Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1884-12-26
An Old Reprebate.

''You see, Martha got in the habit
of sitting up for me at An early age,
and she can't break it OF. couldn't
persuade her to go TO bed and mind
her own business, so l studied en- the
matter. We live in one of the center
houses of block of nve-stery-and-
attic buildings. There's scuttles in
the roofs Of all Of them. aud per-
suaded Mr.. Gresnup, who livss in
the adjoining house, to let me in his
house last night Aboat l O'Clock, aAd
1 went up through his scattls and
over to mine, and 90 down into eur
bedroom. ! could see Martha, from
the head of the stairs, sitting in the
front room eyeing the clock with =
look that was = very tart chrome.
But I undressed and quietly get in
bed, ond there / lay waiting devel-
opments. Every now and then I'd
hear Martha give = short, fidgety
cough. Then I'd hear her get up
and prance around the room little,
and by and by go to the frons win
dows and slam the shutters.
''After I'd lain there about an hour
1 heard her get up and go.stand cut
on the front steps for good FIVE
minutes. Then she came in and
slammed the door and locked it and
commenced coming up stairs. Every
other step she'd say: 'Oh, the
wretch. Won't ] give it to him /
know where he as! know whore he
is He needn't think 70 deceive ne
On, the william! Bout the time she
had nearly get to the landing | think
she must have seen the light stream
ing out of the door that I'd loft ajar.
1 could hear her stop and / commenc-
ed to snore. Then she came intc
the room, and, by the way she breath
ed and atood around, had to nearly
bite my tongue off to keep q straight
face on me. / could fssl that she
sat down on chair, and Was dunn
founded. l never LET en-, but kept
on snoring like thunder; but when
she kicked over = chair I turned and
pretended to awake up kind Of dazed
like, and says:
''why, Martha, dear, amt you
come TO bed YETI
.'Jarphly, ssid she, awful slow and
solemn like, when did you come in I,
"Why, must be four or Ave hours
ago. Don't ysu remember when l
told you not to &c ~ sleep again in
the rscker, but te ssne sp - bsdP
and 1 turned ever aRd Rrofsessd to
ge to sleep again.
'sShs never made any reply, but
acted in dazed, bswildsgsd sort Of
way, and when she got to bed / cssld
tell she didR't sleep wink for three
hours.
.sThis morning it was fun to watch
Martha. / could hardly keep a
straight face. At the breakfast
table, and all the time pas sbeut
the house, she'd eye ne VIXEN shs
thorght wasn't locking; thea when
I'd notice her she'd tara avsy and
be awfully busy at somsthing. She
caught me kind ct SrinAisg sncs,
and, by asorGs, thouGht the sx-
plesion Was about ts come. Bat it
didn't though the look et blank un-
fathomable suspicion she wore on
her face all the time Was the greatest
show ON earth. It nearly broke ne
up and I've laughed till my ribs ache
ever since. I know 1t wont last. I
know there is 5 day Of rspentiRg n
coming, and the thermometer is go-
ing up clear out Of sight in the JarDh-
ly family. But who's geing alter
trouble? It'll come soon enough With
ont hunting it. and I'm gong TO en-
10Y that scuttls in the root until the
blosioR coanes. I"
Rkv. RoBrkT JoEEs, pastor ct a
Baptist Church at Ithaca, n. =, was