Connecticut western news., 1890-08-13


 that women never were." Her eyes were large and dark, and they were both hard and voluptuous. Her mouth was thin and pale Tipped, but it was very expressive.
 Mir. 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 thunderin' lucky man, and he wondered if that was the kind of women they had out beyond Bellin' ham.
 A few days later Sarah Ripley an nounced that not only had the thew Mis- Barnes" been married before, but that she had been married twice be- fore. Her first husband had died and was buried The history of her second husband was not, however, so straight forward. He had neglected to die and be buried, and was roaming at large in the world. He had run away from her. It was said that he had declared before disappearing that eff Charlotte wasn't the devil she was jest as good as the devil"
 This was strong language, and no wonder the man had not returned after having made use of it.
 Sarah Ripley paid a visit to that re- mote town whence MT. 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 in- formation she had gleaned. She said that MT. Pickett, the second husband, had been heard of Tout west some where;" that MT. Barnes had spent pile of money in getting divorce from him for Charlotte, so that he, Barnes, could wed Charlotte, for he was regu- larly bewitched with her. 'There had never been no man so bewitched be- fore" Sarah said confldentially to each person to whom she related the tale. "Folks did say he was jest like a man run crazy. He had been heard to declare by three dif'runt people that he'd spend every cent he'd got but what Charlotte should have that bill and be free to marry. N Fickett'd ben jest so fore he got her. d. know what there is bout her, but some women be so."
 Thus said Miss Sarah Ripley, concern ing whom no man, in all her 40 years of life, had ever run crazy"
 For two or three months MT. Barnes went around like a man in state of beatitude. He even sold his pigs at less than the market price, having for the first time in his life neglected to in form himself what the ''goin' price" really was. Worse than that, when in formed that the trader had taken ad- vantage of his ignorance he had smiled happily and had replied that 'she guessed it didn't make no odds" Sev- eral neighbors were sharp enough to improve this lapse and to get few 'good bargains out of Sam Barnes"
 There were changes in the house, too; it was painted and papered and refur- nished. It was opened also. The sa- cred "south parlor" was sight to see, with it's plush chairs in place of the horsehair, and with it's open doors and blinds. Mrs. Barnes said she didn't like to do heavy housework, and they had hired girl who kept the neighbor- hood informed as to the progress of Sam's infatuation. There were visit ors, too, and brisk talk and laughter were heard from among those clumps of lilac.
 Mrs. Whiting watched all these pro- ceedings with unfailing intensity of interest. She said she wanted to see them folks over there git to the end of their rope. They'd git to it, and she thought it would be sooner ruther than later When Sam Barnes got over his blindness he'd just put his foot down agin, m folks would stop gigglin' there."
 In the course of the summer it was rumored that Mir. Barnes had 'smog- gidged his house." On the very same day at a Baptist picnic there ran 8 whisper all through the company that "Mis' Barnes went to bed every night with her face tied up in raw beef steak. D
 ''PorterhouseW questioned the min ister when this news was told to him. But whether the steak were porter- house or plebeian "round" was never really ascertained, owing to the remiss- ness of the hired girl.
 In those days Mrs. Whiting returned, after some fluctuations, to her belief that after all Mrs. Barnes would be too much for her husband and he could never resume his sway again. She was beati1ed expression. When he went to meetin' with his wife it was generally noticed that he no longer sat so close to her in the pew and he did not look at her so often, but her smile seemed just as sweet, and she was often bestow- ing that smile upon her husband.
 'I guess things is kinder settlin' down oyer ter Barnes'," said MT. Whiting, "but he never'n be the same man ag'in. Whose buggy's thata'
 He stepped out from the back door that he might see more plainly a dash ing black horse and glttering buggy which were stopping at his gate. Mrs. Whiting ran to the front entry and peeped out. She saw man alight from the buggy and carefully hitch the horse to the post. He was smoking g very long, thick cigar. He had on yell low gloves with broad black stitching on the backs; also a tall silk hat, so glossy that it seemed to radiate back light :; also dove colored trousers and white waistcoat; across the latter was draped cr0Od doal of aIoix, xxrIioIa hold clddoa