The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-05-01

s:1lu she declared for it she felt some
OlniTs as If Kate and them children was
l1ally there to hear him talk to 'em and
aIouC EN-. But that was only by spells
miieh ne was queer'n usual. Generally
of her. GNU "a P0o'--
And he WANT really crazy, nor ex-
actly fool neitheri Old Cap'n Jere-
4 .hlan was dretful took down; some
Thought that it had come upon him be-
1ause he'd been a temptin' of Provi-
oence, hevin' his heart sot on worldly
prosperity; but / want never one that
mas 50 free and easy with the Lord as
W know jest what he done things for.
He'd anger the pint with Jonas, old
Zap n jeremiah would, land try to shame
mn INTO shown some spunk and sperit
ABOUT gal that had gin him the mitten.
Dut Ia! Jonas would only jest say to
Elvlry that the old man was gettin' silly
and childish.
~, The old folks they didn't last long.
1ney died within a month or two of one
another, and Jonas and Elviry went on
nVln there jest the same. There was a
good many wanted to keep company
WIN Elviry, for she was smart and
kinder clipper, and good and whole
some lookin' though there want no fig
ger-head to her; but she wouldn't leave
Jonas. She couldn't "a sot more by
hm eff he'd been the sensiblest man on
airth. The way she'd set and listen to
hlmand talk to him about Kate by
! thPhour was caution. And she never
/ crossed him in nothin'. Every once in
while they'd hev- such clearin' up
and settin' to rights that you'd think
they was goin' to have the county con-
ference there, and Elviry would take
holt as spry and cheerful as could be,
and pertend, for sure, she thought Kate
was a comm.
"And yit on some subjicks Jonas was
as sensible as any on us, and you might
talk with him for long spell without
| tindin' out that he was cracked.
"One day last summer there came a
parcel o. folks over from Porkerpine.
Them summer borders is alwus comm
over, a squattin' on the rocks over to
Dead Mans Pint, and a-spyin' round as
if we was all cooriosities, and a-takin'
picters. These folks was genteeler'n
common, with their silks and laces and
feathers a-bobbin', and the men was lit
tie spindlin' fellers, with wells tied round
their hats like women folks. One of the
women comes up to me where was
standin' by my boat; she was big, fat
woman, forty or more, with an oncom-
mon lot o. paint an whitewash, and a
silk tail to her that would a reached
poorly nigh round the island; and says
she to me, in an an-killin', nice voice,
says she:
"'Can you tell me where we can git
some refreshmentsP
"'No, marm,' says l, 'seein' that the
Maine law is in force down here
$50, 1 mean only will some of the
good people about here give us glass
of milkp' says she.
"And pinted her up to the Battles
es, Elviry hevin' two COWS an bein'
free handed.
Battles-seems eff I'd heard the
name,' says the fat woman with the
trailin' gown; and off they goes up to
Battleses, the slim little fellows crackin'
Jokes, about me, l knew well enough,
and the women folks snickerin' an
tossin' their heads.
cit seems that when they come up to
the porch, an he riz up to meet
'em. Elviry says that the minute
he heard the woman's voice he began
to look white and scairt, an he Jest
stood all tremblin' an stared at her.
An says she, all to once, in terrible
soft voice:
"Why, it is Mr.. Jonas Battles !!
Surely you haven't forgotten an old
friend like me, Mr.. BattlesP'
CAN Jonas he stammered out arter a
while:
"Kate = Kate? There's something
about you that is like Kate! 1t must
be your voice; it can't be your
looks!'
"sI was Kate Lawton when you knew
me, when we was both young,' says
she, kinder soothin'.
"tNo, you amt Kate! You want
never Kate!' Elviry said he spoke it out
in terrible high shrill voice, an he
trembled all over jest like leaf, an
they was scairt, thinkin' he was crazy,
which want surprisin'.
"And then he kinder sunk down, an
hid his face with his hands as eff he
didn't want to see her.
"An' they seemed to feel like hurry
in off, without thinkin' no more about
milk. But says she to Elviry, before
she went, says she:
"What is the matter with himp Has
he been stricken with palsyp'
"sHe was stricken by the falsehood
of bad woman when he was young,
says Elviry. Elviry she ken be about
as sharp as red pepper when she sets
out. An the woman went off without
sayin' another word.
can Jonas he got quoted down
pooty quick, but he KEEP sayin' to Ell
viry:
"sThe wust is there amt nothin' to
it! There sOG'nt 9ae0er n0than' 10 @'
"Elviry thought he'd kinder come to
himself, an see how he'd ben dreamin
his life away She thought he'd kinder
pictured out gal in his mind thai
want dretful sight like the one he'd
courted; or else he'd picture her out
jest the same as she was when she was
a gal an forgot to take no account Of
the long spell It had ben sence he see