The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-06-08

her and heard it tor myself and Mirandy
Gilman it was as good as a Play. That
Susan Pettibone was cut out for a law
yer, or detective, or some other spyin'
creature and is just in her element when
she is outwittin' somebody.
Well sister Slocum. says |, you can
tell the story, and we can talk OF Susan
Pettibone's smartness afterwards.
Well says she, as good humored as
ever, last evening after supper was over,
Susan Pettibone came walkir' in here
with basket IN her hand, and says she,
sister Slocum, | am gong over to spend
the evening at Mrs. Grangers and |
want you to 60 with me. | heard she
wasn't well, and we will try to cheer her
up by talkin' over our school days and
other things. They have been wantin'
some of cochin china eggs, but Zed was
too stingy to buy them, and wouldn't
give them but this evenin' concluded
to take settin' of them to Miss Gran
ger, and here are thirteen beauties,
which will hatch out thirteen strong,
healthy chickens, if the hen she gives
them to does her duty by them.
Well, as soon as l could get my bon
net and shawl on, and my knittin' rolled
up to take, we went down the road and
in their gate and up the long path and
knocked at Zed Granger's door. We
waited and waited and didn't hear no
sound of anybody comm to let us in,
and the evenin' wind sighed through
the graveyard lookin' evergreens that
is close to the house, and the hull place
SO lonesome, that | wished over and
over again while we was standin' there.
that | was back in my comfortable
rockin' chair, instead of trying to get
into place where we know d we wasn't
wanted.
Let US 60 round to the back of the
house, whispered Susan; they always
sit there, and the front of the house
hasn't been open this summer so far as
| know.
Well we walked around the corner of
the house, the path so thick with coat
ms of pine needles that we made not
a mite of sound, and Susan Pettibone
was ahead, and what did the creetur
do, but just open the door and walk in
without knockin' and there was Zed
and Miss Granger and the children !;
and we Know'd by their looks that they
had heard the kLockin' aud wouldn't
let US in.
Well Mirandy Gilman, l was so
dashed that couldn't say word and
there was Susan Pettibone as calm and
smilin' as though she was the welcomest
and long looked forest creetur in the
world. She just set her basket down
and took her bonnet off and took her
knittin' out, and was as comfortable as
you please with Z-d Granger starin' at
US both, and poor Miss Granger stand
in round and lookin' as helpless as
anything else that was so took by sur
prise, AID the children looked as though
they had been in a whirIwind and their
wits were blowed away, and they didn't
know which direction to take to find
| them.
After while Miss Granger seemed
to remember that l still had my bonnet
on, and she didn't say nothin', but come
up to me, and began to unite the strings,
and when lifted it off she put it on
the char with Susan's and then took a
seat by me with as helpless and dazed
look as ever see; and there set
Susan knittin' away and chattin' to Zed
and the children time about, and not
waiun' nor carn' for an answer.
Miss Granger and me kept up kind
OF lop-sided talk, and she raaly laughed
once or twice when ] said somethin'
about our youthful days, and after a
while the clock stuck eight, and Zed
Granger stopped right in the middle OF
something ne WAS sayin' to Susan, and
lookin' round at the children like the
grim old tyrant he is, he pointed to the
clock and then at an old carriage whip
behind the door and in less time than
it takes to tell it, them young ones were
scurrying up stairs to bed, and we had
the room to ourselves.
Then Susan as adroit as you please
brought up the subject OF chickens, and
then she got her. basket and give Miss
Granger the cochin chinas, and you
never see anyboiy SO pleased as she
was and even Zed frightened up and
said he always intended buyin' some
but put it off from time to time. And
Susan smiled and said AS sweet as you
please, then | wouldl't have had the
pleasure of givin' them to Miss Gran
ger.
Well Susan set down aglln, and me
and Miss Granger got deep in the sub
ject of raising poultry, and every now
and again | would hear SIsan say some
witty thing and I'd would laugh.
Susan is born politician, and is on the
same side as I'd, and he would rub
his hands in glee, and grin like an old
possum to hear her layln' out some of
them office holders that hadn't done
things acCordn' to her notions ; and
sayIn' The very things about them that
Zed thought-but want smart enough
to say.
Well me and Miss Granger got So
interested in what we was takin' about
that missed some OF what they was
savin' and after a while heard Susan
mention the name of Philip Starkey, and
| almost dropped stitches in nv knit