The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-04-11

"Fair. oR.pr
Sprndside, March 2s, 1871.
Don't Tell Betsey Jane."
And, for your life, don't tell Betsey
Jane :"
Mr.. Nicodemus Harding, having utter
ed this caution in low, earnest tone Of
voice, alighted from Concord wagon in
front of his own farm house door, and
stood there few minutes in brown stu.
dy, watching the figure of his brother-in.
law and the lawyer, as he drove back
toward the village Of W, whence the
two men had Just come.
Don't tell Betsey Jane !"
Now Betsey Jane was Mr.. Nicodemus
Harding's wife, stirring, notable soul
who made more butter and cheese, and
took more eggs and fowl to the market
in the course Of the season, than any
other woman for miles around. Strong,
healthy and hearty, she "made the house.
work fly" to use her own energetic ex.
preston and if Nicodemus Harding
owned his farm that day. and was we'll
to-do, in fact rich man to boot, it was
owing in no small measure to the skill
and energy and general go-aheadativeness
of his Betsey Jane. What was it, then
that the ungrateful man was not about to
tell her
1t would never do, never |" thought
Nicodemus to himself, shaking his head
"She'd be wanting q new carpet, or
new silk gown, or the house ali painted
over, or some such nonsense. No, the
moil"'. :" tho weaker vessel, it won't do
to trust one too far. Tl,vi, hoauo -v~
30 MT. Niov~o".~" P---~- .".~-s. s"N
house, aud out toward the barn with the
pre-occupied air of hen who has an egg
to lay, and don't know where she can
hide it from the eyes Of mankind to the
best advantage. The kitchen was empty
and silent as he went through. But oh
if he could have seen the buxon, good
looking female who stole silently out Of
the pantry, and as silently followed him
on his way toward the barn.
Mrs. Harding came back in about
twenty minutes or so, with face red from
suppressed laughter.
"Don't tell Betsey Jane," she said,gig.
Cling into her gingham apron. You
are a very smart man, Nicodemus, and
my brother, Tim Noyes, is another, and
lawyer in the bargain. Don't tell Bet
sey Jane, indeed! Two wretches, you
deserve all you'll get pretty soon."
Betsey Jane said no more, but bided
her time. A week passed away and then
her brother Tins wagon drove up again
to the door, and Nicodemus stepped into
it, and was off to the village once more.
Betsey Jane had asked in vain to 20.
Nicodemus was bound on business
business which a woman could not un-
derstand," he loftily exclaimed. He,
lord and master, well, out sight, Betsey
Jane went about that business woman
could not understand, with merry twin
kle in her bright black eyes.
At four p. M, Nicodemus returned
home again looking quite as important as
before. He tip.toed along through the
kitchen, Betsey Jane watching him from
the corner of her eye the while. He
passed out the she'd A fragrant smell
ofsmoke came forward to gree. him-an
oder Of burning corn cobs gradually cur.
ing ham.
Nicodemus turned deathly pale, and
ran frantically forward to large fire
smouldering in the ash house, and large
ham or two covered over by blankets
hanging placidly there. The yell he gave
brought Betsey Jane from the house in
stanter, to find Nicodemus groveling be-
fore the ash-house door, weeping and
wailing and tearing his hair, and utterine
yell after yell Of despair.
Why, bless me what's the matter
, are you in a fit? Let me run for the
camphor !" shrieked Betsey Jane.
"Camphor! Bring arsenic Bring
J poison of some kind, poison-poison ?
f yelled Nicodemus frantioally.
Woman, you've ruined me lively.
thousand dollars in government bonds die
! l put in that ash hole for safety just 4
week ago, and you've gone and burnet
them to cook that cussed bacon. Pison
r Pison Pison And let me get out o.
this dreary world"
"Oh-so that was what you were no
going to tell Betsey Jane Aren't 20,
ashamed of yourself, Nicodemus Hard
ingf"
Nicodemus could not answer. lie lai,
PROSTATE 10 the ashes aud howled.
"Get up and don't be fool !" sale
Bc;sey jane. amiably. ~ heard yor
and brother Tim conspiring at the dool
that day, and watched you go to thu
ash-hole, and soon found out what yor
had hid awuy there. Woman is th,
weaker vessel, no doubt, but she dom
D put twelve thousand dollars where tn,
. FIRST match that comes handy can burn i
up here are the bonds, Nicodemus-fol
ten thousand. I've kept two for my hon
: esty."
Poor Nicodemus He gathered him
: elf up out of the ashes, and took his bond
q what was left Of them. He rsthe
i thinks it pays best on the whole now, h
tell Bstsey Jane.