The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-10-21
WHO WONT

WHO WONT
Hannah Maria once put her foot down
with negative, there was never any
use at an attempt to gainsay it.
So the assembled household lust
gazed at each other helplessly, to catch
at any faint prospect for help out of this
difficulty.
"It's q miserable thing" groaned
Tom, for want of something better and
more original to say. "A feller can't
be olsoays making excuses-he can'tr'
'.You haint never made 'em yitr' OBJ
served Hannah Maria, with cool sniff,
her nose in the air, IAN as for that
newspapers a-walkin' off every week
s soon as we all get a squint at it
faint a-goin' on so no more. It's
regular nuisance, an I'm tired of itr'
: She banged down a dish she was
wiping, with an extra amount of energy,
on the deal table; and pursed up her
thin lips tighter than ever.
But, Hannah Maria" began Mr..
Peaseley, in q deprecating way. He
was little thin man, pinched in the
face, and in every place where Nature
could be sparing of her favors, and rs
he always had the aspect of begging
everybody's pardon for being in the
world at all, the words that proceeded
from his mouth sometimes fell short of
being impressive.
"Well, l,"-Hannah Maria looked inn
patiently up" say on, and she waited
for the rest, drumming her long fingers
on the table.
. Its pity Betts's folks can't have
some readin'," began MIR. Peaseley,
weakly; then catching his sisters eye,
he added, "at least-if-if-we could
let 'en, you know"
But we cunt, and what's more to
the purpose, we amt a-going tor de-
clared Hannah Maria, vehemently.
Jason Peaseley, aint you ashamed to
set here week after week, an see your
paper, that you've took regular for
twenty-five year, a-payin' ahead o. time,
alwus, scrouged out, an sneaked away
right from under your very nose, by
them borrowing Bettsesa They're as
mean as dirt, the whole lot of 'emr'
Having ended the '.Bettses," root and
branch, Hannah Maria folded her arms
in dogged silence, and glared at all the
family by turns.
:. ..No doubt, no doubt" said little Mr..
Peaseley, in a thin, piping voice. "Oh.
of course. certainly, it's . very wicked
thing, sister, very wicked thing. in
deedr' he added. solemnly waving his
head over at the children, and then
looking back at his sister.
Wicked" repeated Hannah Maria,
in high key, '.it's as mean Us dirt, /
sayr' And having no stronger words
of condemnation, She gave these en-
Phasis by stern look at poor Mr..
Peaseley.
81 don't see how we're going to help
it." put in Tom, gloomily, and sticking
his hands in his pockets for inspira-
tion.
mo, don't seer exclaimed his ia
ther briskly, catching at Toms assist
ance, and beginning to fly over on to the
other side of the question with aston
ishing alacrity. '.It's difficult matter,
you know, Hannah Maria, an extremely
difficult matter to manage" And he
lifted his head, quite proud of his dis
cernment
Difficult fiddlesticksr' calculated
Hannah Maria, scornfully. "'Twouldn't
be to a man of sense. 1 do wish, Jason
Peasley, that you had the backbone of
an old hen, do!''
She turned away, and stalked over to
the old cupboard in the corner to get
her work for the evening; which con-
sisted OF huge paper bundle of carpet
rags, to cut and tack into strips. This
she brought up to the table under the
lamp and dumped it on the floor; and
then producing an enormous pair of
shears and her other sewing utensils,
she settled herself grimly to her task
Hens don't have no backbone" re-
marked Patty, who had been pondering
over the remark; "at any rate, ours
DON'T" she added, drawing near and
beginning to finger the brightest of the
rags.
They've got more'n your pa has,"
said Hannah Maria. There you Just
let these ber she cried, twitching away
lies"
"Can't helpp" asked Patty, draw
ing back, as the little gray eyes flashed
at her, and perfectly aching to get her
small hands in the attractive mass.
"No" exclaimed Hannah Maria in q
gust ''Haint 1 told you once, and
haint that enough. now?" she asked,
sharply, and beginning ON the black
strips.
Patty evidently thought it was, for
she crept off to watch at distance.
can that paper" said the energetic
voice. while the busy hands kept up
their part of the work to meet the de-
mand, "has gone for the last time to
Enoch Betts's! hope they'll enjoy il,
for they won't git no more comfort out
of itr'
You aint a-goin' to do nothin' sud-
din, are you. Hannah MariaP'' cried
little Mr.. Peaseley, in tone of alarm.
~ wouldn't do that. Enoch an mes
been friends, you know, for SO many
years. I'd rather do most anyways
than lose him."
"An' don't see as that's any reason
why you should give your head to
himr' exclaimed his sister, coolly.
Though / don't know as he'd take
it." she added, "for if i do say it,
Enoch Belts is smart man."
AN don't want to mad himr' ex-
claimed poor Mr.. Peaseley, anxiously,
overlooking the delicate compliment.
81 don't care If do mad himr' cried
the tall, angular woman, concisely. and
stopping just long enough to thread her
needle again.
But don't t0ant to have you," re-
peated her brother, with great show
of decision, and waving his head in a
worried way. -..-.-
"Iaint a-goin' tor exclaimed Miss