The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-05-16

From the burlington Ha,ckrye.
It happened that Mrs. Barsting-
low was going down to Keokuk for
a few days, and Mr.. Barstinglow
was inconaolable. At ono time she
protested that she should not go
he could not endure tho lonesome
house during her absence. And
then again he declared that if she
must go, he would neglect his
Office, and let his business go to the
bow~wows, and he would GO with
her. At length, however, she
persuaded him to be reasonable,
and on her repeated assurance that
she would not remain away longer
than three days, he consented to
lot her 60. He oven bought her
ticket, and ordered Ghe carriage
and paid for it two days ahead, lost
his resolution should give way, and
he should forbid hor going from
him. And from that time till the
morning Of her departure Mr..
Barstinglow spoke in subdued tones
aud moved about with the air of
man whose heart was buried under
mountains of grief.
Before she left the house, Mrs.
BarstiDglow set tho pho nograph in
the sitting room, bohind the clock.
Then she kissed her di sconsolate
husband, and begged him to pre-
serve his precious life for her euke
while she was away, and then she
was gone.
Every day, during her three days
visit in the Gate City, she received
a letter from her mourning hus-
band, begging her to come back
and telling her how lonesome he
was without her, and how like u grave
the empty house seemed, and how
the hours dragged over his aching
heart with leaden feet. Aud in
three days she camo home, and
filed the solemn house with SUM-
light and laughter again.
The evening after her return to
Burlington, she took down the
phonograph.
II wonder," she said, "what we
caid last in it's hearing It must
have been something while wo we're
discussing my visit. Or may bo it
has caught some of your poor,
longing meanings while I was
away"
And then she turned the crank.
Lord, no" croaked the phono-
graph: in tones Of hearty reassur-
ance, "no danger of that she's safe
in Keokuk for three days; saw her
safely off, myself, this morning.
Light your cigar while T light
another lamp and make the room
look cheerful"
"Why," exclaimed Mrs. Barsting-
low in countenance of amazement,
''what on earth is it saying?"
ooh, some nonsense some of your
visitors have talked into it some
time or other" replied her husband.
nervously, "people talk all kinds of
stuff into Il phonograph, you know.
They say anything for talk"
Mrs. Barstinglow, looking only
half convinced, gave tho crank
another turn.
"This is devilish good whiskey,
Barsty," calculated the machine,
very earnestly. "You don't get it in
Burlington, do you3"
Mrs. Barstinglow gave a little
shriok.
"My dear," said her husband,
looking now quite as worried as he
had looked when he WAS begging
her not to 60 to Keokuk, "put it
away; somebody has had it out in
the stable, and it might soy some-
thing perfectly shocking, you know.
Put it away"
But Mrs. Barstinglow, upon
whom the spirit of investigation
had descended with great powor,
ground away, and the photograph,
in tone marvelously like her hus-
bnnds, went remorselessly on.
"Not much; they don't make
this kind now. It's some old
Monongahela, copper distilled, that
Mrs. Barstinglow's mother gave her
for medicinal purposes three years
ago. Fill up, there's plenty of it,