RAGGED LADY.

By William Dean Howells




Part 1.


I.

It was their first summer at Middlemount and the Landers did not know the
roads. When they came to a place where they had a choice of two, she said
that now he must get out of the carry-all and ask at the house standing a
little back in the edge of the pine woods, which road they ought to take
for South Middlemount. She alleged many cases in which they had met
trouble through his perverse reluctance to find out where they were
before he pushed rashly forward in their drives. Whilst she urged the
facts she reached forward from the back seat where she sat, and held her
hand upon the reins to prevent his starting the horse, which was
impartially cropping first the sweet fern on one side and then the
blueberry bushes on the other side of the narrow wheel-track. She
declared at last that if he would not get out and ask she would do it
herself, and at this the dry little man jerked the reins in spite of her,
and the horse suddenly pulled the carry-all to the right, and seemed
about to overset it.

"Oh, what are you doing, Albe't?" Mrs. Lander lamented, falling helpless
against the back of her seat. "Haven't I always told you to speak to the