Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-08-05
MRS GERRISHS GRIEVANCE.

Maybe I'd go to Boston with you,
Warren. il urged" said young Mrs.
Gerrish, archly, standing on tiptoe to
smooth down her husbands nodding
scalp lock.
"It's too late to think of it--too
late altogether, cried Mr.. Gerrish, in
haste, rushingto his desk and scatter.
ing the papers like a Dakota blizzard.
"Where's my bank book SCENT, Ma
bel?''
There, Warren, forgot to tell you.
/ thought that it would be safer be.
hind the clock"
"Safer behind the fiddlesticksl" co.
gitated the annoyed husband, as he
tipped over the time-piece in laying
hold OF the missing property; but be,
ing. a gentleman, he merely remarked
impressively that ten to onehe should
lose the train.
cts only 8, Warren. You've hall
an hour
"Bpt Pve--Pve something TO attend
to before going to the station, " he
stammered, obviously embarrassed.
"Ohl" Mrs. Gerrish dropped her
questioning brown eyes, flushing hotly.
Why did her husband reject her prof
fered company? And what was this
mysterious errand that he would not
tell of
GOOD bye, wiiekin. Take care of
yourself till l see youtp he added in a
friendlier tone, as he jumped into the
carriage
"Well, l must sayl" calculated the
little lady frowning after the retreat
ing vehicle. But she did not say it.
Instead, she set the clock on its legs
again, and then fell to musing.
She was sorry she had vexed War
rem by meddling with his bank book,
but he need not have been cross. What
did he want of the book, anyway?
Had he not only yesterday told her
that he didn't owe cent in the worldY
Aid why-this was vital query
why had he gone off without her, too
preoccupied TO snatch a good bye
kiss? Last week he had left her be.
hind in the same way. She would not
have minded the neglect so much, if it
had not afterward come to her ears
that he had gone straight from her to
Miss Ebbitt, and escorted that young
lady to the city. Henever had limited a
word about it. Mrs. Gerrish secretly
hoped the rumor wasn't true but it
was shocking to have the. neighbors
talking. And now to think that, after
humbling herself to ask her husband
to take her, she should have met with
fiat refusal.
The stroke Of nine surprised her just
this side of tears. Was itpossible she
had idled away a whole hourin arrang-
ing the writing desk, and Bridget gone
for the week.
Hurrying into the kitchen to wash
the breakfast dishes, her eyes rested on
quaint-looking man in the door
way.
"Mornin' Mis- Gerrish," said he dof-
fling his hat for GOODNESS rather than
courtesy.
Good morning, Uncle Jabez," re-
sponded she, kindly. "Have you come
to split some kindlings for meI"
"Sartin ma'am. l suspicioned you
must be about out" said the village
factotum, wiping his bald knob OF a
crown, which rose aboveits encircling
red fringe like the seed vessel OF a
poppy above its corolla.
81 knew your husband wasn't here
to do it foryou," hecontinued, putting
his hat on again with screwing mo-
ton, as if it were the cover OF a fruit
jar. 'T'd been clearing out the Wild
der Ebbitt's pipes, and was crawling
along on her ruff, when Mr.. Gerrish
drove up for jimmy. He didn't have
20 wait. On the fiat of her loot jimmy
is, with all her fuss and feathers"
odd they catch the train?" faltered
the young wife, her face averted.
Then her husband did go for Miss
Ebbitl Uncle Jabez should not know
he was telling her news.
"Yes, ma'am, they catched it. /
asked Hiram Blodgett when hefetched
your horse back to the store" an
swered Uncle .Iabez, his confiding blue
eyes fixed on the sky. Il am jealous
of q shower, ma am. Remember that
peeler we had the last time your hus.
band took jimmy to Boston?" wg
Last Thursday, do you meanY'
queried Mrs. Gerrish, anxiously. She
was ready to believe anything.
ut strikes me twas Thursday.
Yes, ma'am, twas q week ago to-day,
for i was in the Wilder Ebbitt's sta
BILE mendin' her crib, when your hus-
band drove in with jimmy. The water
was streakin' it off o. the kerridge,
but he wropped Jimmy complete, set
she skipped out as dry as grasshop.
per. She told him she was no end
grateful for his care. And faith she'd
orter been, for il he hadn't held her
shawl round her so, her silk gownd
would.a'been all spotted hitherty yen
der"
"What did he say to that, Uncle?"
ooh, he was even with her, ma am.
Pm the one obleeged, Miss jimmy
says he. Youknow you're everything
to me- / lost the rest, he spoke so
low"
Eyes, certainly" murmured the daz-
ed little wife, absently shutting Uncle
Jabez into the she'd
To be frank, from the time she came
to Oakland bride, Mrs. Gerrish had
suffered intermittent spasms of jeal-
ousy on account OF this same Miss
Ebbitt. She had never been able to
forget a jesting remark made by one
of her first callers.
among our village celebrities we
reckon Miss Ebbitt, our talented or.
ganist," the guest had said. Really,
Mrs. Gerrish, must hasten to intro
duce you to your husbands old
flame"
Uncle Jabez's distracting gossip
could be easily explained. To think
otherwise was absurd.
"Jehul / was satisfied heerd some
thing smash!" cried that simple indi-
vidual, pushing the door ajar with his
moccasined toe, and shutting in, his
arms full of wood. "There, there,
ma'am,, wouldn't take on so about
the clancy. Your husband won't feel
like getting you a new sugar dish, bein'
he's in the crockery line"
at breaks that set, you see, " equiv
coated the proud little matron, hui
moring his conceit. Better to pass
for ninny than a jealous wife.
eve all have our posters" phiios-
ophized Uncle Jabez, placing the sticks
in the woodbox withfo fond elaboration.
Now yon know how twas at my
house last spring My wife was sick,
and / had narrer. squeak to get
along, but now my wife's dead, and
H.. n,,t ,fd oht Ia ell