The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-01-13

| uCt tup"uy "uS - SCStfu W NO NASss
greeablc to me. hedn't the grit
Seth said to me, ses he:
"Why on airth don't you put STOP
to her peekin' an sncakin' an askin'
questions an maxim We tell what ye
don't want her to know? Ye nights
well do it now. afore she's got We into
some trouble or other. cause she's a
mischief-maker that's plain to bc seen,
an the only reason that she was SO
neighborly when me an Johnny was
sick is that she wanted a chance to
make We bcholdcn to her SO that We
couldn't throw her of"
| l could see all that without Scth's
pintin' it out to me. but as 1 said afore.
l couldn't muster up the spunk to let
her know it. Eff ever wumman paid
dearly fer neighborly help an sympa-
thy that's been give her. that wum-
man wus me. Eff there wus unexpected
comp'ny come upon me, Mrs. Postum
nose must pop in along about supper
time to see how the tea-table was got
up; eff me an Seth he'd bin to town a
tradin'. she must come in the fust thing
next mornin' to find out all about what
| we'd bin buyin' an how much we'd
paid fer it. Ef hired wummah to
do days washin'. my neighbor would
be sure to be OF hand in the even'n, to
| see eff the clothes looked Gear an clean
and ask how much wages l paid her.
Then she seemed to be mighty keen
on turnin' my friends agin me an me
agin them. She'd pint out their faults
| and failin's to me an warn me agin
their doublefacedness. Ef I'd fly up
mad an take their part, she'd make
some sech speech as this:
"Wall. now. Mis- Rawlirs. eff We aint
techy! who'd thort it! l wus only
te!lin' We rs a true friend what I'd con-
sidered it my duty fer to open yer eyes
to-"
To my old friends she'd say:
"'Twould be dOin' Mrs Rawlins a
kindness not to do no visitin' to her
house. What with her big family an
the churnin's an every thing to do. she
can't keep baked up and she's so morti-
fed eff she's ketched when her table
amt in apple pie order"
As her undetermined ways an tricks
showed palmer to my sight. got so I
disliked her more an more. fused to
fetch deep signs whenever see her a
comm towards the house. Seemed as
eff I'd give worlds to shake her off an
be free from her sneakin an peakin'
an tattlin'. but twas as eff l couldn't
never find the right way nor time, bein'
materially ov timid dispersishun an
afraid to stand up fer myself.
But as the old sayin' is. there's end
to all things; an the end to Mrs. Pos
sumnose's mischief maxim to our
house warn't fur of.
A friend O Seth's from the city came
a visitin' to our house. He warn't no
relation. but Seth he'd knowed him for
some time. an when he was to the city
last he'd gin him u invite to come an
stay for few days.
This Mr.. Reynolds wus tol'able
finc-lookin' man. though not by emmy
means what ye'd call ham sum an he'd
city breedin' about him. that is, a kind
o easy polished way that sot MATERIAL
upon him an showed off to good adj
vantage Besides he he'd sight o.
book larnin, Mr.. Reynolds he'd, an a
amazin' plcasin' way O talkin'.
Me an Seth enjoyed his company an
done all we could to make his stay
agree bic to him.
The very night he got here Mrs. Pos
sumnose popped in purtendin' to be in
dretful hurry; she he'd come to bor-
row my rollin' pin, she said, cause
she'd broke the handle off II hern. She
followed me into the buttery. SOS to
see what I'd baked up. stopped to look
into the front room to see cf there
warn't a spcck o dust to be seen. an
out she scooted in hot haste. cause
jes: then Seth drew up; he'd bin to the
deepo artcr MIR. Reynolds. She
wouldn't hcv him see her for the world.
she said.
Wall. his visit come to end an the
very afternoon o the day he left us.
Mrs. Possumaose come a visitin' to our
house.
Il want We to tell me jest what kind
ov lookin' man Mr.. Reynolds is" ses
she. the fust thing arter I'd took her
things off to the bedroom an she'd
got her log-cabin patchwork a-goin'.
WALL" ses 1. SO kinder sly, cause /
loved to set her curiosity on edge,
shes much the same lookin' as other
men. only he's got sight smarter look
about him than some on EN-"
II S pose We mean that he's smarter
lockin' than yer man an mine. J." ses she.
"Mebbe l do, an mebbe 1 DON'T"
ses /.
II should think ye'd like him better
than yer own man. SEEM ye take so
much stock in smar: men," scs she.
"Yer gettin' off the straight track"
ses /. 81 never meant to say that"
WALL" ses she, ''but We know his
hands is white an soft an he's so kind
O. diff runt behavin' from the men
round these parts. an he wears a
white stovepipe hat; that makes him
look kind o stylish. We know"
''Yes," ses l, 'but that's no sign
l must 60 to lovin' him." an began
to feel Uneasy an nervous like; cause
l see what she was drivin' at.
ooh. well," ses she. eyer a good
wars from lovjn' him stint q fearJ IN
bet. You hadn't orter be so tetchy.
cause We know. We are sech friends"
A fnrfni'f or so arter that Seth car,,n