Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-06-19
hoo.ed Isaac. suddenly aroused from his

shouted Isaac, suddenly aroused from his
meditations.
"Why didn't you answer me? Here
I'VE been screaming this half-hour, and
was Just coming to see what the matter
was. | didn't know but the horses had
Knocked you down"
Isaac never had misgiving in his
heart, but that he turned to Susan as nat
urally as the needle to the North pole,
and he is now prepared to cast the sound
ing line in his usually unconcerned man
ner. So after they were fairly seated III
the warm and cozy kitchen-not halt the
dining -rooms of the more opulent were SO
comfortable, clean and lustrous on that
cold morning-1saac very quietly re-
marked.
1.-The horses won't drink their wafer
this morning, +" expecting the effect OF this
announcement to be like an electric bath,
he intending to hold the charged sponge
and touch up the more sensitive parts, as
the developments of the case seemed to
REQUIRE. To his surprise. Susan very
quietly answered, why not ?"
"Don,t know" said Isaac. Now Isaac
expected Susan would exclaim nervously.
.Ihey amt sick are they Pr and he really
wanted she should, as that would give him
m opportunity OF freeing his own mind.
But on the contrary, his wife looked at
him with those large, blue eyes which had
not lost all their roguish twinkle. and re-
piled. perhaps the waters too cold.
"Why couldn't have Thought of that ?"
unused Isaac, relieved at a suggestion
which seemed SO reasonable, and he ex-
pected Susan would soon be tripping
round to find an extra pail for the warm
water. But no! Susan was in good
pirits, and he could not but respond to
her witty jokes. although at heart he felt
pretty anxious to know what was the mat
ter at the barn. Finally, rising from the
table, he exclaimed:
"Where's there pail l can have to
carry some hot water in the barn ?" AT
this Susan laughed aloud. Isaac was as
tonished. He looked sober, then surly,
then scornful. At length he says, "Where's
the pail? Win you tell me?"
Susan only laughed the more, saying at
the same time:
Don't you wish you'd put the water in
TO the tea kettle for US to drink, instead OF
carrying it to the barn for the horses P'
A sudden thought shot through Isaac's
rather thick brain like a flash of lightning
through thunder cloud, and in on instant
he was at the barn. There stood the wa
ter. and the poor horses looked up visit
fully to their master.
BOUNDS |" said Isaac. Il b'lieve is that
darnd lead pipe. But why couldn't Sus-
an told me and not flung the tea kettle
in my face? I'll find out, any way" and
Isaac harnessed old Billy into the sleigh,
put in q barrel, covered it over with buff
falo skin, drove down to Luke Sanders
well and there filled it with clear, soft wa
ter, For the same reason that he had
covered the barrel. he put no bells on to
Billy, and as be drove slowly back to the
barn, he said to himself. "She won't see
me the windows are to frosty"
Rather spitefully he seized the pals and
poured out the water, thinking. perhaps,
how many times the tired arms of Susan
had poured out similar liquid from the
old tea kettle. He managed to get the
barrel on to low shelf on one side of the
barn. and putting pail underneath, drew
foarth the plug. Out streamed the pure
water. The pals were filled and placed
before the thirsty animals. At that mo-
ment, Susan walked into the barn, as she
often did, and took her stand before the
horses just in time to see them drink
down the water until every drop had dis
appeared. Susan's eyes twinkled. and
looked up to Isaac. she said:
They like the water from Luke San
der's well if it's cold. Let us buy tea
kettle that will hold five pailsful, and you
will fill that first every morning, and theu
perhaps the horses will drink the water
from the pump, and save you the trouble
of filling the barrel over to Suke's." And
with q knowing laugh, Susan ran off to
the house.
Never can do nothing but that she'll
find IL out" said Isaac to himself, "but
guess she is eight about lead-pipe water, !"
The next morning, Isaac was up long
before the sun, Notwithstanding Susan's
remonstrance, and, after pumping out
just flva pailsfuls of water, he filled the
tea kettle and then pumped more for the
horses. The discerning animals drank it
down right Justify. Isaac felt very much
like chanticleer when he has lost his tai
lest feathers; but he was convinced, and
never after did he put the first pail of wa
ter from the pump into the tea kettle.