The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-01-19
Ihe Setting Hen.


s-T'-nothy, that air yalier hens a setti
agip," SAID Mrs. HAYS 10 her son. one morn
ing at brca Efast.
''Well, let her SET" remarked Timothy
helping himself 10 i large piece Of cheese
Il reckon | can stand it as long sh'
can"
II do wish Won would try and be LITTLE
more equenomical 20 cheese: Timothy; I've
cut the very last OF my every day lot, S.nd
its only the first OF Nay. Aud now as soor
as you ,s daAs eetiug want you to 20 Out
and break ep That hen. She's settin on al
old AK and two bricks now"
Il hope she'll hatch EN-" returned limo
thy.
IF she was set now, she'd hatch the
fourth week in Nav. It's a bad sign: some-
thing alters happens acter it. Stop giggling,
Helen Maria Dy the time you get to be a.
old as yer ma, you'll see further than you do
now. There was Jenhcns folks, their gray
topuet matched the last Of May, and Mrs.
jenkins, she hal the conjunction on the
longs, and would have died if they hadn't
killed lamb sud wrap ed her ia the hide
while it was warm. That was all hat saved
he-:'
With suci. a startlins proof of the truth
of the omen before hlm, Timothy finished
his breakfast ia haste and departed for the
barn, from which he som returned, bearing
tne squa!!iag bidiy 10y the legs.
what shall | DO with her. mother :?
She'll get On again. and shes cross a. 5ed.am
she .Kinncd my hands. and would be the
death of me If she could se- lJosc.'
IRE hecrn /; said ilat ii va. Il good plan
to throw 'sm up in the ar" said Ms. Hays.
"Au.t Peg broke one Of se'tin Only three
time tryiugs. Spqse'n YOU Try it,
s.I-p c - poes head or tail ~ GRE! Ilm.
as he tossed the volcano skyward.
Land o massy,' exclaimed Ars. Hays,
shes coming down in the pan OF bread
that set ont on the great rock 10 rse !!
Tim. it's strange that you cant % nothing
witheu, OVERRIDING it,
Down witt: til traitors, up with the
stars san. out Tim. eicva;ing biddly again
with something less than :. pint Of batter
hanging to her feet.
Good gracious me, wuss and wuss, cried
Mrs HAYS, and Tn agreed with her, Tor the
hen had come down on the well polished tile
Of Esquire Bemnctf. who happened 10 be
was the father of Cynthia Bennett, the
Young lady with shon Tim was seriously
enamoret.
The Squire looked daggers, brushed 81
the doug. with his handkerchief, AID .,sode
on IN silcrcc.
"Ycs bat us going up again said Tim,
spitetrIy scizias the cluckiag bidly and
tossing her al radon in The air. Biidy
though, it was best to manifest her iEdivil~
ualty, and with !oud scream she darted
against the paror window, broke through,
knocked down the Canary cage, and landed
plump in the silken lap Of M-s. Gray, VINO
was boarding at the farm house
Mrs. Grey screamed with horror. and
starting up. dislodsed bddy, rhU fI.w a.
her reflection in the 10 king glass, with an
angry hiss The glass was shattered aud
down anne the her, astounded beYond meas
ure against vase OF flowers which upset,
and IA falling knocked over the stand-dish
ard dsluged with water pair OF drab coi-
ored velvet slippers. which Helen Maria was
embDidering for her lover, Sir. James ncg-
shaw.
Hslen entered the rom Just az the rnis-
chef had been doac, and viewing the ruin,
1 rho at-once laid !; 20 ker brother Ii notify.
Heard his step behind her. and the unforIu-
nate hen she flung iuil in his face There
Was a snothercd oath, aGd the hen CO me
back with the force Of = forty pound shot.
Helen was t.ad Her eyes wcre nearly pat
on: with the feajE.ry tL.t and dough. and
she went at Timothy with trGc fem nine zeal.
She broke his watch guard in Il iozsn pieces,
crushed his iir key. and began TO pull his
whiskers out Ov the roots, when Suddenly she
remembered that Timothy had no whiskers
TO pull out by the roofs. But when she came
to ionk closer she perceived tha. the nIan
she had nearly anuihilated was not Timothy
bat James Henshaw Poor Helen bHrsl into
te.rs and fled Into her cha er. the usual
resort for herOines and James, after wash
ing himself at the kitchen sink, went home.
s;crHly resolved never 10 marry a woman
with such temper Is Helen Hays had.
The hen, meva5 nile, who IS The heroine,
returned ~ the bays. u establish herself on
the ruin of her nest, determined to set II the
heavens fell. Mrs. HAYS soon discovered
her, ard having heard that dipping il water
would cure -'bruJjays., s.,. act forth for the
brook with the few! IN her apron. Mrs
Weaver, % lady Of very qaarrelsome
temperament, who resided near, was At
swords point with Mrs. H-yz, was asst COM
ing to the brook for pail of water. and
spied the yellow head .! tho bird peeping
out from Mrs, Hays apron.
There - she exclaimed. "now We found
cut what puzzled me to death nigh about =
week. I've found Oh; where that yellow
pullet has gone to. Mrs. Hays, l alters
kaowed YOU wicked. decei,ful woman,
but didn't think you'd steal"
Steal? u. steal? Who are You talking
10, Mrs. Weaver said Mrs. Hays, Oh Ler
dignity.
I'm talking to you, madam, that's who
I'm talking to- You've stole my hen what
! got over to Uncle GiIlies ani paid for it in
sassengerS. She's :. real Dorkn. Give her
up to me right here, or I'll use force
She's my ben, ard you touch her if you
dare.n
IN show you what / dare - yelled Mrs.
Weaver, growing purple and ss;zing the i'll
starred fowl by the tail she gave wrench
and the tail came out in her hand
The sudden cessation of resistance upse:
Mrs. Weaver balance. and she fel! backs
warG into the brook. spsttcring the mud, and
astonishing the polliwogs in every direction.
She was spry woman, and soon cn her feet
again, ready TO renew the assault
Give ME my hsn," she cried, :hrus;ins
her Est into Mrs. Hays' face, yon old hag
ans hypocrite you" and sA= made second
dive at the bird.
The hen thought !. proper to show her
tcoiors, and utterins an ,ine&r.hiy yell. she
flew out Of the covert, square into the face
OF Mrs. WeaFer, which she raked down with
ller nails until II re.cmbled tke pages of i
ledger: crossed aud rocrossed itIl red ink
Mrs. Hays caught Gtiel. Of brnshwood
from the tence-Mrs. Weaver did the same
and regular duel would probably have bsen
fought If Tic bank OF the creek had not sud>
denly gwen way and prscinitateJ both the
jnd'2"ah women Int, the vz,er They