The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-02-28
you do the right thing by Reuben. Mark

You amt going, be We, Miss Beswickf
said Mrs. Ducklow,-for the visitor haC
arisen What's yer hurry?'
No hurry at ALL but I've done my arran
and said my say, and may as well be goin.
Good night. Good night, Mr.. Ducklow.
And Miss Beswick, pulling her shawl owe
her bead, stalked out of the house like
some tall, gaunt spectre, leaving the Duck
lows to recover as best they could from the
CONSERVATION into which they had beer
thrown by her coming
| Did you eyer?' said Mrs. Ducklow gain
ing courage to speak after the visitor was
out of hearing.
She has got tongue = said Mr. Duck
low.
Strange she should speak of your invest
ing money to day!' D. We s'pose she knows?
i don't see how she can know?' Ant
Mr. Ducklow paced the room in deep troub-
lie. I've been careful not to give a hin
ont to nobody, for | knew jest what folks
would say. IF Ducklow has SO much
money to dispose of, he'd better give Reu
ben lift | know how folks talk
Coming here to browbeat us! exclaimed
Mrs. Ducklow. wonder ye didn't be
little more plain with her, father! | wouldn't
have sot and been dictated to as tameIy as
you did,
You wouldn't? Then why did We? She
dictated to you as much as she did to me;
and you source opened your head; you die
not dare to say your soul was your own
''Yes, l did. =
you ventura to speak once and she she.
ye up quicker'n lightin Now tell abo nj
HFl"t hary
like tame noodle, az | did!'
1 didn't say tame noodle
Yes ye did | might have answered
back sharp enough, but was expectin' gOu
to speak, men don't like to dispute with
a10nen.'
That's your git off said Mrs Ducklow,
trembling with vexatiop. You was jest
as much afraid of her as | was. | never
see we so cowed in all my life
'Cowed | wasn't cowed neither. How
unreasonable, now, for you to cast all the
blame on to mel
And Mr.. Dncklow, his features contracted
into black scowl, took his boots from the
corner
'Ye ha'nt got to go out have ye? said
Mrs Ducklow 4 shouldn't think you'd
put on yer boots jest to step to the barn
and see to the hoss.'
Pm goin over to Reuben's.'
TO Reuben's! Not to night, father!'
Yes, think better. He and Sophro-
ny II know we heard of his gitten' home
and they're enough inclined already to feel
we neglect 'em. Haven't ye got somethin'
ye can send?'
don't know,-curtly. 1've source ever
been over to Sophrony's but I've carried
her pie or cake or something; aud mighty
little thanks got for it as it turns outI'
why didn't ye say that to Miss Beswick,
when she was runnin' us 80 hard about our
never doin' anything for emp
OF wouldn,t have done no good; | knew
jest what she'd say. whats pie or a cake
now and then?'-that's jest the reply she d
have made. Dear mel what have l been
been doing?'
Mrs. Ducklow, rising, had but jest dis
covered that she had stitched the patch and
the trousers to her apron.
so much for Miss Beswicb!' she exclaim-
ed, untying the apron-strings, and flinging
the united garments spitefulIy down upon a
chair. 4 do wish such folks would mind
their own business and stay to home!'
You've got the bonds safe?' said Mr.
Ducklow, putting on his waistcoat.
Yes; but | won't engage to keep them
safe. They make me as narvous as can be-
I'm afraid to be left alone in the house with
'em. Here, you take 'em
Don't be foolish. What harm can pos
sibly happen to them or you while Pm
away? You don't suppose want to lug
them around with ME wherever go do YEP
I'm sure it's no great lug. | s'pose
you're afraid to go acrost the field alone
with 'em in your pocket What in the
world we're going to do with 'em don't
see. If we go out we can't take em with
us, for fear of losing them or of being rob-
bed; and we shan't dare to leave them at
home, fear the house will burn up or git
broke into
we can hide them where no burglar can
find them, said Mr.. Ducklow.
Yes and where nobody else can find
them, neither, provided the house burns and
neighbors come in to save things. [ don't
know but it will be about as Miss Beswick
said: we shan't take no comfort with prop
erty we ought to make over to Reuben.
DO yo~ think it ought to be made over
to Reuben? If you do it's new to mel
No, DON'T replied Mrs. Ducklow de-
cidedly. 4 guess we better put them in the
clock case for tonight, hadn't we?'
Jest where they would be discovered, if
the house is robbed! No: | have an idee
Slip them under the setting room carpet
Let me take them: | can fix place right
here by the side of the door
With great care and secrecy the bonds
were deposited between the carpet and the
floor, and a chair set over them.
What noise was that?' said the farmer,
starting.
Thaddeus, cried Mrs Ducklow, is that
your
1t was Thaddeus, indeed, who, awaken
ing from real dream of the drum this
time, and, hearing conversation i'll the room
below, had once more descended the stairs
to listen. What were the old people hiding
under the carpet? 1t must be those curious
things in the envelope And what mere
those things, about which so much mystery
seemed necessary? Taddy was peeping and
considering. when he heard his name called.
He would have glided back to bed again.
but Mrs. Ducklow, who spraug to the stair
way door, was too quick for him.
What do you want now?' she demanded.
II want you to scratch my back, saiu
Taddy.
AS he had often come to her with this
innocent request after undressing for bed,
he did not see why the excuse would not
pass as readily as the previous one of SOM
nambulism. But Mrs. DuckIow was in no
mood to be trifled with.
Tll scratch your back for ye.' And seiz-
ing her rattan, she laid it smartly on the
troublesome part; to the terror and pain Of
poor Taddy, who concluded that too much
of a good thing was decidedly worse than
nothing. There, you Sir, that's scratch
ing that will last ye for one while'
And giving him two or three parting
cuts, not confined to the region Of the back,
but falling upon the lower ATTITUDES, which
they marked like 30 many geographical
parallels, she dismissed him with sharr
injunction not to let himself be seen OF
heard again that night.
Taddy obeyed, and crying himself tl