Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-10-11

speak only good OF the dead, though ain
like yourself, cannot see the justice in It,
presume the tragic manner OF her death af-
fected him greatly, and 1 have noticed in
such instances a tendency to eudow the dead
with only good forget all faults and faillngs"
''He told you about her being drownded.
thenp she inquired.
Yes"
Il presume he didn't tell you how II came
about did hep
"He said she was going to her mothers on
horseback, and when crossing a bridge across
deep, narrow creek the bridge gave way"
"Oh, yes; that's all true But her own
stubbornness brought it about Becca was
only three weeks old at the time, and 1t had
been raining all day; SO when Mag took
notion to go to her mothers in the evening.
Henry didn't want to take the baby, nor her
either into the damp air He told her the
bridge was rotten and they would have to 90
four miles around to the other brldge-too
long journey for either herself or tue child
on a stormy night. Well she flew into rage
when she found he was not to be over-per.
suaded, and raved and stormed and pro-
nounced all manner Of imprecatIons upon the
baby for ever having come into the world to
went out doors. Pretty soon we heard the
sound OF a gallopng horse and Henry ran out
and saw her riding away towards her moth
ers He followed In hot haste, hopin TO
reach her before she got TO the bridge, but
she beat him by few rods and rode right on,
though could hear him screaming to her
not to venture clear to the house. The horse
got out all right but 1t was too late when at
Ioot bod Gho
when the tldings were carried to Dame
Pigeontrot she wanted to have Henry arrest
ed because she declared it was all his fault.
She pretended to take 1t awfuly to heart.
though she and Mag always quarreed aud
fought so before Mag was married that she
couldn't stay at home. She finally contented
herself b. carrying away everything there
was in the house, aud even raised row be-
cause she couldn't find Mays fine shoes.
expect she thought Sister Callie or hid them
back, but they wouldn't have done either of
us any good, as we both wear number three
and hers were SKIES, though l heard Henry
tell Agnes last week that Mag wore twos and
a half.
"When Mother p igeontrot found Callle
and l were TO take charge of the child. she
was in a fine rage. She wanted Henry TO let
her keep it. aud pay hes four dollars a week
for doing so. He wouldn't do it, aud she only
shows herself once year since She pre-
tends to come to sec Becca, but really to get
few dollars from Henry. l heard she aud her
son were out west some place holding claims"
Not long after this bit OF information was
given me- Madame Pigeontrot appeared at
Henry's in all the glory OF Mother Hubbard
made of curtain calico, pair OF plowshoes,
her hair done in knot the size OF walnut,
underneath brown walkin G hat trimmed in
green. She role lean, patient looking
broncho and affected the manners OF n man.
She insisted that now, since Henry was mar
ried again, she should be intrustcd with the
care OF Becca an1 be paid twelve dollars a
month for her keep" as she termed It.
Waen Henry refused to COMPLY with her de-
mand, sue heaped upon HIM, and Agnes like.
wise, epithets which we're neither well-choscn
nor elegant, and rode away shaking her fist at
her ex-son.in-law and consigning his soul 10
the shades below.
He could scarcely look any OF us In the face
for a week or So and, from that day to this,
have never heard his first wfe's name pass
his lips - Ydakee BlId..