The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-11

1 oOy iCLIlCSS
Most ready to go. old woman. or
hewitt ye done talizin' yit?" he asks
| loosely of his wife, but he is in no
haste. With the prospect of a good
dinner, q seat in the shade, and his
pipe and plenty of tobacco, Dick would
remain the rest of the day With no dis
! turbing qualms of conscience. More
matches are supplied. his pipe duly
lighted, and he takes up the dropped
| ends of the conversation, as it were,
| by inquiring in casual. Indifferent
! way: ''Hcv you-uns heerd bout OF man
CraDtree's a-beating of his wiie?' We
had not. SO he proceeded to en-
tighten u.s.
"Twar Lyddy Mceks as war a-tell-
in me. She war down to l. last
Thursday war a week, an war a-pass-
in Crabtree's house. dunno what for
she war up that way nohow. She left
her team under the shed at the mill.
Flours mighty high now; seems ike
hits a-raisin' the hull time. Mrs.
Brown, hov you-uHs airy match?
My pipes plum gone outr'
The requisite match having been
supplied once more Dick providently
takes a dozen, for cne-gencies), his
pipe is relighted and t.ae narration
goes on.
''As I war a-sayin', Lyddy Meeks
war a-passin' Crabtree's house; an she
heerd loud talkin' an she looked in an
OF man Crabtree wara-chasin' his wife
from one room to tother. He bad big
stick in his hsnd an he war a be- atm
her right smart: an she war a-hollerin'
good an tryin' to git away from him.
When they see Lyddy a-peekin' they
slammed to the door. Hits d plum
shame. Bit is sol"
We agreed with him; and asked if
anything had been done.
q dunno. / wish I'd bin thar.
Lyddy war feared to go in. I'd mashed
his head soft! would that!'
But" I interposed, there must be
some mistake. Don't you think SO? l
have always thought Mr.. Crabtree
quiet, peaceable OLD man. He has al
ways seemed good to his wife; l can
hardly believe Mrs. Mcek's story. She
might be mistaken"
"Lyddy Mecks see hit with her own
eyes. Hits true l reckon
I'D think hit war true fur sure. eff
hit war the tother way" giggled
Becky.
Wall. dunno" put in Mrs. Walton,
who had not interrupted her lord be-
fore, Susan is mighty nigh broke
down: and the Lord only knows what
devilment man won't be at, eff he
turns hisself loose!'
''Susan orto mash his head soft" re-
iterates Walton. He apparently is not
he is to his wife; although from her
size one would think she might be able
to hold a man like Dick in proper sub
lection. But, although a small man,
he is alert and wiry and would prob
ably come off victor in such an en-
counter. Why is it that the very idea
of a case of marital fisticuffs always
seems to excite more laughter than
tears? Sad and miserable it often
must be-to one, at least, of the par
ticipants; and not entirely devoid of
pitiable aspect to an observer, even
when they are both insensible of the
hideous farce In which they are taking
part.
After smoking awhile longer, with
repeated injunctions to come down
when you CAM" with freshly-lighted
pipes and good supply of matches,
my latest visitors climb into their
big wagon and drive away. They are
still "aimin' to go to town this evenin'!'
Just as the sun is going down,
Becky also departs, not forgetting the
pressing invitation to come down
when you can"
The days drag their sultry hours
away, one by one. Everything is dry
ing up-would perish utterly, were it
not for the heavy dews which keep the
life in vegetation in a wonderful way.
We say: 1--WE never saw such a sum-
mer BEFORE" but we have! We are
spent with the heat, but the cool nights
revive us and give us courage to en-
counter the scorching days. Occasion
ally there floats to our ears more
rumors concerning the Crabtrees, cor
of what "Lyddy Meeks see
with her own eyes" And somehow all |
of the accounts bear to each other a
wonderful likeness. We begin to think
that where there is so much smoke, |
there must be little fire!
But l notice at intervals that the |
different stories are gradually aSsum- /
ing greater dimensions, and they are !
more tragic in the details. The mem
bers OF my household suggest that per
haps we did not have full account at .
6rst. Perhaps not.
The color of Mrs Crabtree's gown is
now given. with ''its skirt torn from
the waist" Her bleeding wounds" |
need attention. Her means,
when ''she hollered right good" haunt
me. There is great deal of talk; but
nobody seems to make it their business
to investigate the matter. After all
that has been said, that does not seem
to be entirely just to the parties con-
cerned Withal, there is a placid, in
different way with every body that
mysti fies one.
No one seems to take the affair seri-
ously to heart. The talk goes on and
they seem greatly to enjoy it. Are
they all utterly heartiess2 l cannot
decide, for they are generally SO kind
when one is in need of help. But how
they do tear ones good name toshreds!
Mrs. Angin tells all Of her friends
Mrs. Walton tells all OF hers, and each
IN his or her turn performs 4 similar
duty. it is case of geoaetrical pro-
erosion.
There ere some immediate. unpleas-
ant results. Charlie Crabtree, young
man of rnni looks and rood heart rc.s