The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-11-26

die, some to her satisfaction, others fairly
making her blood boil, as she afterward
intimated to Achsa. There were patent
gridirons, coffee pots, broilers, a machine
with pOnderous wings for keeping off
flies, three rat traps of different designs,
all patented, boxes of needles, red cot
ton, and darning implements-things
that she never could use. There were
over forty yards of satteen, a whole piece
of calico, shawl that would have
matched Joseph's coat, which her affec-
tionate spouse had doubtless intended
for present, pack of cards, a knitting
machine, child's rocking chair, and a
small patent iron bedstead. Besides
these there were packages of candy,
crockery, crackers, cakes, and dozen or
two of canned vegetables.
"What ever will dos" sighed Santha
Ann; "what shall do!'
"Well, you can sell some of 'em."
Santha Ann looked up-there stood the
ubiquitous widow, broad smile on her
face, as she took in the situation.
"No, 1 won't. I'll keep the hull Of
'em, an if Mart amt a wiser man after
he gifts over this spree, I'll know the
reason why"
Then she went upstairs.
Achsa stood by the window wiping her
eyes; she had been crying.
"Never you mind, dear" said her
mother, her kind maternal heart stirred;
'don't go to feel bad"
~ don't s'pose he even thought of my
hat" said the girl, tearfully.
"No, dear; not the right kind of one,
but he"
81 knew he wouldn't. I'll never trust
him again."
"But he did get lots o. useful things,
dear"
"Yes; the carpet sweeper and the
cradle, and the ice cream churn and
the
"well, well, let's make the best on it,
Achsy."
eth be all over town, " sobbed the girl.
eyes, but"
day, and all the girls with their new hatsl
"You sha'n't, my dear. Well 60 into
the city ourselves by the train, you
and l."
"That's likely when fathers spent all
his money and yours too"
"Look here, Achsy''
Achsa looked. What did she see9 A
big roll of bank bills which her mother
dourished in the air over her head.
"Oh, Achsal there's hundred dollars!
How he come by 'em don't know, an
how he kept 'em I can't say; but there
they are, an it almost takes my breath
away to think where found 'em. He
had rolled 'em up and put 'em for cork
in the nose of the kerosene can, an the
can was full of molasses." She stopped
now to laugh. "Ef he hasn't been on q
canter, then my name amt Santha Ann.
Won't he be ashamed? deacon of the
church and ALI Oh, we've got him well
under! He won't dare to say city to me
for a year to come; no, not till the day of
his death. I'm going to put the cradle
in my bedroom right afore his eyes, an
the cream freezer, an lots o. things, an
I'm going to 'propriate that hundred
dollars, too. won't spend it all, though;
only make up for the things he didn't
git; and I'll buy carpet too, Achsa, so't
he didn't git that sweeper in vain"
"Oh, motherr' cried Achsa, drying her
tears. "How soon can we go!''
well, cal'late we can go to-day, If
we can git ready in an hour. The widow
says she'll stay here till we come back,
SOS to git the dinner. Well see how
our shopping compares with his, an we
WOut beverages tltueE. DuU,
Achsy, s'pect II we weren't the vic
TINS, we'd split our sides laughing over
the deacon's purchases.
When Mart woke up, about O'Clock,
he found his dinner ready and his wife
and daughter missing. He had con-
fused idea that he had driven them bot
from home, and was inconsolable till the
widow handed note from his wife,
which ran thus:
Mart Ingram-You cum hoam beestly
drunk this morning at sun-up. Amt you
ashamed an you q deekon of the
churchill
snow I hev got to goe in toun to git
things RELY needed, an I've took that
numbered dollars you stopped up the kero-
seine can with. 1t won't be ME fault
doant spend every cent of it, thou
doant know how you got it-gambollc''
for it, perhaps. BY the time I come home
I hope you will be soberi''
He was. He lived on humble pie for
month, and wore sackcloth and ashes in
meekness and repentance for year.
Never once did he ask for the change of
his hundred dollars, but he always looked
meditatively at the bright figured carpet
which adorns the parlor to this day, and
which he unwittingly conjured out of the
carpet sweeper.
But he never touched wine again, and
beverages" of every description, except
tea and coffee, he always afterward de-
clined. Mary A. Denison in Harper's
Bazaar.