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Show THE SILENT SISTERS. ur isnAi.i. i ASGwnu- (Prom Hounholl Words) They hud riuarrel 1 In glalhood, and mutually declitetl their Intention never to sptnk to each other nRnln welling und doing Ihclr foretli hers to the accompaniment accompa-niment of nn nnclent childish Incnntntlon and while thev live I on the paternal farm they kept their fooll.h onlh with tho stubbornness of a slow country stock, despite the ultimate coaxing unl chns-llrcmcnt chns-llrcmcnt of their parents notwlth.tand-Ing notwlth.tand-Ing tho perpetial ever) -day lonlnct of their lives, through every vlcl.sltulo of season and wenthei of sowing naad reaping reap-ing of sun and shade of Jo) nnd sorrow Death nnd ml.ft rlune dll not rccom.Ho Ihi m nnd when thnr tnther died and tho old rarm wan sold up the) traveled to Lronflon ba the sunn slleme, b) tho sumo trnln In search r nanllur sltuntlotis Hervlco separated tin m for )enrs thorn, Ii tllirn was onl) u at nc 1 throw litwern them lhe) often stolid at each other lu the struts .... Honor tho elder married a loenl art-lain art-lain und two nmt a hull )esrs later, Merc), tho )ounsir mnrrlel a rellow-workman rellow-workman of Honors hUbbnn I lhe two hurbiands wero trim la onl often visited eueh other b houat a which were on op-p op-p a.lte al lea ot tin same sordl l street, nn I tbo wives mndo Hum welcome Iveliler Honor in r Merc) suffere I an allusion to their bteneh it wus under-stool under-stool Hint their silt hi must be received ill .Hence luch or the sisters hud u itulverrul of ehll Ireu who phoed and quarreled toseihei In tho streets nnd In ono unothcrs hoiifei lint nat even the street arrrioa unl mutual grievances of tho iliildren colli I rrovnke tho tnolhers to wolds Ihev siood at their drrs In Impotent fur) ulmntt bursting with tho turturo nf keeping their mouths shut SEUInit the cffirv i-ienco of nngr) speech A hen either lot a chlldt tho other wotelifd tho runeril from her window. dumb ns the mut - The )cnrs rolled on and still the river of sllnice flow el between their lives Their goo I looks fntlcd the burden ot life nnd child betrlng vans hyavy upon Hem Orny bib treaked their brown tie. ses then brown hnlrs stnukei their Era) tresses Hi tuckers ut ago re. place 1 the dlmrle fit )outn Ihc )cirs rolled on and tleiih gnw husv , umonp the fumlllcB Hon rs huitliinl died nnd Mero lost a nn win died a week nfter his wife Cholera loik several of tho )nuner ctilllrcn Hut the sisters them selves lived un bent mil shriveled by toll and sorrow even more than b) tho slow frosl or the )cnr , Then ono ila Merc) took to her deathbed death-bed An Internal disease too long neg lectfd, would eurr) her off within a week Bo the doctor told Jim, Miro s hu.bind Through him the news traveled to Honors eldest son who still livid with her ID the inning it reathed Honor rlhc went ui n airs iihrnpll) when her son told lur leaving him wondering ut her storo nl eil When she enme dawn she was bonneted nni shiwlel He wna lllkd with JiDiiiia ninnin to seo her la b ble across the street, anl for the llrst tlmo In her life puss over hr sl.ter Mttc) s thrcshull ... .v. Honor etuercu inn sicaroom mi pursed lips a llkht leapt Into tho wasted wrinkled countenance of the d)lng erea-ture erea-ture hhe rile hersilf sllghtlv in bid het lips in. 1 then shut tlghtl), und h.r fuie dirkined Honor turned ungrll) to Mere) s husband hus-band who hung about Impotentl) Why did )ou let her nin down so low?' sho sail 1 dldn t know ' tho ol 1 man summered sum-mered taken nbiik b) her pre. nee even more than bv her question Mac was alwi)s a woman to sa nothln lienor put hlna Inaputlentl) aside nnd exntrlnerl the medicine buttle on the bedside bed-side table ' l.n t It time sho took 1 er dose' ' I dees'!) Honor sturied wrnthtull) hats tho use of a man? she Inquired na she larefull) measured out the fluid nnd put It In her .liters lips, which t pencil to receive It und then elo.ed tightly ugaln How la ) ir wire feeling now ' ' Honor oskel nrter a pause How uro v u now, Merc)" asked tho nil mnn iiwkwardlv rh bl 1 w im n shook her head I m a Ruin' ru.i lira she Kriinilled wenM) anl a lent of scir pity trickled rinwiv hi r 1 iithnunt tin k What rtibhidgK sho do talk' rrled Hanur shirplv W'hv do vou stand there like a tailors tummy? h) don t )ou t1t ltr in h f tint ' Chier up Mnc),' quaverfd the oil man hoar.eh Hut Siercy noaned Instead end turned rrettull) on hn other si le with I er rnto to the wall I m tco oil I m too old she moaned this Is tin ea I o me' Laid vou rv r beur the like Honor naked Jim augitt) na she smoothed hla wile a pillow Mlae was ulwava lumclted slout her age settln herseir up ns th. equals or her aiders, mid here una I her eldir sister na urrled her In na) urina when 1 wh mill she wus .' still linlo and strons and with no mini for im-deigrniinl im-deigrniinl for mnn) u diy Mgh three ilnaes her i ge I was once mind )ou nnd now sin him tin Imptrenco ta ti Ik ot rt)ln h r re ane She took iff her bonnet nnd shnwl Rend one tin ML to tell 111) bn) I 111 stsylli lira slat mill 'ml tin ll Jl.nl ou get em ill lo be 1 thero s too much I ol.s it ut ihc house ' Iheihllliei who wire orphan d grnnd-ehlllieai grnnd-ehlllieai or tin dvlng wnmiiu weio sent In had in I ih n Jim hlmsetr was tuiktd off in mi sh hlinsiir ror the nest dav s labcra ror tie poor ot 1 rcllow sllll dod dered sbi ut tho workshop The alt n e t r the slckioom sprea 1 over the while h iki About ll o'tloik the Uticter mme .unin anl Instruetetl lloiur bow ta ullcilitt the imtlepi s last houis All night 1 r hu sot wutehlng her dvlng dv-lng sister linn I and o)o iilert to mill 1 I utt even wl-h No woid broke the a I ul stllli es. Th tint lib g In the morning Mere) s mairled di uhter the only child or he a living In lonrtin urrlved to inir.o h.r maiher Hit Honor indignuntl) reruaed to bt dlsiH.aet A nice lJUfchter jou are she tall to b iv e our mother ll a da) and a night without ii slaht o )ottr i '" . I hud to look after the apodmsnani the little un. Hie daughter pleurle'1 Then whit do vou menu bv Jesertm them now the irate o l "e"""1. t arte 1 I lrl ou deserts v our another nni then )our Itlisbsnl und children toil must go bnik to llaiill a. nee Is ) "J tare I lurried )our mother In m nrrns bernro )0ll wna born and It .he ' anybody els. now lo look after her. It her Just tell mo so and III I oft In a bruco o shakes ,,u Hhe looked detiontl), at the veil0" dried up creuttir lu the bed ero " withered Up. twitched hut no souna corns from them Jim strung up b) the situation look the word ou isni do no gcod up here the doctor iJ)ou might look nrnr tho klls downstairs a bit whn )Oii lan spire an hour and I ve got t a so to He .hop 1 II sen I )ou i a telegraph If there s a change ha wlils-peretl wlils-peretl to the daughter unl she not wholly discontent! d to return to her living liv-ing Interett. kissed her mother lingering linger-ing a little nnd then stole qulctlv uo) All that da tin old women remained together in soleaiin silence, broken oill) bv the doctor. Malt He reported tint Mercy might lost a couple of days more In the evening Jim repined his sl.ter in liw who slept terforte At nilinlght she rcnppearel in! sent blm lo 1 l The nuTercr tos.ed about risllrssl) t htiir-psat htiir-psat two she unokt nnd Honor red lur with some broth n she would have fed Inhv Merc), Indeed looke i scarce) 1 lager thnn un Infant nntl Honor niilv hn I tht advantage or her bv In lug nulfe I nut with elolhea A ihurili clock In the rllstm 0 .tlttlk 1 Then the silence fell rltiier Tho wntcher drow.rd the limp lilt kcred tos.lnr her shmlow nl out the wnlls is If .he ton were turning fiver lshl rrom side to side A strange ticking tick-ing amide Itself heard In tho wainscoting Merc) sat up with a screum of terrer Jtm' sho shrieked, ' Jim Honor started up opened her mouth to cry llu.h' then checked herself suddenlv frozen Jim, caicti ane riving wonnn -n.ieui Is that the death spl leC Honor listened her blon 1 cur lllng Then she went toivurd the ri uir nni opened it Jim ahe snl 1 In I iw tonis. aiwaklng toward tho landing (ell her It a nothing Its onl) ta mou.t Mie via. ulwu). a nervous llttlo thing nd she ilosel the door softlv, nn I prcs.lng her trend ling sister ten Url) back on the pillow, tuckel 1 er up snuglv In tho blankit Next moinlng when Jim wna really piesent, tho patient brcrc 1 nthctlcully to huve a grandcl lid with her In tho loom do) und night ' Hon t lenvo tno aluii ngdln she quivered don t leave me iiloni with tiot a soul to talk to Honor wlnicd but suld nothing Hie )oungest chill who did not have ta a, a to school w-ts trought i prett) llltli bo) with Irown curl, which the .un streaming through the panes turned 10 p 11 Thi morning passed slow I) h nit noon Merc) took the child s hind ami smoothed his curls Mv sister Honor la nl gold.n curls Ilk- th it she whlsaiered Thev were In the famll) llobh) 11 i or answired lour grenny hid them too when she wus a girl There was 1 long pause Merc) s eves wrre h-ilf glazed Hut her vision waa Inward In-ward now The mlgnnnetto will be grow In In the g ird ns llobb) sho murmured an nn 1 the heart s .Hse sail Honor softla We lived In tho cnuntr) nu know Hobby mere a. uowera in tno countr) Ilobhy dechrtd gravel) is and trees, sail Honor I wonder won-der ir )our griinny reni.mtiera when wo were larruped bar steaalln utiles V) thut 1 da ilollij he he croaked the il)lng creitiire with n burst of en-thlltli.lll en-thlltli.lll We wus a pnlr n tnmlaovs Tin. winner he nn nfter us cr)ln Ve' ve' but wo woultln t lake no gnr. He Honor wept nt lhe laughter lhe m-live m-live Idiom unhenril ror luiir -i icntiir), male her luce shine unler lhe tears i)nn t let )our granny excite herseir llohbv Irft mo give her het drink hho mnveil the bo) u.ltle, and Mcrijs Ilpa iiutunatlcally opened to the draught loin was wl us llobb) she gurgled, gur-gled, still vibrating with amusement aaail he tumbled over on tho heathet He he Tom la dead this Torty )ear Hot lay whl. tiered Honor Menvs head fell nnck and nn ex-prps.lon ex-prps.lon or sail reme exhau.tlr n came over the rate Half un hour pnsse I llol.lu was mlled down to dinner The doctor b"d I en sent ror Buddf ally Mercy .at It le grnvvln dark Tom she sold hiuis Iv I ilni It time t ,,ill the nit tie liunii rrom thr nm she.1 lhe tulkln rilbbldae ntiln salt I nor ehoklngl) TeTl he? she , In Ixilirkn lit lb " '" A wave or tntelHeento traversed th. sallow raie Sllll sluing M r v lint townrd the side or tho lid vh Is Honor rtlll theic- KIs. m U lahv Itir bund, grope 1 Hindi) Honor lent down and the old women swliiu-red Ilpa met Vnl In that kiss Mero p.s.l nuy into the gieuter slUnc, -Olnbe Democrat |
