The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-09-28
miscellaneous.
"MISSUS."
BY KATE A. BRADLEY.

~ say, Missus, dye want anythin' from til,
storep I'm goin' to town to git tn mare
shod agin the plowin' temorrer."
"Missus" looked scornfully over the wasl
tub at the shifty, uneasy figure in the door
way.
"The marel She's gone with only ont
shoe good three months, an now she mus
be shod agin the plowin'! But thet's only ar
excuse to git with yer low cronies in town
an ye mought as well take tibet as anuther
for we will go, spite Of all tibet kin say
"Yes," she snapped as an after-thought, "yor
kin bring me yard of eight cent cotton
unbeached mind. Now git out, an spent
the rest O. yer mornin' loafin' round some bar
room"
Mrs. Loud, or, as she was more generally
called by her husband and few scattered
neighbors, "Missus," watched him drive
slowly off down the road behind the patient
mare without taking her arms from the suds
"Poor, shiftless creaturew she muttered
"nuthin' but nuisance emmy way. Amt NJ
more use than last years birds nest. What
ever kun to marry him fer don't see."
She wiped the sIds off either arm with her
thumb and for-fnger.
"Sam Loud r. she called, opening the dool
sharply, "efyou amt back fer yer dinner you
don't git emmy here, that's ALL"
Thar" she exclaimed after few mo-
ments of steady rub-rubbing up and down ovei
the board, the rhythmic motion keeping time
to "On Jordan's Stormy Banks | Stand,
which was running through her mind. "Tha,
lazy mortals clean forgot the pail O. water
told him to git an hour ago. Eff he never
KUN back 'twould be 'tarnal mercyr'
Sam did not turn his head as "Mssus'
launched after him parting threat, but jog.
ged slowly on, musing TO himself
EFF Missus 'ud only give Teller chance
Sartin the mare needs shoein' bad ; an mans
got TO see how things is in town sometimes
though l can't never make her see it that
way, somehow.
"a yard O. eight cent cotton" he repeated
aloud, to fix it more firmly in his unstable
memory. "An' mebbe kin find some little
thing 10 sort O. pac'fy her, eff so bet as how
| git the mare shod afore noon. An Ideclar
fort eff l didn't furgot tibet pail O. water ~
A man, a stranger to Sam, was walking
along the road little way ahead. At this
point he stopped and looked up and down
the broad, straight highway, stretching in
sight for miles either way.
"Good day, my man. he said, as Sam
came up to him; "can you give me lift, as
we both seem to be going the same wayp"
Reckon l kin, if you amt tew hefty," re-
turned Sam, cheerfully, pulling up his horse
"fur a spell 3 fur IS CO."
The man, from his clothes and manner evi
IDENTIFY gentleman, climbed to place be-
side Sam and listened silently to that worthy's
garrulous conversation.
"1'hat little red buildin' on yer lef' stranger
he was just saying, twas whar fust learned
ter stick pins in the schoolmaster' cheer, ant
ter" Here the man broke in suddenly. "Tel
me, isn't that wagon on the road mile
or two back"
"Thet speck way back by Tim Slocum's
place? It's a wagon, sure huff, but it's 6
good five miles away. You kin see it sc
plain kase there's hill thar"
"Isn't this branch road we are just coming
to the road to Kingslow :" the stranger asked
"Spect it be-" drawled Sam, regarding hin
with slow surprise.
"My man." said his companion, hurredly
"ifyou will drive with all your might Il
Kingslow, I'll give you twenty dollars if yor
get me there in time.
Sam made no reply.
"If twenty isn't enough, I'll make ii forty, ;
said the man, watching Sans face anxiously
"Oh, faint the money" said Sam at last
leisurely, though I'll allow It's some induce
ment TO man who's got wife to hum
'Tain't tibet, it's you're In sech main
hurry all of student No, stranger, dom
bieve kin stand the racket. The hosss
only got one shoe on, an promised Missui
ter be hum TO dinner"
"Do you see that speck back there on th,
road ?" asked the man, quietly. "Well, tina
speck is buggy containing two constables
| They are after me for-never mind what
Now, my man, if you get me to Kingslov
docks in time to catch a boat waiting ther,
for me, before those men catch US, I'll Civ,
you fifty dollars. If not"
The alternative was expressed by drawn
revolver, pointed threateniugly at SAM
blanching face.
He turned the mares head into Kingslov
road. The minutes and the miles sped by IL
silence, the stranger watchful, with his fling
ers closed on the revolver, Sam silently con
sidering his chances for escape from the fat
he saw only too plainly hanging over him
that of arrest and perhaps Imprisonment TO
helping a felon escape the outstretched arm
of justice. :,
"And what would Missus sayH' San
groaned.
They were close upon Kingslow when III
spoke.
"Look'ee hyar, mister" he said, "you'v
| RUuG hDOuJ nun WIN tuio GIG hooo al
wagin." And he began to draw in the near
ly spent horse. There was a short struggle
then pistol shot report, and Sam fell back
ward into the wagon and lay motionless.
Slowly and gradually the consciousness o
earthly things began to return to Sans dark
ened mind. He made an effort to turn owe
and look around him.
"Wha-whar be L ?" he queried weakly.
"You're two weeks out at sea, my hearty
and bound for six months cruise to China
on the trimmest craft that sails the blue,
said CHEEKY voice beside him.
"a friend O. yourn shipped you," contin
ued the voice, afterward proving to belong tt
the kind-hearted second mate, "just ate
you'd hurt yourself foolin' with your revol
yer. He said he'd promised you to, 'caus
you had a sick relation or something il
China, an seeing your name was on tn,
books, an he furnishin' plenty of money TO
your nuss'n'. we had to take you along q
we'd agreed. Now go to sleep, an you'll b.
well before you know it,"
Sam had plenty of time to think out many
knotty problems during the weary weeks tina
followed.
"Mebbe war trife shiftin an Uneasy