give in to it at once. The result was that mother, more pleased than she would admit, was, as she told her friends at tho end of her journey, fairlv hustled out of the house before she knew what she was about. Sho came back with renewed strength and spirit for the dear heme dutie. But those duties had been so lightened by tander care and thought for her tliat she declared there seemed nothing left for her to do. . The windmill which had been planned to savo the labor of the men had been called upon aa a helper for women also, and kitchens and wash rooms were well supplied with faucets and drains. lXK)r were cut and everything else done winch could savo the labor of nannd feet. "It costs a little money ,d Farmer Hill "but Tm not one to count money before flesh and blood, and I'm willing to declare most men think as I do, only they don't happen to think in time. -Kidney Dare in .Springfield Homestead. fling for saving work. The boys and I en are tired of pumping water for the torses. It's getting too late in tho day If sack old fashioned methods. I be-fiova be-fiova in keeping up with the times." But she was so entirely in sympathy Irith all hi plans and arrangements that to thought of complaint crossed her find as she carried a load of milk pans Iround to the spring house. A beautiful beauti-ful little rivulet which bubbled through ne corner of the back yard had been turned to valuable use for dairy pur-loses. pur-loses. But the singular obtuseness to III common sense convenience often liiown by old time country folk had led Iho buikiers of tho substantial farm house In place the kitchen door on the other I "Wait, I hadn't got through yot," laid hor husband, following her to the Ipring house. "My, you have got a lot If nice looking butter there. No wonder lour batter always brings the best prices ' tnywhere round. But I'm going over to Iho funeral aud I guess you'd better go I "Oh, I can't," said Mrs, Hill, shaking l?r head very decisively. "I'd like to leal well, but there's too much to do." I "Nonsense. Call those big girls of lours and let them take hold a little." I "They do. They do all the sweeping, J ut I can't leave the dairy work to any-lueelso. any-lueelso. Poor Sarah Duffy t Seems as hough I ought to go to her funeral." I "Go'n get ready, mother. I'll call llarriet." I "Oh, never mind that. They like to are a little time for study and they Light to. I can leave it for a, while." I "Hannah, then." I "No, she has enough to do in the fcitchen." I He stood and watched her while she , Lit the finishing touches to the pats of I mtter and then walked with her around I he house. Her step lagged behind his "risk ones, and as she reached the back lurch she sat wearily down on the lowest Step. I "I don't know as I'll go, James. I llon't feci quite up to it." I "That's your mistake, mother. You let yourself dressed and the ride'U do pou no end o' good." I Thus urged, Mrs. Hill, after fifteen jmimitos, appeared at the door ready to lake hsr place in the smart buggy which tier husband drove around. He talked lnvay in great animation as usual, but before long seemed suddenly struck by lier unusual silence. I "Ain't yon well, mother?" I "Oh, yes, about as usual. I seem to have la land of tired feeling most of the time lately, but I s'pose it's because I'm get-ling get-ling old. We can't always be young, yon know." I "No," said Mr. Hill. But any com-Ij'laint com-Ij'laint from his wife was such a novelty I'liat he ceased his talk, and pretending to look critically at the grain field of a neighbor stole a few glances at her face. I He was not an observant man; had Iwt, perhaps, in the daily round of har-laomous har-laomous home life taken a keen look nt Ihe face of any ono there for a year; and li: feeling of dismayed surprise arose in Ms heart as he marked the worn feat-li'es, feat-li'es, the depressed expression .and the I '-hick 6prinkling of gray in the soft hair, j I "Aren't you well, mother?" The ques- j lion was repeated with more of meaning I hi the tone. I ''Why, of course I am, James. Don't lyou know what a worker I've always been?" I At the gathering of neighbors for the wintry funeral Mr. Hill, leaving his I 'rife at the door to make her way into I -be gloomy parlor in which ono more ' pair of weary hands lay folded in rest, rnt to find a place to tie his horse, lien talked in subdued tones of crops i stock until the signal came for tho j;,pginning of the service, when all l eathered as nearly as possible within I -each of the voice of the minister. Mr. I Hill found himself crow ded against a I -onier of the house close to the end of a I ong porch which was filled with chairs occupied by womon, while from an open window near came sounds which soon jrfd him that tho children of the woman I vr ho lay resting were within. I They were cf all ages, as he knew. I There was the babble of a toddling 'hild, happily too young to know what I'lread meaning lay in these strange l loings. And Mr. Hill's heart turned I rick at sound of the wailing cry of girls I 'e his own. What if such a thing I' ould come to his home? How could j:y one have anticipated this of tho woman who had been such a power in I ft family? Who could have believed I ;hat she wa3 jn nee(j 0f this rest? I The short service ended, the neigh-I neigh-I aors were invited to take the last look at I 'heir friend. As Mr. Hill stood waiting I or the crowd about him to disperse an ruidortono conversation between two r'tighboring farmers' wives distinctly I hed hig ears through the low hum. I "A dreadful thing for them noor girls." I "Yes, indeed. WTiat'd she o' thought I J she'd had time to think of it?" I "Such an ambitious woman as she al-1 al-1 5avs was. Never thought any work too ! jfiirdforher." I "So, and I'm inclined to think that's Inhere the mistake come in. I Wlieve parah Duffy'd a' been alive today if that I ;uband o'hers had had a grain of sense. I 'lie kep' on and kep on 'till she 'broke I ' Ti all at once." I "How do yon mean? He was always -"ood to her." I ''Ys, in a way. But he let her work I nd slave vdthout ever trying to make I Uns easy for her. If I should say my I -a? right out I should sav 'twas that I ,'np in the shed that -was" the death o' rah Duffy." j I !!vU lon t' nie:m it" , ' I Yes. I do. Tve seen" her a-workin' j lay at that old pump stiff and heavy I M nl and wheezv, till there tf-dn't 1 |