The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-12-23

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to celebrate after the old style, when l
got to the house an the Wilder Folsom
met me in the hall. Boarded at the same
place, ye know.
Thought I'd come to the wilder if |
KEEP grindin' on, did ye? Jest shet up,
Sam, will We, till get through? I've
got to tell this yer story in my own way,
an if you dom t like my style of delivery,
why next time jest lasso a norator.
''Folks had joked bout me an the
wilder from time to time, but there
WASH really no occasion. She was al
ways pleasant an smilin' when people
was around, but when she got 10 talkin
about business matters to me she got
real sober an down in the mouth some
times. She said she couldn't get the
hango' such things herself, never havin'
had it to do when Folsom was alive, an
now she felt sort O helpless an discour-
aged. Seemed grateful for any advice
| could give her. She looked right cute
that night-some sort O. white fluffy
tixin round her head an shoulders.
Said she d like to ask me, as a great
favor, to walk down to the toy store
with her; had forgot a present she
wanted to make to child of her ac-
| quaintance, an was so timid about goin'
out alone. She's one o them skeery
critters, jumpin' at her shadow. Course
| had to 90, an when I'd had my sup
per we started out. She came an talked
to me while | et-right sociable body,
you know.
''Some O the young folks always
| bo1 irpi,,I c.,,r ot lilo
O. idiots. The way boys and girls are
brought up now is disgrace to the
country.
"On our way down town we had to
pass 'Piscopal Church, where they
were havin' some sort O. doin's. The
wilder proposed goin' in, but | said no.
We did step into the vestibule, though,
to listen to the music. never was no
great church-goer, you know, though |
used to go to Campbellite meetin's with
| Maria when | was courtin' her, an some
little afterwards. don't know, though,
as | ever heard anything at took me
quite so nigh to heaven Us the voices an
the sound O the organ that night, Kind
O seemed for minute as if | was lifted
right off my feet. You needn't laugh,
Sam. [ don't have such spells often,
but it was singular bout this, an it
sticks in my mind heard the choir
sing, On earth peace, good will, peace
peace it echoed way off. Then they
sang about the mother an the Babe-I
disremember the exact words-an' |
could "a swore | had a glimpse O the
little kid. Maria and mine, at died, you
know. Foolish notion, but it's queer
how such things will come over a Teller
now an then. 1t was gone in q second,
an | was gon' down the stone steps
with the wilder, she a sayin' how bad
the soprano flatted-whateve that
| means.
"a man an woman went by as we
got to the sidewalk, an something in
her motions made me think O Maria.
| On V got a look at the side O her face
in the shadow for a second, but | saw it
too pale and thin for hers.
When we got to the store, the wilder
she went back through the crowd to get
the notions she was after, but | waited
up front. While | was standn' there,
hands in pockets an wishin' was some
where else, who sh'd | see Jest ahead O
me but-Maria, Yes, it was. Must a
been her, | knowed then, at I'd saw
about her lookin' pale. Her checks was
was red as pinies an her eyes bright as
new dollar She wasn't loollin' at
me. She was holdin' in her hand lit
tie red tin-cart with Il white horse
hitched to it, an Iknowed what she was
a thinkin' of. That yer cart was the
identical mate to one I'd brought home
fer the baby once, an she laughed at
me for a week about it, The baby
WASH more'n three months old at the
time, an she said he couldn't play with
the like O that fer a year or more He
didn't live that long, an never had no
fun with the little wagon | wondered
what she was dom there, an at that
saw Cap. Bemus talkin' to her Cap,
| you know, was an old beau O. hers
afore she married me, an she said to
me once, when we was havin' things
ruther hot, that she wished she'd took
him. Maria had went back to her rela-
tons, you know, out at Bean Blossom,
an | hadn't seen her since she left
Differ mt times | might a gone over Just
to find how she was comm on; but
didn't have no excuse fer bein' seen
round there, Ed heard, though
somebody's sure to tell We the things We
amt spilin' to know-'at Cap. was
maxim up to her right smart, an twas
likely they'd hitch teams. He was a
widower with two or three unruly brats.
an | didn't see what she want to make
herself a slave to them fer. And him!
He wasn't nOways fit for a woman like
her If she'd a Jest asked me fer advice
could a told her some things at d a
settled his hash. The idea O. his mar
ryin' my wife! My wife-Lerd! 1t
come over me all of a sudden at she
was nothin' to me no more had no
right to say what she sh d do. You
won't believe it, Sam, but it never
struck me till that minute at I'd really
lost her for good. Fact!
'Mebby she an Cap. was married
already. | didn't know. They come
along jest then, her a talkin' an
smilln' up into his ugly face as if he was
the only human on earth. The wilder
she'd got through, too. | offered my
arm an we sailed out large as life. I'll
own at hoped Maria'd see us. but she
didn't pear to. Was standin' outside
with him lookin' at things in the winder
The wilder, not KNOWN, of course, said
she thought it was such pity at