Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-09-13

hs ought - 6assit.~
Sand thsE big room With the whas-
| a,yecall-ft that window that bulees
out -shats Cor Gran,ma Bolton, ard
kfs Che hest foOn IN the house by all
loddA"
So they talked On and Whitfield the
edge Of tho plstform away evening
alter evening. Sometimes discuss
sieA arose - to what particular idea
Iia had IN putting this or that hole In
the eide or this or that crook IN the
I roof and then they would all shut
their knives and get up and kick out
| their legs and mosey over to ask Tim
about II. for he was always to be found
working at the house until dark.
By and by the house was closed in and
all but0ne Of the carpenters went away.
| Then some plasterers came, then q
lwagonload Of windows, with big panes
Of glass in them. only two panes to ore
| sash. and after that some doors---one
OF them Of real black walnut, with q
siiver-looking plate and ~:Mrs. Sarah
Bottom cut into It. And they put q
bell right in the middle of the door-a
new kind of bell that rings by q crank
instead Of knob and wire like Tom
Judson's.
ssTim's just singing on the style,
amt he?" said Zeb Watson.
Eyes; but he's doing It for his ma;
he wouldn't put no bell on the door for
himself" replied Job Harding.
After awhile wagon loads of furni-
ture began to come-bedsteade with
al -
washstands with cupboards in the bot
tom, chairs with little holes through
the seats, and two lounges with arms
only at one end of them.
ssWhere's the front-room setP'' Tim
asked Of one of the drivers on q fancy
painted wagon.
We'll bring that out tomorrow"
he replied.
The next day they brought some
furniture that made the folks eyes
stand right out of their heads. A big
oak bedstead with headboard six
feet tall and q lot of fancy carved
things on It, with never a rope nor a
slat to it's name, but a springy sort of
thing made Of bright wire crisscrossed
in and out for the real hair mattress to
lie ON. When Aleck Demps4er lay down
on it after he had helped set it up in
the front room he bObbed up and down
and said, sGoshg' and looked as If he
would like to lie right there and teeter.
tauter the rest of his days. Then
there was q washstand just Hike the
bed, with a cupboard under it and
real marble top to it, and q big chair
~ith shs cushions made right into tt
cushinns all nver iS-ana q sort OF
eatsan rockingsehais and chest of
drawers op eatbera faw kindOf bureau
evitha looking glass o. Sc thas shaved
you aab oyer So yourself.
@'Waal,% said Jabez Duneans esq
sspose that's about the comfortab4est
spare room in this country
THAT'S not q spare room,'~ replied
Tim; ''thaGss mothers COON. We're
not going to dave any com pany come
to see us thap deserves better room
than my mother does.@
"Gee!'' said Jabez. $50 this is for
your ma? WAL, Tim, you're a great
blessing to your ma, that's all I've got
to say.'f
"And:you haven'gwrit word about
it to her?'' asked Job Harding.
NO" said Tim; Il want it all to be
surprise to her,
''Waal, it will be surprise, sure
enough. snum, but I'd like to see
her eyes when she sets 'em onto this
ROOM"
Gran'ma Bolton came back last
week. Tim went clear to Buffalo and
met her Before he went he hired
Lizzie North, who was sort of living
on Aunt Becky, to go over and stay at
the new house and do the work, be-
cause he said his mother was getting
along in years where she ought not to
good company for her, too, when he
was off about his work.
Wken the stage came in last Wednes-
day and Major Watts fetched his
horses up with short turn and
flourish of his lines in front of the
store most all the folks were either
over there or standing in the doors
looking out, for when Tim went away
he said he would be back with his
mother that day.
Sure enough, there he was and there
was Gran'ma Bolton, just as bright
and happy as good mans good mother
can be. Everybody crowded up around
her, and the women all kissed her and
told her she was looking ten years
younger ESQ she was) and the men
sort of sided ashamed-like around
the edges of the crowd and said That's
so'' to every thing they heard the
women say.
Come on, mother" said Tim; 81
guess they've got dinner ready for u.s.
EYES," said Lizzie North, who had
run over bareheaded, wiPng her hands