The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-10-05

"Call-un-yer-self," answered Sammy
all in one word
She pulled the door to and trampe,
back to her seat, taking no more motto,
OF me than if ] had been d cushion O
the carriage; ait don't matter if h,
mas broken his neck either" she NUT
tered, "perhaps we'd better make NJ
russ" The train was off again.
dared not jump up while she was il
the way, and thotight [ must take m,
chance at the next station.
"Ohl my bones and bodyp' she
groaned, presently. "Oh, what time
it has beenl Sammyw
No answer.
Sammy She was up again and
[ think she hauled him up and shool,
him, for something fell with crash
like broken bottle.
You idiot" she screamed. "When
you want all the brains you've got
and more too! To play me this trick ?
Serve you right if 1 get cut and leave
you at the next station-ugh"
1t sounded as if she were banging
his head against against the carriage.
That and the fresh air seemed to rouse
MIN. lie got up and put his head out
OF the window for short time, and
then replied, slowly and impressively:
Nov, look here, old woman. None
OF your nonsense. When he's wanted.
Samuel Nixon is all there. And no
man alive can say he isn't" he went on
solemnly, holding carefully on to one
word till he was sure of the next.
AS to this business, l ask you-is it
mine or is it yoursp Now, then?"
Yours, l should think; as it's YOUR
wife who is giving us all this trouble.
L wish I'd left you to fight it out your
selves"
Stop this" said Sammy, who was
talking himself sober and consequently
savage. "Pn not have it put upon
me. l didn't want to marry her; that
was your doing, and / don't want to
make away with her; that's your
doing, and if it's a hanging matter,
I'm not the one to swing for it."
Heaven forgive you, Sammy" said
the old woman, evidently horribly
scared. "Don't We talk that way to
your poor old mother-don't. If the
poor creature was only in her right
mind she'd be the first to say her old
nurse was her best friend-the only one
she had in the world when her pa died
and left her"
Here she SMILED a little. Sammy
gave sort of derisive growl.
And as to her marrying you; it
stood to reason that she must marry
somebody, sometime, left all alone in
the world with her good looks and her
fortune; and why not my handsome
son! 1t was luck for you, Sammy,
though you turn against me now,
There you were, just come home from
foreign parts, without a halfpenny in
your pocket or a notion where to find
one; and there was she without a re-
lation or friend to interfere with YOU
as simple as a baby-not creature to
stop her doing as she chose with her
self and her money. 1t would have
been sin and shame to lose such a
change. OF course, 1 wanted to see
my handsome lad as good a gentleman
as the best of them." The old woman
seemed to be talking on and on pur-
posely, like telling a rigmarole to
child to keep it quiet. Sammy growled
again in milder tone.
"Oh, yes. Say it's all my fault, do !
You can talk black white when it
pleases you"
I" 1t was your fault, Sammy. You
might have lived happy and peaceable
If you'd chosen. Haven't been down
on my bended knees to beg you to let
her alone when you was treating her
that shameful that the whole country
side was ringing with it. You know
1t, and Others knew it. And l can tell
you what, Mr.. Samuel Nixon, if she'd
been found dead in her bed, as | ex-
pected every morning of my life to
hear, there wasn't a servant in the
place that wouldn't have spoken up be-
fore the coroner-and glad to do it.
W nod have swung for it then, I'd like
to know ?"
The brute was mastered. 1 heard
him shuffiing his feet about uneasily:
then. in maudlin whisper: "It was
drink, nothing else, and her aggrava-
ting, winning ways. Don't be hard
On me, old woman. I'm sure I've given
IN handsome to all your plans"
"Because you couldn't help yourself,
you fool. Now you see what it is to
nave your poor old mother to turn to.
I our wife may talk as much as she
oleases now. Who'll believe her when
we've got it written down by two
grand London doctors that she's as
mad as mad can be? Who's to mind |
Ter talk, or any one else's? Aren't we
aking her up to London Just for the
good of her health, to nice safe place |
where she will be well looked after and |
,ept from getting herself and the other
olks into any more trouble? Then
'ou and me will go back, Sammy, and
i've as happy and comfortable as you
,leaSe."
"They will treat her like lady-eh,
"Of course they will; beautiful
lace and the best of living. Bless
'ou, she'll be happy as the day is long.
t does you credit being so tender
learted, Sammy. L knew you couldn't
lbide seeing her storming and raving
S she did last night, SO just gave her
little sup of something before we
tarted, and you see she's been sleeping
ike baby ever since. And the gen
leman-where she's going, you know
he gave me this bottle; and when we
ret to London I've just to give her a
yhiff of it on handkerchief, and off
he goes as quiet as a lamb. No
creams or tantrums this time. and he