The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-11-15

| doeS.o
Keep itn' exclaimed the Squire. eve,
ye can't do it. 'Twon't STAN law. Seraph
Gates, ye agreed fair an square, fore eter
we let we marry Sam, that We wouldn't
claim none o. the back pay, an Mis-
Sprague heard we. | was to hev two hun
dred dollars an 'Sper'ence the rest. You
was forget Che eight dollars a month, an
It's big pay for your trouble. | never heard
o. sech thing! It's scand'lous, goin' back
on your 'greement that way"
The want nothin' to bind the bargain,
an W atertown lawyers tell me | needn't
stan to it unless | want to-" returned
Seraph. "You was to have two hundred
dollars for your work, am you've got it,
though it's more'n the jobs with, am We
sha'n't git no more o. this money with my
consent-so there"
The establishment in Experiences face
now worked itself into protest character
istically mild.
Il never would "a thought this on ye,
Seraph; never would have b'lieved you'd
go back on your word"
Experience, we can't see through a stun
wall when the holes as big as a cart wheel.
AM s'pose you'd STAN bein' plucked till
the last pin-feather was gone fore you'd
make a row. The money want goin' to
you. It's goin' to the Square here, that's
got more'n he knows what to do with, for a
farm that amt with half what you're
payin' for it, an | won't help along no
such inikity. wouldn't say nothin' if we
want payin' mOre'n the farms with. It's
a terrible poor place to own as a gift. 1
could buy you a better one to Watertown
for the money, an as for helpin' to have
you swindled, won't stan it,"
The Squire's face was study meanwhile.
| Its pleased urbanity gave way to astonish-
ment, and the establishment was followed
i by, a white rage, from which every trace of
fsuavity and self-control disappeared He
burst forth: aye won't STAN it, won't We?
I'd like to see you help yourself I'll teach
ye to talk about the inikity of a church
member that's practced law here forty
years the same as if I'd been admitted an
sworn. I'd like to know what we think o.
your own conduct. Ye married Sam
Canary for nothin' in the world but his
pension money, am | can prove it, | S'pose
you've forgot that know how near gone
Sam was when you come that night.
could show 1t up to Guv'ment as a fraud,
an, that 'ud stop your pension quicker'n
lightnin'. Ye got hold o. the wrong man
when we tried to brOwbeat me, Mis- Gates"
II never pretended but what | married
Sam for his pension. | didn't marry him
to 'bleege you, Square Sprague, am mebbe
you'll lind it out. Am if anybody calls my
marriage q fraud, I've got your certificate
ShoWin' it's legal am right. You're my
witness, an if there's any fraud, there's
more'n me in it, you'll find to your sorrer.
Squire made a desperate lunge for her
hand bag-"an' there amt no more money
there neither. | knew the kind OF man
was dealing with, am they IRE all safe to
WATERFOWL. You may talk till the COWS
come"-as the Squire broke into an ANGRY
torrent Of words-"but there amt nothn'
We can do 'thout | agree to it, am ven find
il out after ye've stormed a spell, too"
This speech did not quell the angry
Squire. He was SO accustomed to debating
absolutely to his li5tle world ON all ques-
tons where the mysterious Claw" came in,
thai he was slow to comprehend that this
woman had completely beaten him. The
storm OF his wrath ragged on; but Seraph
knew her ground, and was not daunted.
When the Squire at last paused for breath,
she rose to go. Sprague watched her in
dumb amaZement. He did not move until
he saw her in the buggy, backing slowly
out from cover Then he realized chat if he
ever saw any Of the pension money he
must make some terms with this woman,
humilating though it might be. He moved
reluctantly forward.
'W hat do ye calc'late to do do bout it,
anyway" he asked.
81 expect to invest my money. P'r'aps
shall buy little place there is to Water
town, or if | could get a good mortgage
cheap enough, might put it in that"
"A mortgage! That's jest what the
trade we talked would amount to. [
s'posed you meant to give it outright to
'Sper'ence, but if you don't, why don't you
buy the mortgage and let him pay you in
| trest?"
ITS too big; more'n the place is with
! twice over"
mo sech thing The farms with every
cent I've got on it,"
'If you look at it that way, we can't
trade, that's all;'' and Seraph gathered her
reins.'
Glow much would we give? Come, now
make an offer" urged the Squire, desper-
ately, as he saw his chance at the money
vanishing.
"Wa'ai,o replied seraph with increasing
elaboration, ''g0H'd be well paid if you got
a thousand dollars out ont, but consid'rin'
that l got the money easy l do know but
| I'd give you twelve hundred"
"Shucks! Ye don't mean to buy, that's
ALL"
81 don't mean to pay no more'n it's with,
you may rely" she retorted. "Now,
Square, Pll tell We what I'll do, an it's the
last cent | soW do. If you'll bring that
mortgage and all the notes, an everything
you hold 'gainst 'Sper'ence, down to
Counselor Smith to Watertown, Wednes-
day, am sign papers givin' 'em all up to me,
I'll pay ye fourteen hundred dollars, cash
down"
"Course I WON'T Think Pm a fool?" re-
piled the Squire, angrily turning back.
"I'll be to Watertown Wednesday with
the money!" she called over her shoulder
after him as she drove away. She stopped
a moment at the house and called out
Juliana: "Don't you an 'Sper'ence be one
bit cast down, Julany; III have the mort
gage Wednesday, am I'll burn it right be-
fore Square Sprague's nose, see if [ don't.
| shall have little o. Sans money left that
l wouldn't keep from ye one minnit if
could trust 'Sper'ence not to be wheedled
out ont by the Square. But [ guess | can
shingle the house an fix it up so it'll be
! like folks, an the Square can't tech it,"
, 80, Seraph, can you? | should 50 like to
live in white house, with green blinds,
: fore die!"
} Sprague's horse had never been whipped
} so mercilessly as it was for shying on the
way home, and it was years before the
} Squire could pass the neat white cottage
with its vine-fringed porch and large cool
dairy room, into which Seraph's money
transformed the Canary farm house, with
out grinding his teeth and uttering some
thing about the meanness of women
EdlCjB Hamilton Olnlsbec, IN HdipeF'S b.
gar.
A Woman's Nature.
| think have several times alluded