The Red Cloud chief., 1880-11-11
SQUIRE WHEELER'S WATCH.

I'm Mrs. Wheeler-Squire Wheel
er's second wife, he being a widower
when | married him; and most folks
know how Squire Wheeler used 10 be a
kind of a distracted man when ] first
married him, and how he kept on being
distracted for a considerable spell o
time, SOS 1 rally didn't feel to expect
he'd ever get out of the habit. He
didn't keep no recollection of events,
somehow, and did sort o curious things.
Put on the big. striped armchair cover
instead of his dressing-gown, and went
about with n shoe and IN slipper
on. ~wOnderin what made him hitch SO,
till told him. He fetched home my
bandboX from the miiliner's, and a new
coal-scuttle from the store. one day.
and when he came in he throwed the
bandbox into the fireplace, and sot the
scuttle on my workable; and one day
i Jest saved him from takin' shot in
stead o pills.
I'D knowed he was sort o. curious
before he came to see me, and L larnt it
well durin' that time, for YOU see he
built a new house for me while we was
n courtin': and he took me over for TO
see ii arter twas all painted and calci-
mined, and papered; and while l was
lookin' at it up stairs he forgot how's
he'd fetched me and went off and lock-
ed me in. 1t was quite well set back
from the road. the house was. and all
the lower windows were fastened on
the outside; and suppose might have
starved there if IL hadn't a been for
Riker's little boys comm up about five
i'm the afternoon to steal cherries. They
thought | was a ghost. and so brought
some folks up TO look at me, and | got
let out.
Il was real mad, I kin tell YOU, and
first on l refused TO hev ANYTHING to do
with the Squire; but he pleaded with
me, went right down on his knees in
his white pants in a mud-puddle. and |
was tender-hearted. Though | was
most sorry | had give il when he went
down to the village and opened his
office n Sunday. I'd no idee what
he'd done until he came home 10 din
ner. Then he was lookin' at me, and
says he:
"'Jerushv, l guess there's goin' to be
a weddin'; there's crowds of folks goin'
into the church,
"A weddin' Sunday?' saws /.
".Lawr says he, Il thought twas
Saturday, and Eve been soften at nv
desk, full face of all the folks. writin'
the hull mornia-me a deacon, tooI,'
"1hen L called him "a distracted old
critter!r
However, l got over that. and he
seemed to be goin' along better than
usual, when one day he was goin' TO
start for the city. He was all fixed up
and the Squirrels a personable man
when he's got his best clothes on-he
was all fixed up. and had a new blue
cravat. and a white hat and kid gloves;
and L was kinder adorin' him, when it
struck me that the clock had stopped,
and that | shouldn't know the time for
all day.
"'Adoniram,' says IsAdoniram, do
tell me the time SOS to set the clock
1.-The Squire he was Just figuring up
to get expenses all right and didn't
want to stop, so he onfastened his watch
off the chain. and handed il to me, and
/ went into the kitchen to set the clock.
! was quick as lightning. but bless
You! when L came back the Squire was
gone. The buggy was most out Of
"'What a provokin' thingr SAYS 1.
'Gone to town without his watch. He
won't know about the trains or any-
thing And l fretted about it all day.
Well l might; 1 didn't know what good
reason l had to do it.
1.-The boy brought the buggy back.
and said the Squire hadn't missed his
watch, and that he'd gone off on the
right train. And the Squire he get to
New York all right, as L afterwards
knew, and about ten o'clock Cousin
Peter Jones stopped in, and said he
was going to New York, too.
ell want to know says I-'where
will you dine?
1.-THE Stuffem House, says he.
"sOh,' says 1. We'll, Adoniram,
he'll dine there. too. and you'll meet
him there. Jest take his watch along,
won't you. and give it to him.
$50 Peter says: 'All right. pleased
to do it, and put it loose in his left vest
pocket-his own was in his right-and
off he went.
"'Some chance of Adoniram's getting
home tonight, now,' says i, and felt
more comfortable.
Little | knew.