Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-07-08

i swift 49,
"But ven find the battle'll be & the
strong-an' right here in this kitchen,
If We don't stir yer stumps lively"
a.But what shall do, Hannah?'' and
Uncle Joel looked around in helpless
bewilderment.
s.DoP Why, just 60 out an set the
old speckled hen. I've toldye to more'n
F! a dozen times. She'd had time t. sci
an hatch whilst We was gettin' ready t
do it.
And Aunt Hannah, catching up the
first thing that came handy. which
proved to be Uncle Joel's soft felt hat,
proceeded to fill it with eggs.
"Here they be, and don't be all day
about it!'' she called, coming out of the
pantry holding the hat with both hands
and depositing it in the soft, fluffy
depths of the feather cushion in the big
rocking-chair.
Hurrying back to the pantry, she re-
turned to her baking, while Uncle Joel
hunted around for his hat and cane,
which were always missing when
needed.
''Good mornin', Miss Potter came
the next moment to Aunt Hannah
ears. as her next-door neighbor walked
into the kitchen without knocking;
.'busy as ever? What a master hand
you be t. work! I wonder if you ever
stop long enough t. eat and sleep!'
swell, somebody's got work where
there's eight mouths t. feed an eight
backs G keep clos on" Aunt Hannah
answered, without stopping moment
in her sitting of sugar and measuring
of flour for her cakes.
did We hear what muss they had
over t. Nose Potter s, last night?'
mo; what's up now? They're allus
havin' time there. wonder how that
woman can be SIGH fool as Tive with
SIGH man."
$50 do l. But this time twas wus'n
any O. their quarrels. Didn't We know
bout the fellers from Dobbs' factory
a-comin' up t'tar an feather Mose?''
''My goodness gracious, Miss Brown,
ye don't mean it,"
And Aunt Hannah stopped in her
work of breaking eggs to raise her
hands in establishment.
''Do take cheer an set down, and
take off your bunnit." leading the way
into the kitchen, and setting chair
it."
Aunt Hannah deposited her two hum
dred pounds rather heavily on the soft
feather cushion on the huge rocking
chair, and commenced beating her
eggs in a mulberry rock-bowl-she
could not stop work even long enough
to crafty her curiosity-and the two
tined steel fork with which she was
doing the work had not the efficiency
of the modern egg-beater.
''Well, We see," Mrs. Brown began,
pushing the huge framework of paste
board and gingham back from her
face. "Mose's wife took her taiIor-work
home yesterday an got her money for
it. Ye know Nose use t carry it, and
he wouldn't let her hev the money for
It; Jest spent jest's he'd mlnter, an
she an the children had t. 60 hungry
half O. the time-for Nose never'd
bring nothin' in to speak on"
II know it; an I've told ner time'n
gin she was a fool t'work SO an let
that crazy lummox git hold o. her
money" said Aunt Hannah, beating
her eggs more briskly in her indigna-
datiOn. He'd set behind the stove all
last winter an sing The Lord Pervide,'
an wouldn't lift his finger t pervide
for his younguns himself. The hyper
crit!'
''Well, yesee," Mrs. Brown resumed,
''she le'rnt better'nt t let him carry
home any work; SO Yesterday she an
Jane took big bundle out to the city,
an when she got back, Nose told her
to give him the money, n she wouldn't
do it. He was mighty high over it. an
threatened what he'd do if she didn't
let him have it. But she'd got her back
up, m We know SaIly's pretty kinder
sot when she sets out t. be, N Nose
couldn't scare her with a cent. She
jest told him the money were her'n:
she earn't it, n he shouldn't tech one
penny ont. Then she seq he Jest grab
bed her by the arm an throat, an tried
to git it, m she kicked an pulled till
she got away from him; but her hard
| come down in the tussle, an he grab
bed her by that. an afore she could
git away he'd pulled out lock as big
as my thumb. Her head look just aw-
full when she came over to our house
an. told ont. an her arm an throat
was black an blue where he d pinched
'er. | told her I'd go srraightt' Squire
Pease n make complaint against him.
An she started: but afore she got there
she met Dave futile, m ye know what a
high-hyer Dave is; N as soon as she
told him bout Nose, Dave seq. seq he:
Mrs. Potter, We jest go right straight
back'n get the young'uns m yer clos,
an if Nose says any thing, jest tell him
you've made complaint against him,
an he dassent tech We, an I'll get my
team m meet We here in half an hour,
an fetch We to my house. an We can
stay till We can make shift some way
$50 she got the young'uns an things
AN mighty few things there was, too
AN Dave fetched them home with
him"
''What did Nose have t. say for him
self when Sally came back?"
..Never said nothin', only asked 'er
where she was goin', an she told him