Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-08-27

Long and splndln Ike was, ana saNel, oI"us
mortin' round with a cold, and wheezn' cp
| with asthmy, and siin'; 'twa'n't no more'n
was lookin' fer when he started IN to cough
stiddy-thered ben Heywards goin' on with
consumption seace the beginnin' o time. Ike,
he didn't hang on like some Of EN-; bis Uncle
Burridgs, now, he was thirty year a-dyin,.
Ike, he went Oh suddsnt, but he went dretfu1
hard. I never see no sech awful spells O
coughin' Is he did have; seems though he'd
git ripped to pieces; and the way that creetur
used to sweat nights-wal, the sheets d be
wrinSin wet
The schoolmaster, listening with gratifying
interest, looked in vain for any softening Of
the old woman's calmly narrative tone. The
tragedy Of fifty years ago bad become casual
memory, interesting only for its narrowing
details.
He was jest skin and bone when he died;
his arms want no bigger round n broom
stick, and his checks was sunk in so I it fairly
scairt ye: he vas . dretful-lookin' corpse
Mis- Hit turned her eyes upon her Listener in
pleasurable anticipation Of the effect Of these
items He wSs buried up in the old north
buryin lot-he was took up afterwards and
put in the new one-and went hum again.
l was powerful glad to get shet O ole Mis-
Hayward, now tell ye.'
'Our most poignant sorrows have their ale
waiting features the schoolmaster observed
Mis- Hit pulled at her pipe. The chirping
Of frogs filled the pause.
you were induced to repeat the nlatrimo-
NAL experiment." said the schoolmaster.
on married again, inferE'
Il was wilder fer six months" Mis- Hit
responded: 1but l could ben married afore
that eff I'd a min to. 'Rastus Carter, he come
round soon as Ike was put in under He'd
scraped up enough to git place-pretty fore
handed 'Rastus was-and he was calculatin'
to buy way up to the Corners, clus to the old
tannery Wal, told him eff he was goin' to
live round that ar tannery | want. and all
the powers couldn't make me: the smell was
! fit to knock We down, jest about; and as to
Twin with it right under my nose-it made
me sick as dog, the idee ont. 'Rastus, he
was mad as a hornet: he went OFT a ram
pagin', and 'twant {; week afore heerd he'd
ben and married Pauliny Wiswen. She was
gettin' along, Pauliny was, and she was terri
BILE glad to git him.
"Wal, l didn't lay out to wait fer ever to
git another man, but / vow was clean sot
back when Eihu Wilder come aidgin' round.
Ole bachler, Elihu was; must a ben nigh
onto 30 He'd ben livin' by himself fer long
spell over in the boiler. hadn't never see
him more'n oncet or twicet declar didn't
know but was gettin' loony an seein' sperrits
when he come nippin IN. Want much high
er n a yardstick, Elihu wa'n't-seemed to ben
stunted: and he was SO kind o dried up, thar
didn't look to be nothin to him
wal, eff I'd a-knew what twas keepin'
house fer bach'ler l wouldn't never under
took it. Fussiest, narvousest little creetur
ever come within forty mile of, Elihu Wilder
was He'd lived thar by himself till he'd got
as notional as a witch; he want no ways used
to folks, and. come to the pint, he didn't RELY
know how to stan it havin me thar. guess
he'd a give constable to git unhitched agin,
and wouldn't a held off nuther.
1T was sight to behold, that ar house o
hisn. Thar hadn't ben q hammer teched to it
sence twas put up, and o all the tarnal ole
holes The front steps was all rotted away.
Thar want hull winder in the house, and
the ruff O. the keepin' room leaked like sieve.
Elihu. he wouldn't hear to ixin' it up-tight
as the bark of a tree. Elihu was With all
nv naggin'. he wouldn't do nothin' but put
an old sawhorse by the front door, place o
steps, and board up some O the winders.
He'd ben strung up soonern git shingles fer
that ruff Used to set tubs in thar when 1t
rained and ketch water fer washin'; said
twas handy. Bout as close-fisted as l ever
come acrost. Elihu Wilder was. And what
with his bein' so notional, don't know how
stood him long as l did. He was wuss'n any
old woman l ever see. Had the forenoon all
crammed fun Of sight o ole truck he'd ben
scrapin' up and savin', the goodness knswS
what fer-dried verbs and ole tin pans and
pieces o rope and wagon wheels and legs o
bedsteads: and he wouldn't hear to havln
'em cleared out; wouldn't have EN- teched
He was sot in bis ways as ever bein' was
created-iest Went to bed at o'clock
year in and year out, and got up at to the
tick and 80 of Sunday, and all the saints
! couldn't a made minutes odds. Ef thai
was anybody thar when the clock pinted to
! be never made no bones O startin, EN- fel
hum. Ef the heavens had a fell 'twouldnt q
stirred him out o his tracks. Eff I'd a knew
what twas livin' with bach Ter, l reckon Ii
! a steered clear O Elihu Wilder.
wal Mis- Hit pursued, with greater
tranquility OF tone, "he didn't live but thret
years. Elihu didn't. He was took off witt
drorsv. fer all he'd never looked to have {
| pint O blood in him. Wouldn't git no doctor
! ner have nothin done fer him; he jest steepet
UP them ole verbs o his'n and set round thu
| stove stirrin an drinkin' o EN-. Wouldn'
| give UP till the last minute: then he did Civ
in to lettin' the doctor tap him. Thar wa
most gallon took out O him. He want I
natural lookin' corpse: be was swelled up 81
| YOU wouldn't knew him"
Mis- Hit leaned over to drop the ashes OF he
pipe on the ground outside. Then she got III
! and filled it from q saucer in the cupboard
| lighted il by means of q match and the LAM
chimney. and sat down. recrossing her knees
Did Mr. Carter reappear!" the school
master inquired
"'Rastus Carter. he'd went west spell
back. Pauliny Niswell, she'd died o tn
fever-'twant no wonder, nuther, livln' 81
| clus up to that ar tannery-and 'RaStus, he't
picked up and went off to Injiany. II com
back that he'd got married agin out thar"
And YOU followed his example!H said th
schoolmaSter.
YES; took up with Hit fer the next one
Hit, he hadn't ben Twin round here a gre
while but declar l might a knew what b
was by his courtin': he was hangin' rount
SIGH an everlastin time afore he come to th
pint. l reckoned shouldn't never git shet @
him.
WAL said Mis- Hit. musingly, 3tha
want much 10 Hit. one way or mother. 81
was as lazy as all git out; used to set on
whar twas sunny, sort o dozin' off fer hui
day to time; and that was pretty much o.
be did do
She smoked silently for moment Tn
lapse of time and the feebleness Of Hits char
acteristics seemed TO have well nigh etfacet
him from her memory.
Hit" she cdded, without eInotion-3Hit