A TIMID WOMAN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6413, 25 March 1892, Page 4

A TIMID WOMAN.

[BY OCTAVE THANET.j

GffAPTF.It 11,

But when half an hour later Joshua's shadow fell across tho threshold there was no tall young fellow behind him. Joahua stood in tho doorway to watch her. The kitchen ■was largo and sunny, and Judith had papered it with her own hands. Hud the paper not been bought of a peddler to ■whom Judith had paid tributo because sho was alone in the house, and ho had "such fierce kinder eyes," it probably wonld_ not have been a remnant of a pattern used in a country ''opera-house," nor represented flowers of such startling size and color, nor needed to be eked out by a blue and gold ceiling paper. But Joshua said that the paper was a good quality ; and ho admired it with a trusting heart. He was a short, rather etout, florid littlo man whose gray hair was brushed back from a large forehead and whose blue eyes were as innoceut as a child's. He stooped a little because he had bent over a plough-handle co much in his youth. He woro a short gray beard, but his mouth was baro and usually was attractive in its kindly half humorous smile. To-night he watched his wife gravely. But his firat woids wero cheerful enough. "Mother, Axel's money will bo hero all right next month and he can pay twelve hundred down and tho rest on two, three and four year's timo." " That's good," said Mrs Crest; " but ■why didn't Myron come back with you, father ?'

"He said he guessed he'd belter hurry homo.' The old man did not look at her. Ho walked across the floor to the sink and began pumping. All the whilo he was conscious of his wife's eyes on hia baok. " Father, did Myron tell you anything about that bank?"

Joshua's face was over the tin basin ; a great splashing noiso camo to her, mingled with a grunt that tho bank was all right. But Joshua's neck, fair where the sun had not touched it, grew redder and redder. "Fathor, I jest know ho did !" she cried. " He thinks Starling's bank aint safe ; that's •why Myron -wouldn't stay to supper, ho didn't want to be questioned." " Mother, you've the scariest critter alive! Starling is a good boy, he is the superintendent —no, that's his brother, but bo is a

professor, And he's a straight, temperance man and I aint going to believe a word agin him."

Judith was trying to fry her cakes, the grease spluttered and hissed on the griddle and pr/attered on her baro wrist; she did not even know that it had burned her. Her mild eyes were glowing, she trembled and hor gentle voice was sharpened by pain as she answered : " Then ho did talk to you ? Oh, father, don't, don't hide anything from me !" "I aint hiding nothing, mother. Myron, he thought you'd worry so, that's all; and taint much, he said ; he's young and thinks he knows it all. Jest because some Chicago fellor, with his boots blacked, hns been stuffing Myron, he thinks Stevo Starling, we've all known from a boy, is going to bust up !" "Father, for Heaven's Eiike, what did Myron cay ?" " Well, if you'll be any wiser for hearin', heard Steve had been speculating in buckets in Chicago," said the old man with a visible pride over his own fluency with tho terms of finance. "He has been going long or else he has been going short on wheat and kitting away with notes and lost money, but 1 don't believe a word of it, myself."

Judith took up tho cakes with shaking hands ; she laid the plato on tho table and

put the griddle further back on the stove in order to approach Joshua. Never since their littlo boy died had ho seen his wife's face as it looked then.

" Joshua," sho said "if wo lose that money it means wo'Jl have to spend nil our days working on a niortgaged farm. If wo cayn't pay up tho third he can foreclose on us; and you know ho is mean enough to do

it; and if we borrow the mono}' to pay him ■we shall have to work it out! That's tho best can happen to us ; the worst is we'll be turned out—on tho prairie—noways at all can we go to town, and for how many years —oh, father" "Hush, hush, Judy " —he tried to soothe her, stroking ber withered hand and patting it—" come now, it will bo all right; we'll go fast enough. I didn't know you wanted it so awful much !" " Wanted it !" she screamed, while tho patience of years seemed to break down and her word 3 rushed as a prairie firo Bpreads. "Wanted it! Father, you ain't got no idee what it means to mo to get out of this loneliness and bo with God a folks again ! I ain't had a. peaceful day since tho children died. I couldn't work hard enough to stop my thinking ! I was scared all the while. I never said nothing 'bout it, for what good ■will it do ? We'd got to livo out on tho farm, it would only pester you and you had enough to stand, but all day I'd bo thinking, What about the horses; what about tho reaper ? whon it was going, and I'd sec you brought home all bloody. If I'd a soul to speak to it wouldn't a-beon so bad, but I knew wo couldn't afford a girl, and how'd we get one if we could ? And every time the blowed I was expecting a cyclono." "Why, Judy ! And you so bravo when we did have a cyclono?" "I had got to be brave then, hut J was awful sewed inside; but when I seen it coming and you off I had to loose the horses, for I knew the barn would go, aud got what I could down collar, 'cause I knew that was the safest place But I urn always afraid of it corniag again. But I ■won't mind it a bit in town ; there's bo many peopte. Oh, I can't tell you what it will he t) bo where I can see the neighbors passing and go to church Sunday without riding ! I'll have Myron, that's most like a son to me. Ho was horn tho same day of the month as our little Jo, father, and he's got tho Bamo sweet disposition, and eyes jest liko Jo's eyes. Don't you remember?" "Yes, yes, mother," said tho old man, sighing. In both their minds was the same vision of the lovo and joy and grief of their youth. "Now, father, it seeniß like I couldn't run no risks. Say Myron and me aro foolish; there ain't no risk in taking tho money out and there is to keep it in. Jest to please me, father, won't you take it out ?"

He had never denied her anything and he

did not deny her now ; he was frightened at her strange excitement, and told her to sit down and he would finish getting supper. "And I tell you what I'll do, mother," Baid he. "I'll go to town tomorrow, though before the Lord I don't know how to tako tbo time, and I'll enquire 'round, and if there is any talk 'bout the bank being bad I'll draw the ironey sharp. But, yon see, I hato to make mischief for Stirling, who is a good boy, running down his bank, so I jest got to go cautious, ain't I? And it is a sight of money to draw out at a whack, now aiii'c it P Mebbe we'd better torter give him warning—do liko we'd bo done by, you know—so ho can git a good ready. What ; do you think?" .

" I think you'd better go and do jest •what Myron says,"-

"Myron don't know everything 1 , mother." answsred her husband, in _ piqued tono. 'f You don't seem to guess I got any judgment of my own."

' Sho saw she had made a mistake and hastened to assure him that she know how good his judgment was, and tho liko things that wives say to their husbands; but there •tfas a little rankle left. Myron had always disliked Starling from a boy, ho said. Myron was prejudice-.

Nevertheless ho was as good aa his word. In the morning- ho drove to town. He enquired of the deacon of his chinch if Starling was sound. He had qualms of conscience lest such enquiry miaht be an injury to the bank, therefore he choao a known friend of Starling for the interlocutor. "Sound!" exclaimed tho deacon, whose name was on a note of Stirling's at that moment; " sound, of couree lie its Bound; but if you want to make him in;. sound that is the way to go at it. Str.rt a ru"fe and you will make plenty of mischief."

" I didn't moan to make any mischief " jaid Joshua, contritely. " I ain't tb at kind, but you see, my wifo got seared." " Does she know anything about business?" asked tho deacon, wit a caustic acjent on the word; and Joshua felt that he rut the sorry figure of a ma'j that was iajoled by his wife into doing unkind as teell as unbusiueßß liko actions..

The deacon left him wretchedly cleaning is boot on the wooden Bidewalk to conceal is embarrassment, and hurried after Starpg himself. "I will get that note baok to-day," lought the deacon; "he was so liberal ianing without asking security that I mldn't very well refuse, but ha iias got to c me through."

Joßhna was in two minds iibr/at goim>mo, in the event he stayed deciding to ran ie risk of another mortmentiua in order to ive plenty of proof to fetch Judy tli.it .'-iK 1 as a fool to bo so scared. lha next time

i applied to a rich lawyer of the to-,vn whc-. kred at his question, " Anvihi:;" tin ttterwith Starling? What ray,!:.-.-! yo-i nkthat?"

'I did hear"—thus Joshua mau-j a fcible nd—" that he was sorter f-puckiktin' in icago opinions." ; ' Opinions ? Do you mean options : j I ird so, too, and wroto to Chicago; his ne'waa not known to anyone. I'd bo a le careful if I w.".b you, talking about iker's credit, these days. You have been

led by some smart AUck, I guess, Mr at."

Crestfallen and rebuffed, Joshua climbed into his wagon. Had he gone to Myron be would have discovered that it was suspected that it was under tho names of other men that all Starling's speculations were made; but Joshua regarded Myron as the cause of his griet'3. He told Judith that he had been laughed at for his pains, and that the bank was good us gold. But he did not convinco her, and indeed as ho repeated tho conversations to j I ber they lost something of their potency as approvers of Starling. Tho next day t>ho would have walked to Delmar to consult with Myron had she not beard from a passing neighbor that he was gone to Chicago. She said nothing to Joshua, but at night ho said to her : " Tomorrow I got to go to the Halters to help them thresh ; thev'ro dretful behind with their wheat, and I*can't feel it's Christian to let them two boys that ain't got no father mebbo lose a lot of whe.it cause they ain't got help enough at tho threshing machine ; but day ayftor I'm a goin' to sen Myron and to give him a cheque to draw out that money. I sent word to Starling by Axel yesterday." She thanked him warmly and did not express tho four tormenting her that tho 1 notice would in gome uudisoerucd way defeat all their intentions. That night she slept ill. She rose early and tried to cheer herself by making Joshua's favorite German cofiee-cake, to be ready against his return at night. She eet her sponge and was arrived at the stage of dough when Myron Dwight rode up on his fast horeo. Myron looked cheerful, but tho horse shook flecks of foam off his nostrils as ho tossed his head. Myron asked for Joshua and rode away on a gallop, singing out : "Tell you all about it when wo come back, Aunt Judith."

Judith waited until dark, keeping suppei hot. She sat on tho doorstep and thought It seemed to her that t_e had never though I in that way before during her life. The moon was in the sky, when afar, or the sea of prairie, she' decerned My rot Dwight coming alone. With a sinking heart sbo saw that he camo in tho direction of Ranford, aud that bo was riding a tired horso. Ho must pass the house to reach the Delmar road. Bho waited for him. " Won't you come in and have a cup of coffee, Myron ?" she begged, " I got some hot on the strove. Where have you bsen so long ? Oh, Myron, please tell mc, please don't put me off !" _ Myron's face changed. " You're right, ho muttered; then in a louder tone, "I won't put you off, aunty. I have been to Ranford with Uncle Josh, and—well, we got there after banking hours and could dc nothing. I couldn't get Uncle Josh away from that infernal machine. But bo it going back to Ranford first thing next morning and so am I. In fact, I shall go and see mother and take the train over there to-night." " Oh, Myron ! is the bank goingto bust! " I guess not beforo we get our money out, Aunt Judy. Woll, good-by" As she watched him out of sight the same tense look was in her face that had been there while she eat on tho step—thinking. Joshua came no long time after. He began to talk in a rambling way about the Halters and tho day's work and how tired the horses were, and she made no effort to question him ; but presently ho broke out with a groan : " Judy, I go', to tell you. I guess Myron waß right about Starling." " Yes, T guess he was." "Ho has B been looking him up in Chicago. He does speculate and he has lost money. And Myron showed me a printed book where they'd got his name down and he ain't got good credit at all, mother. And they got Maxwell there real high credit." <* How do they ever find out ?"

" I guess the lawyers tell 'em ; thoy don't mind spying and telling on folks. It isa mighty queer-looking book, sorter looks liko a "algebra. Well, Judy, wo went to Ranford and we got there too late, but I am going to bo there to-morrow. Don't you bother to git me a hot breakfast though ; a cold bit is all I want."

It was not like Judy to pass this over in silence, yet she made no protest. Presently Joshua said that he would go to bed. " Good night," said Judith. Sho came over to him and kissed his forehead. " You know I know you did all you could, Joshua, don't you?" she aaid. "I guess we ain't goin' to begin to quarrel now, whatever happens, Judy," said ho, "but—we are old folks so have to begin life over again, mother, I kinder wonder at Starling taking that money of me ; ho must a' knowed how things waa with him—but I guess ho was hopeful; well, one good thing, they all was sayin' at the threshin' to-day, how uncommon strong 1 was for my years". So if we do have to begin again " — "Wo ain't goin' to havo to," said Judith.

Thus she cheered the dispirited man, nor did he see the placid look fade from her faco as long as ho was awake to see.

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