The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1892-08-26
miscellaneous.
AN EVICTION.

BY Elizabeth Cole.
1t was bright, chilly day in early
September, a day when brisk people
enjoyed being out doors, and lazy or
feeble people fingered near the fire.
Most of the women in Marthastown
were brisk, and Mrs. Silas Plum was
among the superlatively brisk ones.
Almost too brisk some people thought
her Silas Plum thought so, but he
never mentioned the fact to Mrs.
Plum. Circumstances forbade.
This morning she had her kitchen
door open and was standing there in
the wind and the sunlight, stirring
something i'll a large yellow bowl.
Sometimes she looked out across the
door-yard to the pastures and brown
corn-fields and far off blue hills. The
leaves of the naples were falling be-
fore the stiff breeze and the grass
about the door was strewn with them.
Occasionally one drifted in at the door
and rolled or skated softly across the
floor.
Silas Plum was sitting in his cush-
toned rocking chair close to the stove,
with his slippered feet on the hearth,
reading and smoking in perfect con-
tentment. He had always loved his
fireside and his book, and this first
chilly fall day was a keen pleasure to
him. Sometimes he looked across the
stove out of the open door at the
autumnal landscape and flying leaves
casually noticing Mrs. Plum and the
yellow bowl.
What air we stirrin' up now?' he
asked presently.
i'Pie-tillin" answered Mrs. Plum,
shortly, I'm scratching together a
mess of pm kin pies"
How air the pun'kins this year?
Old Spot thinks they're full tasty"
They're first rate. And | don't
know when / got mess of film tuned
up quite so much to my taste as l
have this. l can't think of anything
more to put in without it's asprinklin'
of ginger
When Mrs. Plum went into the pan
try to roll her pie crust Mr. Plum
smuggled farther down into his chair
and waded into his book again. The
clock licked slowly just overhead, the
fire cracked in the stove, the slant
bars of yellow light on the floor widen
ed and Strengthened as the minutes
passed, the whistling of meadow larks
came over from the pasture and the
cawing of crows from the woods, while
about the house door there was the
creaking of crickets and the cacklinS
of chickens. 1t seemed to Mr.. Plum
that such Il season of peace ought TO
last all day but Mrs. Plum had ether
views. She did not believe in pro
|, tracted seasons of peace in the fore
noon. When the oven door slammed
after the last pie she mercileSsly hust-
led Silas out of his paradise.
tsYou needn't settle yourself down
10 further into that chair, Silas Plum.
I've got work to do if you hain't. You
| better scatter.
LAND ~ demonstrated the doomed
man. "can't you let a man take his
comfort once in while p
s'You hain't no business to take
comfort so early in the day. I'm go.
ing to sween and your room'll be full
more agreeable than yorr company.
You're plumb in my way
Il hope you amt a going to take to
4 making puns on me at your age, sad
Silas. seeking to avert this eviction by
! being meekly facetious.
"Puns. | haint no time to spend
making puns. I've got my hands full
making pies and bread and stirred
] cake. If you want puns you'll have
to get somebody else to make 'en.
Now YOU Jest mosey along
Being so rudely ousted from his
warm corner, Silas Plum meekly took
his hat and fled to shelter in his neigh
Dor Briggs carpenter shop. Mr..
! Briggs stove was red hot with burn
| ing shavings and Silas was soon seat
| ed in a warm corner smoking his pipe
.tDreadful pretty day for a fire, =
said Mr.. Brigg. us Mrs. Plum SO as
| TO be stirrin' p .. =,
.'Stirrin' amt the word for it, y said
! Mr.. Plum, putting at his pipe. "She
is ramping around like a wild hyeny
4 on the plains of Africky, tearing the
I inside out of everything looking foi
dirt. There amt no dirt but she's
GOT to do lust so much looking. Seems
as if she went clean off'n her wits
when she got holt of Il broom. She
| can't let IL man take no peace mol
comfort. You hear about women be
ing so burned tender and sympathizin
but | tell We they're harder n the
4 everlasting rocks when they get sot or
cleanin'. You might jest as well ask
| the mercy of a harrycane as ask it o.
Mrs. Plum when she gifts her mind
made I'D. She don't make no bones
of turning me out of my own house
that / bought and paid for with my
blood" Mr.. Plum was a pensionee
veteran of the Civil War but with
him the cessation of war had mo-
brought uninterrupted peace.
tIfI was some men I'd take to drink
but drink don't agree with me. Makes
me dog-sick."
'sWish it served 'em all so, remark
ed Mr.. Brigg:
sit makes 'em dog-poor if it dom
make 'em dog sick"
at does so,' assented Mr.. Brigg
and then the colversati drifteC
from Mrs. Plum's failiugs to the fail
ings of mankind in general, and thos
of certain inhabitants of Marthastowl
in particular.
'tSay Johnny" said Mr.. Plum, whel
the discussion abated somewhat
your eyes is better'n mine, just tax
look over and see how Mrs. Plum
getting on"
II don't see no signs" said Nh
Brigg, peering through the dusty win
dow. "Guess the ghosts laid by thi