Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-09-10


waist so that, as vet, the hint was
not too pronounced. The dark, thin
gown was very plain, but it fitted
with a perfection neve.' seen in Ram
som, except perhaps in the ease of
that "lady from New 0rleens. " The
people in this town were not in the
habit of seeing a woman's shoulders
and hips accumulated in that way,
and To the feminine rural mind there
almost seemed something immodest
in gown like that. 1T was so
difrunt, you know" But they
eoulln' t help admiring the effect, and
envying.
Mrs. Whiting recovered her powers
of speech so that she could bid the
other ''come right in, for she had
plenty of nutmegs, and she knew
dried apples pies was mighty fiat
things without a good deal of spice.
Mrs. Barnes went round to the
back gate and sauntered down the
path. She stopped and spoke to Mr.,
| Whiting, and smiled at him. She
was one OF those whose voice and
glance keep their special sweetness
for men. Without having a distinct
~ formulated belief, shea ways acted
on the superstition that men might
be ''worth WHILE" but that women
never were. Her eyes were large and
dark, and they We're both hard and
voluptuous. Her mouth was thin
and pale-lipped, but it was very ex-
pressive.
Mr.. Whiting, replying to her word
and smile, watched her as she disap-
peared in the house. He wished to
follow her, but he kept on with his
work. He told himself that Sam
Barnes was a thunderin' lucky man,
and he wondered if that was the kind
of women they had out beyond Bel
lin ham.
A few days later Sarah Ripley an
nounced that not only had the "new
Miss Barnes" been married before,
but that she had been married twice
before Her first husband had died
and was buried. The history of her
second husband was not, however,
I sostraighttorward He had neglect
ed to die and be buried, aud was
roaming ut large in the world. He
had run away from her. 1t was said
that he had declared before disappear.
ing that Iii Charlotte want the devil
she was jest as good as the devil.
This was strong language, and nc
wonder the man had not returned
: after having made use oft.
} Sarah Ripley paid n visit to that
remote town whence Mr. Barnes had
brought his wife, and when Sarah re
turned she was much sought after by
( the whole feminine neighborhood
) She was not reticent in regard to the
information she had CLEANED. She
said that Mr.. Pickett, the second
? husband, had been heard OF ''out west
!: somewhere" that Mr.. Barnes haC
spent a pile of money in getting d
divorce from him for Charlotte, sc
: that he, Barnes, could wed Charlotte
for he was regularly bewitcheC
| with her There had never been nc
man so bewitched before" Sarat
, said confidently to each person tc
. whom she related the tale. Folks
!. did say he was Jest like a man rur
crazy. He had been heard to declar,
by three dit'runt people that he'C
, spend every cent he'd got but tina
i Charlotte should have that bill anC
be free to marry. NJ Fickett'd ber
, jest so fore he got her. d. know
+; what there is bout her, but som
women be Sc.
t Thus Miss Sarah Ripley, concern
/ ing whom no man, in all her fort,
I years OF life, had ever 'run crazy.
t For two or three months Mr.
; Barnes went round like a man in
state OF beatitude. He even sold hi
pigs for less than the market price
II having for the first time in his lif
+ neglected to inform himself what th
!. ''goin price" really was. Worse thai
q that, when informed that the trade
had taken advantage of his igno
e rance, he had smiled happily and ha,
!. replied that che guessed it didn'
/. make no odds" Several neighbor
i were sharp enough to improve thi
lapse and get a few good bargain
}, out Of Sam Barnes"
n There we're changes in the house
!; too; it was painted and papered an
e refurnished. TWAS opened also Th
8 sacred ''south parlor," was a sight t.
l. see with its plush chairs in place c
the horse hair chairs, and with it
it open doors and blinds. Mrs. Barne
d said she didn't like to do heav
e homework, and they had hire
s girl who kept the neighborhood ir
formed ms to the progress of Sam
2 infatuation. There were visitors
n too, and brisk talk and 1aughte
Is were heard from among those clump
h of lilac.
e Mrs. Whiting watched all thes
,e proceedings with unfailing intensit
is of interest. She said she wanted t
y see them folks over there git to til
end of the rope. They'd git to il
n and she thought it would be soont
II rather thanlater. When Sam Barne
r. got over his blindness he'd Jest pu
his foot down agin' N folks woul
s. stop gigglin' there"
N In the course of the summer it wa