The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1888-01-27
THE WIDOWS PUMP.
KINS.

ing, the grass all sparkling Will
frost, the trees waving their retl
jeweled arms to the sunshine, aud
Eliakim Ellis was driving serenely
down by Hay Hill.
81 ain't u poet" thought he, "but
if | was. | could write lot oI
rhymes about this. Why, its poe
try all the way through. And
ehf howf-whatP Who's that T.
1t was the Widow Hepsy Hall,
standing at the door of her one
storied house and beckoniDg with
her long, lean arms toward him.
The farmer drew rein.
"Hold OH, Sorrel p be apostro-
phized his steed. "You amt never
in a hurry when I want you to be,
SO calkerlate you can stand still a
bit now. Wal, Mis- Hall, what CAN
| dew for We this morniugW
"Pve got some pumpkins that ]
want to sell" said the Widow Hep
sy. "Drefful likely ones"
"PumpkinsF echoed Eliakim.
"Why, bless your soul, Miss Hall,
pumpkins is a dreg on the market
just now. The pumpkin crop has
turned out powerful good, thank
Providence, and our folks are feed
in 'em 10 the cows" -
A shadow of dire Disappointment
cFept over the old woman's face as
she stood there, unconscionsy pict-
uresque, against the curly hop-teu-
drills and crimson woodbine leaves
that garlanded tlle doorway. The
tears came Into her dim eyes.
"Then / may Hs well give it up"
she SAID, in accents of despair.
"For haunt nothing else to sell /;
aud Belindy had set such store on
my comm down this autumn atore
cold weather sets in."
"Eh ?" said Mr.. Ellis, goodnatur-
edly. "You were going down to
Belindy's, ELI :"
81 can't without no money!" SAID
Widow Hepsy Hall. Sand was
sort of calculatin' on them pump
kins. The corn hasn't amounted
to nothiu', and the weasels has TUX
all the poultry, and The dried her-
ries miIdewed that last dog days
weather, aH' the carpet weavln'
business is avail dull so what be
l to do I"
'sOa1t ye put off your visit 81
said EliakIm, thOughtfully fickIng
the top of a cluster of Ox.eyed dai.
sizes that grew close to his wagon
wheeis.
s.Belindy's little boys got the
crOnp,1 said Mrs. Hall, lugubrious
n. HAnd her rhusbdHd has fell of a
scaflold aud broke his leg. And il
.e1er I am wauted there, it's now
al swan y eiaculated honest Ella.
kim, as'he realized what the double
meaning OF poverty aud misfortune
was. sFeteh me them pumpkins ;
III buy 'em anyhow
aITl let y0u have the lot for 9
dolIAr,D said the Widow Hepsy
1 wistiully. aThes are jest out ia
the corner lot.n
vAin't gathered, eh -
fsBless me wh0'Ve / got to gath
er 'em ~ repeOacbfdlly retorted Mrs
Hall, sand not = soul about ths
place, and me withfhat crick in my
back.n
EIiakim Ellis heart smote him
Who was he to cOmRlaiu of a littl'
extra irodble, wbeh the Widov
Hepsy was SO much worse of thar
himselff
So be alighted anAled Sorrel la
bori0usly down the stony cart tFacl
toward the cornfield, where, amids
the harvested shocks, cleaned tn
ruddy gold of pumpkins innumeI
able.
'sPumpkius," !" screamed Mrs. Ellil
when her husband drove into th
dooryard at noon. "Pumpkius
Why, EliakIm Ellis what on cart
are you bringingepumpkiuss her
I for Amt We gotthe barn chau
bers full aud tue lots fall, and th
very cattle dou't eat 'em1 Be so
gone clean crazy ]"
Mrs. Ellis was a higb.cheekbone
female, with projecting front teet
and hard, greenish eyes, like badl
colored marbles. She was one {
those who worsbipped gain as Il
Gre worshippers fell down beiol
: she sau. s'Money is moneylH VI
her favorIte axiom Aud Eliaki
felt hls heart sink within bin as
faced her stern, nnc0mrromislr
: gaze.
5 oTbey're Jest few be bega
a iew r shrillT echoed bis vii