Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-06-11

"DON'f TElhBETSEf JANEW
And for your life, don't tell Betsey
Janet"
Mr.. Nicodemus Harding, having uttered
this caution in low, earnest tone Of voice
alighted from Concord wagon in front o.
his own farmhouse door, and stood there
a few minutes in brown study, watching
| the figure of his brother-in-law and the
lawyer, as he drove back towards the vii
| lage of W, whence the tive 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, aud
took more eggs and fowls to market in
the course of season than any other wo-
an for miles around. Strong, healthy and
hearty, she made the house work fly, to
use her own energetic expression ;; and if
Nicodemus Harding owned his farm that
day, and was well-to-do, in fact rich man
to boot it was owing in no small measure
to the skill and energy and general GOA
headativeness of his Betsy Jane. What
was it, then, that the ungrateful man was
not about to tell her? -
cit would never do, never ~ thought
Nicodemus to himself, shaking his head.
''She'd be wanting new carpet, or a new
silk gown, or the house all painted over, or
some such nonsense. No, the woman is
the weaker vessel, it won't do to trust one
too far. Their heads won't bear it,"
So Mr.. Nicodemus passed through the
house. and out toward the barn with the
pre-occupied air of a hen who has an egg
to lay, and don't know whereshe can hide
it from the eyes of mankind to the best
advantage The Kitchen was empty and
silehtlas he went through it. But oh! if
he could have seen the buXOm, good look
ing female who stole silently out of the
pantry, and as silently followed him Oh
his way toward the barn.
Mrs. Harding came back in about twenty
minutes or so, with face red from sup
pressed laughter.
Don't tell Betsey Jane" She said, gig
Cling into her gingham apron. "You are
very smart man, Nicodemus, and my
brother, Tim Noyes, is al other, anda law
yer in the bargain. Don't tell Betsey 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
brother Tins wagon drove up again to the
door, and Nicodemus steppedinto it, and
was off to the village once more. Betsey
Jane had asked in. vain to CO.
NicOdenuSs was bound on business
"business which woman could not un-
derstand," he loftily exclaimed. He, lord
and master, well out of sight, Betsey Jane
went about that business woman could
not understand, with merry twinkle in
her bright black eyes.
AT 4P. NJ, Nicodemus returned home
again, looking quite as important as be-
fore. He tiptoed along through the kit
chen, Betsey Jane watching him from the
corner of her eye all the while. He passed
out into the shed. A fragrant smell of
SIM or6t tn II l. <,fl<x
of burning corn cobs gradually curing
ham. Nicodemus turned deadly pale, and
ran frantically forward to large fire
smoldering in the ash-house, and a 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 grovelling be-
fore the ash7house door, weeping and wall
ing and tearing his hair, and uttering yell
after yell Ofdespair.
"Why, bless me! what's the matter?
Are you in fit? Let me run for the CAM
phor," shrieked Betsey Jane.
"Camphor! Bring arsenic Bring poi
son of some kind-poison !" yelled Nico-
demus, frantically.
Woman, you've ruined me! Twelve
thousand dollars in government bonds did
L put in the ash-hole for safety just a week
ago, and now you've gone and burned
IueIn 10 COOK JlldJ cuSSeu UdCOn. IlSOn
Pison! Pison And let me get out of the
dreary world"
''Oh-so that was what you were not GO
ing to tell Betsey Jane! Amt you asham-
ed of yourself, Nicodemus Harding ?n
Nicodemus could not answer. He laid
PROSTATE in the ashes and howled.
Get up and don't be a fool! :" said Bet
sey Jane, amiably. 81 heard you and
brother Tim conspiring at the door that
day, and j watched you go to the ash-hole,
and soon found out what you had d away
there. Woman is the weaker vessel, no
doubt, but she don't put twelve thousand
dollars where the first match that comes
handy can burn it up! Here are the bonds,
Nicodemus, for ten thousand. I've kept
two for my honesty
Poor Nicodemus! He gathered himself
up out of the ashes, and took his bonds
what was left of them. He rather thinks !
it pays best, on the whole now, to tell
Betsey Jane. s