West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-07-26
MISSUSs
pY KATE 4. BRADLEY.


81 say, 3lissus, dive want onvtbin,
from the storeg Pm goin' to town 70 Oft
th' mare shod agin the plowin' temorreT y
l. "Missus" looked scornfully over the
washtub at tho shifty, uneasy figure in
she doorway.
1.-The mare She's gone with only one
shoe good three months, an nov she
must be shod agin the plowin! But
thet's only an excuse to git with yer low
Fronies in town, an ye mought as well
vake thet as anuther, fer We will 90. spite
9i all thet kin say. Yes" she snapped
as an after-thought, 'you kin bring me
yard OF eight cent cotton-unbleached
mind. Now git out, an spend the rest
o yer mornin' loain' 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 creetur p'she muttered
"nuthin' but nuisance ennyway. Amt
no more use than last years birds nest.
Whatever KUN to marry him fer | don't
see."
She wiped the suds off either arm with
ucI tuunD anu lore -nnQer.
Sam Loudw she called, opening the
door sharply, 'ef you amt back fer yer
dinner you don't git emmy here, that's
all -
"Thar~ she exclaimed after few
moments of steady rub-rubbing up and
down over the board, the rhythmic mo.
tion keeping time to "On Jordan,s
Stormy Banks / Stand,n which was run.
ming through her mind, "That law
moTtal's clean forgot the pail o. water
told him to git half an hour ago. Ef he
never KUN back 'twould be 'tarnal
marcy"
Sam did not turn his head as Missus
launched after him her parting threat.
0ut logged slowly on, musing to him
'Ef Missus 'ud only give a teller
chancel sartin the mare needs shoein'
bad an a mans got to see how things
's IN town sometimes though / can't
how.
"a yard o eight-cent cotton" he re.
peatcd aloud, to fix it moro firmly in his
unstable memory. can mebbe l kin
find some little thing to sort o. pac'fy
her, ef so bet as how i can git the mare
shod afore noon. An declar' fort Of
didn't furgit thet pail o waterp'
man, stranger to Sam, was walk
ing along the road little way ahead.
At this point he stopped and looked in
tently mp aud down the broad, straight
highway, stretching in sight for miles
either way.
'Good day, my man, - he said, as Sam
came up to him; 'cau you give me
lift, as we both seem TO be going the
same way2'
''Reckon kin, ifyou amt tew hefty,"
returned Sam, cheerfully, pulling up his
horse "fur a spell, IS fur Is 20. -
The man, from his clothes and man
ncr evidently gentleman, climbed TO a
place beside Sam and listened silently TO
that worthy's garrulous conversation
''Thet little red buildin' on yer lef,
stranger" he was Just saying. twas
whar fust larnod ter stick pins in the
schOolmarster's cheer, and ter Here
the man broke in suddenly. 'pTelI me.
isn't that awagOn on the road a mile or
two backf
'Thet speck way back by Tim slo.
GUMS place. It's a wagin sure 'nun.
bnt It's 8 good five miles away. You
kin see it so plain kaso theer's a hill
thar
Tent this branch road we are lust
coming to the road to Kingslowl" the
stranger asked.
"Spcct it be, 50 drawled Sam, regard.
ing him with slow surprise.
my man said his companion. hur.
ricdly, 'if you will drive with all your
might 70 Kingslow, i'll give you twenty
dollars II you get me there IN time"
Sam made no reply
'If twenty isn't enough, III make it
forty" said tho man, watching Sans
face anxiousiy.
"Oh, 'tain't the money" said Sam at
last, leisurcly, Though rll allow 'tis
some endorsement % n man who's rot
wife 70 hunt 'Tain't thcs-irs why
you're In socha 'mazin' hurry an of \
suddiut No, stranger, 1 don't b'lecve
kin stand the racket The hoses only cot
one shoe on, an 7 promised Missus ter
be hum Ter dinncrn
DO you see that speck back there on
the roadln asked the man, quietly.
''Weii, that spock is a buggy containing
two cOnstables They arc after me f6r
never mind what. Now, my man, II