The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-06
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j7MRj Akl4f 1lHr room was low
- sssf@ chest of drawers
came xnea1ly to the top. The mahogany
was dark with age, the handles were
brass, the base was spindle-legged,
withsacorn-shsped projections breaking
The line. Beneath the five large
drawers were a collection OF smaller
ones, three on each side with a deep
space or cupboard in the center.
This was inclosed by a door, orna-
mented with brass knob and quaint
little l5nocker. The cupboard was like
n tiny ptrter's lodge, and enveloped the
whole piece of furniture with an air of
mystery. 1t warded off intrusion, and
suggested the propriety of lifting the
knocker to ask permission of some
ehadowy specter if one might venture
10 examine more closely this genuine
antique.
The owner was evidently proud of
her possession; and we found one day
that it had history-a true one. She
told it to uswith the keen interest that
age finds in rehearsing the story of its
youth.
81. alwaysowanted chest of drawers;
and when went TO work in the fac
tory, determined to have one. didn't
thialxsmuch about gettin' married, and
hasiR a parlor of my own. l just
wanted that.
ssOid Judge Pettingell had died, and
his niece was 'willin' 20 sell everything
that, belonged to Mis- Judge. ! offered
her. twenty-five dollars for this chest,
not l1nowfn' whether it was cheap or
not; but / meant to have IL. So worked
hard; and every quarters payment
put by little money in silk purse, all
byi itself, until I'd saved enough.
~Whcn 1 had it brought home, father
didn't seemed pleased, and said was
Silly, and I'd better have put my money
in the bank: but mother, she looked at
1t, and her eyes shone, and used to see
her standing up before it, and openin'
and shuttin' the drawers.
'sThen got acquainted with my first
husband, / always called him Hiram,
and so do to this day. We were mar
rief1; but i wouldn't take away the
chest from mother while she lived. l
knew she set store by it, as l did.
after herdied-fatherwent first
then + brought it home, and this
china. Isset the drawers up where
they stsndnow.
-Four or five years went by. Hiram
md were happy together, and then he
was taken, sick. We hadn't any chill
dren. He used to say that he must
make has will; but he put it off, and put
1t of, and by land by he died without
dom it.
"E never &thoug1t that anything I
bought myself could belong to Hiram.
4 knew should get my thirds, and that
they weuld give ME the house. l sup
posed the furnitrre was mine.
1.-THE day after the funeral Hiram's
two brothers came in, with a lawyer.
They said everything valuable had got
TO be sold at auction. / could bid 'em
bn if 1 wanted to: but all the property
had got to be 'pra'sed, in order TO see
how much ought TO have.
Then they went round the rooms,
Saying what this thing was worth and
iwhat that thing was worth, and pretty
soon they came to the chest. The
lawyer whispered to Hiram's brother,
but | heard him: This is. worth con-
Siderable
Al almost screamed out: You can't
touch that, 1 earned every cent of it
I'm the factory, and paid, Tor it, and
brought it over here
1.-The fawyer answered pretty sharp:
swell, naa'am, that don't make bit of
difference. Whatever you brought here
belonged to your husband. That's the
law of the land
"EzeSel, Hiram's youngest brother,
stood close by, and he put in: why,
Abi gail, you can buy back what you
mad, and so just let the auction go onI
and, when the day came, L bid pretty
aowon my'things.
"TNhe peighbors were real good, and
never trsed to bid against me. When
It came to that chest of drawers, / Just
spoke up. loud. 50 every body could hear,
and said: It's burning shame for me
to lave to buy what's already my own;
and if men folks have made such law,
they ought to take it back, and m AXE
another Then / bid twenty-five dol
lars. and paid for the chest over again;
for ] knew Ezekiel would get ali he
couad for it
'sThere was just enough from my
thisds to keep the house and garden,
but Hiran's brothers had all the rest of
she, land They sold it to Mr.. Jones,
our nearest peighbor; and shut up nv
house. and went back to work in the
factory. 'Twarn't very long before
Mis- Jones died used to think, while
the looms were goin', about our two
houses, and the kitchens with nobody
there, as It used To be; for Mis- Jones
was real pleasant woman. and we
were always neighborly together.
Zone day, about a year afterward.
vSeDt up home TO look over nv things.
1suppose Mr.. Jones saw the light, for
he came over to make a call. was
mighty glad TO see an old face: for
had been real lonesome0and 1 did want
TO hear about everything.
''Before he went away, he asked ne
20 marry him. Mis- Jones had gone, he
hadn't any children. and he said he'd
Just as soon come here and live as not.
You see his house was az old one. and
he thought he could use It for another
barn; while Hiram and had fixed up
this one until II was most as nice as new
Perhaps / hadn't ought to have done
II so quick. for Hiram had only been
gone about two years: but vas
all alone, and it seemed so good TO
think of keepin' house once more, so l