The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-11-13

occasional skeptic i~nsinuated that the cere-
mony Haight have been performed after
Sans death and nobody be the wiser, but
this view was too extreme to be generally
entertained. Most people were content to
condemn Seraph for marrying a man with
one foot in the grave" One indignant
piece of her mind, p but the widow defended
herself SO valiantly that no one who heard
of the encounter cared to repeat the expert.
ment. There was much to be said, too,
from Seraph's standpoint. She did not
fail to make it plain that she was giving
the Canarys the greater share of the wind.
fall, and that without her help the pension
could not have been obtained at all. In
deed, SO little did her conduct in this case
agree with her usually close management
OF money matters that she found defenders
on the score of generosity. b only part
of the affair which troubled her reflections
was Squire Sprague's large margin of profit.
She always "lumped' in her reckoning the
sum which he was to receive for his serv-
ices and the large profit which he would
maxi on the sale of the Canary farm, to
the exorbitant price of which she was as
sensitive as the shrewdest farmer.
Seven hundred dollars seemed to her an
enormous sum for a rich man to make from
a poor one and many were the plans shs
tried to form to prevent such an injustice.
In this effort she was not a little aided in a
sly way tb by shading lending men Sf the s., S t to to
turning" bad debts was not as milk and
honey. After many consultations, includ-
ing one with a Watertown lawyer, she hit
upon a plan by which she hoped to disturb
the complacency with which the Squire
referred to his management of the case,
and to save a considerable part of the PEN
sion money, which she decided to give to
the Canarys, reserving something as a COM
mt<sion for her shrewdness.
The formalitles were completed at last,
and Seraph received her money. Clark
Township was a long way from the rest of
the world, even the meagre items which
reached the public through the Watertown
newspaper being furnished by Squire
Sprague's son, and no ripple of the event
which had created so much commotion there
ever disturbed the routine of the pension
officials at Washington. A day was set for
the settlement of affairs at the farm. Seraph
appeared early, and warned lila not to
be troubled at anything which might occur
at the meeting.
81 e. pect to surprise the Squire some,n
she added, "an' prob1y the fur III fly; but
I guess twon't hurt us none"
The Squire appeared radiant, as was his
won't when he had conducted In enterprise
to a successful ending. He felicitated
Seraph on the permanent addition to her
income, and Experience upon having no
more interest to pay. He suggested to
Juliana that she could now use her egg and
butter money to buy s.housen stuff, y and 50
have a place looking lik Mrs. Gaylord's in
q few years. Into the midst of his urbane
congratulations he threw occasional re-
marks showing that without him this gen.
era1 prosperity could never have come to
pass, and leading his listeners to appre-
| ciate the great credit due him forh his enef-
cent interest in their affairs.
Seraph bore it calmly, but showed a de-
sire to proceed at once to the business in
hand.
s1 bqieve, Square, she said, st was to
pay you two hundred dollars of this
money"
"Yes," assented the Squire, s'that was
part of the contract. The money Nv paid
out, M the time am trouble I've put into it
would come to more'n that if l should make
out a regular count; but We'll call it that"
"I've got the money for you if you'll just
write areceipt."
sThat's right, Seraph; l allns like to see
a woman business-like Women-folks
don't know half enough bout business as
a gen'ral thing. But 1 brought up the notes
| am mortgage an everything. 1t III save
trouble jest to have a central settlement"
"You know I amt in you're trade with
with me, you an he can fgger Interest as
long as you like" and she opened her little
handbag for the money. The receipt was
written and the money counted out, the
Squire's fingers lingering a little over the
crisp bills.
"Now I must be gittin' back to the vii
Iage, IN 'Sper'ence, if you'll just git up
my boss In leave you men-folks to settle
you're own affairs"
Experience looked astonished and the
Squire uneasy. $50 o an, 'Sper'ence
settled fore I come, did yer" he asked.
"Course We give him all the rest of the back
pay, jest as We agreed"
"Wa'al, no, we hain't," replied Seraph.
the back pay myself. Pm SANS widder,
We know, am I need it more'n 'Sper'ence
does"
"Keep it'll" exclaimed the Squire. "W'y,
We cant do it. 'Twon't STAN law. Seraph
Gates, We agreed fair an square, fore ever
claim none o. the back pay, an Mis-
Sprague heard We. was to hev two hun
bred dollars an 'Sper'ence the rest. You
was to get the eight dollars a month, an
it's big pay for your trouble; never heard
on your 'greement that way,
The WANT nothin' to bind the bargain,
am Watertown lawyers tell me l needn't
STAN to it unless l want to-" returned
Seraph. "You was to have two hundred
dollars for your work, an 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 a protest character
i~stically mild.
81 never would "a thought this on We,
Seraph; I never would have b'ieved you'd
go back on your word"
"'Sper'ence, we can't see through a stun
wall when the holes as big as a cart wheel.
AM 1 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 I won't help along nc
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. ]
could buy you a better nj to Waterfowl
for the money, an as for helpin' to have
you swindled, 1 won't STAN it,"
The Squirrels face was a study meanwhile
ment, and the establishment was followed
by a white rage, from which every trace o.
suavity and self-control disappeared. He
burst forth: eye won't stan it, won't ye'
Td like to see you help yourself. Il teacl
We to talk about the inikity of a churcl
member that's practiced law here forty
years the same as if Id been admitted an
sworn. Td like to know what we think o
your own conduct. Ye married San
Canary for nothin' in the world but hi
you've forgot hat 1 know how near gon
Sam was when you come that night.
could show it up to Guv'ment as a fraud
an that 'ud stop your pension quicker'l
, hghtnin'. Ye got hold o. the wrong ma
when we tried to browbeat me, Mis- Gates.
) 81 never pretended hut what I marie,
Sam for his pension. l didn't marry hin
> to 'bleege you, Square Sprague, am mebb
: you'll find it out. AM if anybody calls m,
: marriage a fraud, I've got your certificat
/ showin' it's legal am right. You're m.
: witness, am if there's any fraud, there
more'n me in it, you'll find to your sorrel
: No, the certificate amt there"-as tn
Squire made a desperate lunge for he
hand-bag-"an' there amt no more none
!. there neither. 1 knew the kind of a man
g was dealing with, am they re all safe t
s Watertown; You may talk till the cow
torrent of words-"but there amt nothi1
a we can do 'thout I agree to it, an ye'l fin
g it out after we've stormed a spell, too"
|, This speech did not quell the angr
squire: ne was SO aecuseomeo 20 oIcoaIln
g tions where the mysterious Claw" came il
that he was slow to comprehend that thi
& Wonan had c0mnlafalU haatan him III