Show I THE EVENING STORY r I L A SPARK OF OP INTERCESSION I Copyright 1912 91 by W. W Werner I 1 loved my first husband as much muc as au I could possibly love bye lovean an anybody bod Do- Do o- o rindy but I 1 believe I I lovo love m my second husband a little grain the best Mrs Mrs Rule who three days dars before had complacently relinquished the name James Garner had bestowed on her looked from the kitchen door of her house on Big Ge Gee mountain to where at a mighty pilo of ot c ears s or of corn beside a log Crib Ci Rule worked busily with the tho other corn corn his gray eyes with the tho network of crows crow's feet feet- feet about about them glowing with the newly made bridegrooms bridegroom's rooms room's pride his pride his long IonS thick brown beard heavily sprinkled with gray blowing In tho December wind Dorinda Claunch a a slim w woman man with witha a narrow v face and a eye helping the elderly bride to cook the dinner for tor the dozen corn Is shook hook h her r head Hit dont don't do she said Oaid to let a a. man know a lovin him that that-a- that a aY Makes him bossy specially daily on ono of o them old oid bac bachelor clor kind that I. I Nothing remained but a a. pile pilo of ashes hot and smoking never had no no experience with women folks Mind out Yosemite Rule a to walk roughshod over you come three three- months from now Yosemite was waz plUmp and billowy and had had two husbands DorInda was wa gaunt and scrawny an anno and andO no O man had over ever been hers Yosemite re rc- and commiserated Rule ho he worships tho the grass I tromp she ehe assured her pleasantly only orlly her heightened color revealing ro any trace race of at displeasure ThaI no- no boody a a breath that could make mo me believe bellevo hed he'd ever try to contrary me n ncr cr r come com bossy over mo me an anyway wa Dorinda said no more Only YosemIte's YosemIte's Ites Ite's astute eyes saw aw that the spinster was not In th tho least moved or convinced and the tho sight of ot that unbelieving face faco filled Hied Her Iter with determination to prove provo to Dorinda and the world that tho the earth held one perfect man that she lie po possessed essed him ilm and would JIve H with him ilm In tn a state of unalloyed happiness to hinder hit she gloated In the lato late hours of the nl ht when Rule slept the sleep o of the tho weary and sh she la lay lav awake thinking My ry two girls Is married and out o 0 the wn va way and he lie got ot no iio young joung un uns thank ho tho Lord Loid to come us lies lie's pot got ot othis lila his land and house hour to rent and make money noney off offen en and him a bore hoie along alongo o 0 0 mo me In m my house and on m my land he can work ork hit and arid make mone money orren offen lit lilt hit too to binder hinder bin hin der ller us Ui a the a pair that c f C cr ever r to together ther Yosemite was ar proud of or the tho furniture Rule brought from rom his house to hers heu She was as especially of or a r rod red cherry cherr bureau u that had belonged to Rules Rule's mother and which he heI I mca a a as a sort of ot leak desk It stood In the living room near the he south window for some weeks then Yosemite who n. n mania foi fo changing th the position or of furnIture er e every few cw weeks moved mO It to another corner of or the room loom When hen Rule Rille that evening c from his its farm Larni five the miles 5 ava away he lie started to put pul away r a ta tax receipt In his bureau desk leak Puzzled he looked 1 about aboul the room oom discovered red the whereabouts of oC the bureau and anI stepped toward It It H. Unluckily Salomy little c black dog rioh that had once been the tho pet of or the d do- do parted James la lay lav asle asleep p in front of the cherry Rule stumbled over Salomy Salomy Sa Sn- lomy horny there was a R wild yelp velp of oC pain and anda a dull duB thud as Rules Rule's shining forehead which extended from his eyebrows backward backward back back- ward to his neck came In contact with the sharp upper edge of the ancestral piece Yosemite was 1 tender In her tione but there came In Rules Rule's head swelling with the bump an Idea ides that a bachelors bachelor's state was wan 1 In some respect more mori desirable than that of a married man whose whoso wife la Is g cn to furniture moving A few days das afterward Yosemite moved mo the bureau again this time to the tho corner cor cor- ner opposite Dod rot hit Yosemite Rul Rule ox- ox claimed In I his H search for tor the desk that evening cant yo Ye 0 Jet let wet set still Something fierce gripped ripp d Yosemite's 1 hr heart It at these first words of oC disapproval from her lp For the fraction traction of or a s second cond she forgot her Intention of ot Iron bound a agreeability I 1 reckon I 1 cn move mo things In my own house she sa said Id with asperity I I been a doln hit fer for twenty-five twenty year and nobody never yit Jt lt said But not apt m my things retorted retorted Rule I And cf ef them that come before beCore me rne had been people o any eny n spirit wouldn't nobody no no- I body a bureaus and tables tables tables' been capering around like fleas on a hot stove a this way yay Teems Jeems a man o o began beg Yosemite Then a glance from the tile wIndow window win wIn- dow showed her Dorinda Claunch riding rid rid- ing InE by in tho the twilight remembered and caught herself up Want me lo io mako make ye some some sonie mush and dried apple pie for tor supper Rule But Rule was not to be appeased with the prospect t of his favorite viands Dod rot dried apple pic pie and mush he went on I 1 hahn t a pie and mush Im I'm a to see things stay in their theil places pl with like Ilka stability sta sta- sta- sta dod rot rut cm Yosemite said no more mort but set about bout supper upper preparations prep as though nothing had been said but Rules Rule's words rankled In her hei heart For about three months the furniture remained as as it It was as Rule went to and fro to his work affably and agreeably Then one ono March da day while ho he was away away way all da day at the county seat Heat Yosemite Yosemite Yose Toss mite filled with the spirit of or in log ing mopped and scoured and cleaned windows until dusk When Rule returned he round found the Hv- Hv Int room Immaculately fresh and neat and the cherry bureau once more In Its old place near neRr tho the tind nd window Rules Rule's sol solemn mn gray eyes eves fell Cell on Its altered position position position tion when he first entered tho the house Ho He opened his mouth then shut It silently The he next time Yosemite passed the theda da day dav with her bet dau daughter Oritha Warfield I Rule Hul put in a 0 busy half day In the tile living room Shortly afterward Yosemite at attempt attempting attempting at- at tempt tempting rig to move ove the cher cherry bureau to lew sweep ep under It discovered ered It was fastened I firmly to tho the log wall wan with six wooden pegs Rule was determined the tho bureau should stay In its place If It this a to contrary me rue meI rueI I dunno what hit Is Y said to hoi herself self her anger rising She fetched in her husbands husband's saw and In a few minutes minutes min rain utes tho the sK ix offending pegs Were sawed short oft off Rule Rulo did not Discover tho the desecration until the next day at noon Then In Instead Instead instead In- In stead of eating his dinner he ho hitched his pair of or hors horses s to Yosemite Yosemite's a farm Carm wagon I reckon he said to her In a n. peculiar peculiar peculiar liar voice you jou OU wont won't object to me rae a usia your to haul away my furniture furniture fur Cur in Mrs Mrs Garner Mrs Garner Tn In her bewilderment Yosemite was unable to answer himI himI him I see sec me and you ou cant can't agree about mothers mother's cherry chelTY bureau he lie said slowly and I guess hit would be wisdom for forme forme me to lo take hit and myself and to her back home sos so's they wont won't trouble trouble trou trou- ble blo YOU vou no iio more Of course cours you ou can have the wags Rule and welcome she made out to say but I you wouldn't think of I ln Ca via In silence ence Rule Rulo transferred his belongings belong belong- In Ins ings s to tho the wagon When hen his loading was complete the bureau protected from scratches bv b a thick tacked calico comforter comforter com con forter he drove out on the big bl road h by the railroad t track ack and unhitched the horses lies Hes the horses horles to the blacksmith blacksmith black black- smith shop shoD to have em en shod afore he as Rule rode lode goes thought out of or sight Sick at heart sho she turned tinned and Vo walked lk blindly through the tho thick woods At last a R. long hong wa way fr frOm m the house the she sat down trembling by a a. little spring called far tar spring hidden In tn the shrubbery ot sumac and hazelnut bushes I cant can't stand hit sho she moaned for tor him to be a leavin on account o my foolIshness foolIshness foolishness fool fool- about ln havin m my way To think Id I'd I lot let t an old bureau como come between us I She threw her apron over her head hend and wept with the despairing grief of the middle a aged ed When rhen Rule returned from the black- black smith mith shop he found where had stood a Wagon agon of household furniture a n. pile of ot ashes hot and smoking Ho divined Instantly In Instantly In- In the source of ot tho flames flames flames-a a trail of sparks spark from the passing freight train But where was Yosemite that she did not hot put out the tho flames She was not In Inthe Inthe inthe the habit of or leaving the house alone Wondering he went Into the house Her r blue checked gingham sunbonnet hung on Its nail The black silk bonnet she ehe wore on Sundays was In Its bandbox He searched the barn the log crib his vague uneasiness growing with each mo mo- mo- mo ment meat Suddenly In his search he thought of oC the tho coal hole the old shaft of oC an abandoned coal mine Wild lettuce grew h- h about It It and Yosemite often oCten gathered gath gath- ered cred It for tOr greens lIe He ran to the old shaft But no disturbing die dis foot had hall been about it its Ite edge that da day Calling her name he wandered on through the woods At last he camp came upon upon upon up up- on her Iv lying prone Ing-prone prone In the crushed ferns still weakly sobbing lie He fell on his knees beside her Semmy he cried I 1 was ns afraid had to yet vel et Yosemite raised her head ha has to me mP she ehe murmured dully dull My heart Is plumb broke Rule or twill be when YOU jou drive through Hickman a that bureau and your our things and body ever knows youre you're a me ale Them things i la hJ all aU burnt up lIP Semmy A spark bpark from the freight engine must a alet aset aset set let em cm afire When I J come back Jest now tho the load and the was vas gone sone to ashes ashes' Yosemite was speechless speechless' with Ith consternation consternation conster conster- nation Til gl alt I y ve ye- another wags wags-In right away Semmy Rule said laid after atter a moment misConstruing misconstruing mis- mis Construing her silence I 1 dont don't l keer eer fer th the wl t I rt rI r LL V. V t L I C tW H ie- ie I I a a. leaving you honey she sho cried with a look 1001 of un unutterable woe lilts Hits you ou a leavin me mo that's a me mc Rule Rule gulped down the choking lump In his throat I a leavin you honey I J hainta a leavin you OU ef ct you'll you II agree to let mo mc stay after aCter me mo a cuttin up that away I IThe The fire a up all aU that g good od fur- fur was a sent on me fer ter them set contrary Yosemite's face race cleared the dawn She r reached up and put her arms about his neck Oh Rule she sho said hits hUe me that's that been setter than a an old settin net her In ill these but I J give you my word you'll never have that agin me mae an another another another an- an other time while Im I'm breath I Rule Rulo kissed her |