Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-06-12
Gust as l told Colonel Absalom this

| afternoon" interrupted the other foo
much engrossed with her subject to no
tice her guests sudden start and chan 70 of
color, at the mention of that name az
said to him, says l., there's my son ,L;al
has invented new kind o. clothes wiring
er, f1rstrate thing, that'd make the work
O. washing twice as easy as tits now. an,
mes been tryin' to get a patent on it, an
AIN I made out yet, jest for nothin' in the
world but because faint a man labor saw
IN machine But guess now" and her
worn face frightened hopefully, as she
lowered her voice to confidential tone.
hell make out now, for the Colonel lust
| the same as promised if he was elected
| to see it through"
NO doubt he will, then" was the
heartily sympathetic response. .sThe
Colonel is man of his word, so every
body says and there isn't much danger of
his not being elected, | guess. And So"
with an evident relish for the subject,
you had a call from him. too. He took
| dinner at our house,
did he?" and Mrs Blunkett looked her
citation as she asked, abruptly, "P'raps he
made you a present, too!'
"a present!'
Mrs. Mason looked bewildered, and not
| little curious. "No, he didn't give me
anything. What was your PRESENT."
Wen, the present want no great thing
of itself, but it showed his good will Jest
the same; twas bag o. seed beans of a
new kind that amt never been seen in this
country before. The Secretary Of War
| had some sent i'm from Chiny, an he sent
tewto the Colonel for old acquaintance
| sake, an he was good enough to divide
| 'em and bring us half You see he and
/, Il
| IN the same regiment, out to Mexico, and
that's why he came to remember us.
s'pcse."
There was a curious and not particular
| ly pleasant look in Mrs Masons eve. as
she asked very quietly:
will you let me see them? havea cur
losity to know how a Chinese bean looks -
10 be sure-in jest minute" and
fastening from the room she came back
| after moments absence, a smile bright
| ening her homely face, and in her hand
Martha Mason looked then rubbed her
| eyes and looked again with beWildered
stare.
There, carefully, almost tenderly, balan-
ced upon Mrs. Blunkett's broad palm
and the visitor caught her breath with an
odd mixture Of indignation and amuse-
ment-that identical "calico bag" that
| she had herself bestowed upon her part
! ing guest, only a few hours before
"They're rather an odd-lool1ing bean"
remarked Mrs. Blunkett, innOce ntly I'M
| conscious of her friends agitation; and
carefully producing few from the depths
of the bag, she held them out for inspec-
| ton, with such an air of proud satisfac-
ton that the comicality of the whole
affair overcame for the moment all the
others chagrin, and laughing outright she
| said bluntly, in answer to Mrs. Blunkett's
| look Of half angry inquiry:
Those beans never saw China; they
! are some that grew IN our garden, and [
| gave them to Colonel Absalom myself,
| this very day, because he wanted some of
them to raise himself"
Mrs, Blunkett looked first incredulous,
then angry
THE old humbugr" she exclaimed
| wrathfully; then, with a natural grasping
at "straws:' But are YOU sure that these
are the ones?"
"Certainly," and Mrs. Masons tone
softened, as she passed her hand with an
involuntary caress over the little satchel.
This bag was" (she paused for a mo-
ment; 1t was not easy to speak that dear
name then and there, and she went on
hastily at was made Of apiece of one Of
grandmother Mason's gowns | should
know it in Guinea"
Mrs. Blunkctt gave grim smile of ac-
acknowledgement.
The rascal won't make much bvthis
caper, tell you. a man that'H lie about
a pint O beans, IL lie about bigger mat
tiers, an | know of two men in this very
house. that won't vote for liar no how
Mrs. Mason nodded her approval.
III the man had had. grain of common
sense he would have bestowed his won
derful beans on somebody further off He
might have known he would get found
out here. | wouldn't give any more for
his wit than would for his honesty, after
this
That evening, as they rode home to-
gether, in the cool, purple twilight, John
Mason remarked to his wife, with a touch
of regret in his tones:
Il heard Watson say something about
Colonel Absalom tonight, that ddntlike
The barrOom was pretty full of men talk
ing about the election, and Blunkett said
that the Colonel was sound on the temper
ance question, beyond a doubt Just then
| saw Watson wink at a man he was pour
ing out glass of whisky for, while he
said in a tone he didn't mean for the rest
to hear, 4 guess the Colonel won't be ceyg
hard on the people he patronizes so well
himself | sold him bottle Of my best
old Bourbon not three hours ago, for
travelling companion as he called it-you
see he has to put up at temperance house,
just now, for the looks Of it, and needs
something to comfort him" They both
laughed as if it was a capital joke, but |
couldn't help feeling uneasy, though |
can't believe it, after all'
Il do"
John Mason gave the reins a jerk that
made his mare start aside with a vicious
toss OF the head, while he tried in the
gathering darkness to read his wife's
face.
why, what do you mean?" he asked,
in tone of blank amaZcment-a question
whose answer comprised the whole story
of the unlucky politicians duplicity, ac
cOmpanied by such energetic expressions
of feminine disgust and scorn, that the
young farmer laughed till the tears rolled
down his checks.
THAT'S too good to keep" was his
laughing comment, and that there were
others who held to the same opinion, was
proved by the fact that before a week had
gone by, every man, woman and child for
miles around, had heard and laughed over
Colonel Absalom's bean story.
The dispatches were coming in thick
and fast. Good news you're still ahead,
COlOnplt" was the rpDOrt that hrOurht q