The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-06-15
BUILDING A HEN COOP.

"My DEAR" said Mr. Spoopendyke, as he ap-
| peared before his wife with broad grin on his
face, "say, my dear, I've bought some chickens,
we can have fresh laid eggs. Lookw and he
held ont two pairs of fowls tied by the legs, for
Mrs Spoopendyke's contemplation.
"Well, upon NY word y exclaimed Mrs. Spoop-
endyke. .'Of all things, chickensl Ever since
we've been married, I've wanted chickens p and
she approached the birds cautiously, and with
a look of misgiving that belied her words.
''Where can We keep them ~
sin a coop, Mrs. Spoopendyke; in n COOP" re-
torted her husband, laying the chickens on the
bed, while he took off his coat and vest. ave
might keep 'em up the chimney, or in the clock,
but we probably won't. Well just keep em in
hen coop, and I've got the lath and nails down
stairs TO build it with. Come down in the
yard;' and Mr.. Spoopendyke grabbed his new
acquisition by the legs, and started off, followed
by his wife.
"Do you know how to build coopir asked
Mrs SpOopendyke, as she watched her husband
dig post hole in the corner she had reserved for
a geranium bed.
IF l don't, you probably do" snorted Mr..
| SpoOpendyke, kicking away at the spade until
he loOsened his leg. Snow, I'll put this post
here, and that one there, and the two fences will
make the resi-, and only have to lath up these
two-dod CAST the postT he concluded, as il
| toppled over on his ear. "Can't You hold il up 7
| Whatre You sitting around there like n cork in
ing for. Hold it up, will YEP
! Mrs. SpOOpendyke grasped the post firmly
with both hands, and held it at angle of thirty
degrees.
'Now, hold it perfectly still, while 1 dig
| the other hole and Mr.. Spoopendyko hacked
away at the ground again, and set his second
| post.
~ see what you mean," giggled Mrs Spoop-
endyke. "lOu slat it up from one post to the
other, and then put the chickens in. Ny. how
nice that'll be!r
Mr.. Spoopendyke glared at her moment, and
then began putting up his laths, standing he
| tween the posts and the fence corner, and
whistling as he worked.
NOW" said he, as he finished, "what do Won
think of that
Mrs. Spoopendyke examined the job crit
I cally.
SITS perfect palace" she exclaimed. ''But
say, dear, how are you going to get out ~
''Yali-h-hm roared Mr. Spoopendyke bound
What'd We want to let me build myself in like a
dod gasted mummy for : Amt We got any sense
at all anywhere' Why didn't ye watch what
was doing" and Mr.. Spoopendyke grinned
through the Stats.
81 supposed you were going to bnild hole in
it," faltered Mrs. Spoopendyke.
$50 ann yelled Mr.. SpoOpendyke, jamming
his leg through the structure. "Want any more
holesr and he kicked the side half way across
the yard. .'Four chickens four holesw he
roared, and the laths flew in all directions.
"Want any more holes ~ and he smashed the
roof out with the spade. "Holes constantly on
handl If you don't see the hole you want ask
for it !" and he blew ont the end with terrific
energy. New goods coming in all the time /!
second hand holes speciality and he banged
out the other end. parties wanting holes to
send in the country, will consult their interest
by applying here, before going elsewherem and
he ripped down the rest of the coop with pro-
digious clatter. "Want any more holes in this
particular coopf' he roared, wrenching out the
posts, and slamming them across the yard.
'Does this hen coop begin to convey the impress
sion of having hole in il ~ he demanded, stalk
ing up to his wife.
s'Yes, dear" replied Mrs. Spoopendyke, sooth-
ingly. ''Fm so glad you got out But where
can we keep the chickens, now!'
keep 'em ?" ripped Mr.. Spocpendyke, with a
horrible grimace, and grasping the wretched
fowls by the legs; "who's going to keep 'em :"
and he eut the lashings "S'pose I'm going to
run my business just to crafty a neasey within
of a dod gasted womanf' and he jerked the
chickens into the air.
''Never mind" said Mrs. Spoopendyke, as the
last bird slid over the fence and disappeared;
''chickens are nuisance, anyway. We really
didn't need any,"
"why didn't you say so before / bought 'em!"
blurted Mr. SpOopendyke, as he dashed into the
house.
al didn't know it," sighed Mrs. Spoopendye,
looking around upon the wreck; "and, besides,
l don't believe we would have had many eggs,
because those chickens were all roostersr ~
And Mrs. SpOOpeLdyke followed her husband,
who stormed around the rest of the evening,
because he couldn't find the Eagle of January
II, 1879 which he had cautioned her TO save,
because there was something in it he wanted to
read, and which he had used the next day, in
conjunction with the back breadth of her new
flannel pettieoat, to clean his shotgun with
Brooklyn Eagle.