The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1885-01-01

| pleasant TO look upon or to speak with,
having a strong Yankee shrewdness
which enabled her to keep even with the
world. Left five years before with her
boy to care for and her husbands funer-
al expenses to pay, she had done these
things, and had acquired small bank
account, as we'll as a reputation among
her neighbors for being a trtle near in
her dealings. The Squire revolved many
times the terms in which he should in
troduce the subject he had in hand, and
finally decided to take his wife with him.
in order to throw candid, straightfor-
ward air over the interview, Mrs Sprague
being d pillar of good works in the
church, whose passive Endorsement of a
transaction would do much to restrain
any suspicion of its honesty.
The interview was a long one, and the
Squlre's arguments were many, but the
result was that Mrs. Gates agreed to ap-
pear at the Canary homestead in two
weeks, and to marry Sam and there was
an understanding that when she receiv-
ed her pension she was to retain only the
future quarterly payments. all Of the two
thousand dollars of back pay going to
Experience, except a couple of hundred
to the Squire. Before the two weeks
| passed, however, she was summoned in
haste one night to SANS bedside.
Sprague met her at the outer door
"COme right up, Seraph; you're Jest in
time. I'm watchin tonight: Sper'ence
an Julany's all tired out. Come up still,
an We'll have the job right over"
At day break Sam Canary was dead.
and Seraph held Squire sprague's certifi-
cate that she was his lawful widow.
The Squire appeared at the Canarys
early on the day Of the funeral in order
to be sure that Seraph was duly recog-
nzcd among the mourners ana in the
minister's PRAYER. AS he sat in the front
room alone he was surprised by the en-
trance of a woman in heavy black Not
until the veil was lifted did he recognize
Seraph.
"Wy, how dye do, Mis- Canary 2" he
stammered 81 didn't know ye for a sec
ond in the mournin. Amt it d little deep,
though-tor the Hill, ye know ?" hes
tated the Squire. They don't do things
up here quite SO stylish as ye do in the
village'
no, it amt mite deep" replied the
woman. angrily. "Sam Canary's my hus-
band, an shouldn't do no less if want
a-sittin cent by him, an amt goin to
All then scrimped the mournin, whatever
happens. bought ten-dolar Grape for
my veil, I've hired the village hearse to
come up an I'm goin to ride next the re-
mains in a hack"
The Squire drew long breath, and
replied, slowly, "WaaI, | guess you're
right, Seraph, after all; bat it'll make
| heap o talk on the Hill =
NV mats folks got to talk about, I'd
| like t. know If come sueakin round
the funeral as though | didn't know
whether belonged there or not, they'd
talk, YOU better hlievc. I'm the widder,
an I'm goin to have the Ndder's place,
an if FOLKS want to talk, let en-
Course He be, Seraph. le're right,
an just 90 ahead, SAID the Squire, assur-
iugly. II hadn't thought you'd make 50
much Of a show of it. that's al.n
The Squire was right in declaring that
the affair would make talk 10 sooner
was the story known than people drop
| ped all other subjects to tlo justice to this
| one. An occasional skeptlc inslnuated
| that the ceremony might have been per
formed after Sam's death aud nobody be
| the wiser, but this view Was toe extreme
TO be generally entertained Most peo-
| pie were content to condemn Seraph for
marrying a man with one foot III the
| grave. Nnc indignant woman was bold
enough to give Seraph a piece Of her
mind, but the widow defended so val
| iantly that no enc who heard of the en-
counter cared to repeat the experiment.
| There was much to be said, too. from
| Seraph's stand point. She did not fail to
make 1t plain that she was giving the
| CanaIys the greater share Of the wind
| fail, and that without her help the pen
| sion could not have been obtained at all.
Indeed, 50 little did her conduct in this
case agree With her usually close man
agement of money matters that she found
defenders on the score Of generosity.
| The only part of the affair which troubled
her reflections was Squire Sprague's large
margin ofprotit. She always Jumped in her
reckoning the sum which he was to re-
ceive for his services and the large profit
which he would make on the sale Of the
Canary farm, to the eXorbitant price OF
which she was as sensitive as the shreWd-
| est farmer
Seven hundred dollars seemed to her
an enormous sum for rich man to make
| from poor one, and many were the
| plans she tried to form to prevent such
an injustice. In this effort she was not
little aided in sly way by leading men
OF the town to whom the SQuire's unfai-
ing luck in turning bad debts was not as
milk and honey. After many consulta-
tions, including one with WatertoWn
lawyer, she hit upon plan by which she
hoped to disturb the complacency with
which the Squire referred to his manage
ment of the case, and to save a consider
able part of the pension money, which
she decided to give to the Canarys, re-
serving something as a comm ssion for
her shrewdness.
The formalities were completed at last,
and Seraph received her money. Clark
Township was a long way from the rest
| OF the world, even the meager 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 50 much
commotion there ever disturbed the rou-
tine of the pension officials at Washington
A day was set for the settlement Of affairs
at the farm Seraph appeared early, and
| warned Juliana not to be troubled at any
thing which might occur at the meeting
II expect to surprise the Square some"
she added, "an probly the fur'll fly but
guess twon't hurt us none"
The Squire appeared radiant, as was
his wont when he had conducted an en-
terprise to a successful ending. He te
icitated Seraph on the permanent addi-
tlon to her income, ana Experience upon
having no more interest to pay. He sug
gested to Jullana that she could now
use her egg and butter money to buy
''housen stuff" and SO have place look
ing like Mrs. Gaylords in a few Years.
Into the midst of his urbane congratula-
tlons he threw occasional remarks show
ing that without him this general pros
perty could never have come to pass,
and leading his listeners to appreciate
the great credit due him for his beneti-
cient interest in their affair
Seraph bore it calmly, but showed a
desire to proceed at once to the business
in hand.
'I blieve, Square," she said, II was
to pay you two hundred dollars of this
money"
eyes" assented the Squire "that was