The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-05
An Old Rcprobate.

"You see, Martha got into the habit of
sitting up iur me at an early age, and
she can't break it off. | couldn't per
suade her 10 60 TO bed and mind her own
business, so l studied on the matter.
We live in one IF the center houses of u
block of five story and attic buildings.
There's scut,les in the roofs of them al, !,
and persuaded Mr.. GreeDup, who lives
in the adjoining house, 10 let me in his
house last night about ! o'clock, and l
wen. up through his scutIle and over TO
mine, and 10 down into our bed room. l
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 l undressed and quietly
got in bed, and there ! lay waiting de.
velopments. Every now aud then I'D
hear Martha give short, fdgety cough.
Then I'd hear her get up and prance
around the room little, and by and by
90 to the front windows and slam the
shutters.
s.After I'd lain there about au hour |
heard her get up aud 60 stand out on the
front steps for gond five minutes. Then
she came in and slammed the door and
Tucked it and commenced coming up
stairs Every other step she'd say: oh,
the wretch. Won't l give it to him! I
know where be is! He needn't think to
deceive me! Oh, the yilainP Bout
the time she had nearly got TO the land
ing think she must have seen the light
streaming out of the door that I'D left
ajar. could hear her stop, and then |
commenced to snore. | was afraid 10
look, you know, but l could feel her eau
tiously come up to the door and look in.
Well, sir, I'D given my pension from the
war of 1776 to have seen her about the
time she saw it was me. I'll bet it was
fun. But | was afraid to do anything
but snore. Then she Came into the room
and, by the way she breathed and stood
around, / had TO nearly bite my tongue
off to keep straight face on me. |
could feel that she sat down in a chair.
aud was dumbfounded. never let on,
but kept on snoring like thunder; but
when she kicked over chair turned
and pretended to wake up, kind of dazed
like, and says:
"Why, Martha, dear, amt you come
to bed YETI
"'Jarphly,' said she, awful slow and
solemn like, when did you come in?
"Why, must be four Or five hours ago.
Don't you remember when | told you not
To 90 10 sleep again in the rocker, but TO
come up to bed?' and I turned over and
prolessed to 60 to sleep again.
"She never made any reply, but acted
in dazed, bewildered sort OF way, and
when she got to bed ] could tell she
didn't sleep wink for three hours.
This morning it vas fun to watch
Martha. / could hardly keep straig ht
face. at the breakfast table, and all The
time was about the house, she'd eye me
when she thought 1 wasn't looking then
when I'd notice her she'd turn away and
be awiully busy at something. She
caught me kind of grinning once, and,
by George, I thought the explosion WAS
about to come. But it didn't, thong h
the look of blank, unfalhomable suspi-
cion she ::w.re on her face all the time
WAS the greatest show on earth. 1t near
ly broke me up, and I've laughed till my
ribs ache ever since. know it wont
last. | know there's day of repenting
coming. aud the thermnmeter is going
clear out of sight in the Jarphly family
But who's going alter trouble? ltll
come soon enough without hunting it,,
and I'm going to enjoy that scn!tle iu the
roof until the explosion comes. .'-Chica'
mn Tr;6Unc