The morning call., 1894-12-02


leaning against the road fence. Every
| thing about the house has been goin' to
rack and ruin since Betsy Jane died.
Them two gals of mine amt worth their
salt. Two lazer critters never breathed.
They don't do nothin' but dawdle abo Ut
from mornin' till night. They won't
churn-'tain't a woman's work. They
won't weed the garden-'tain't woman's
work. I'd like to know what a woman's
work is if it amt to tend to things around
the house. And then agin, they're just as
wasseful as they can be. They use twice
there's any need of. They don't seem to
have any idea of savia' And there amt
no use of my sayin' anything to 'em. Just
as quick as l begin to pint out their
faults to 'em they git up on their high
heels aud 60 to sassin' me. Yes, I've got
somebody in charge Of the house thatil
pay some attention to what say. or I'll
end up in the poorhouse. And now, who
shall git? That's the question"
| Producing huge plug of tobacco, the
deacon gnawed off liberal amount and
chewed it meditatively.
| There's that young gal let the sch DOL
to-" he continued. presently. 81 don't
know as | can do any better than to git
| her. She's big enough and stout enough
to do pile of work, and as she's poor she
of course knows the valley Of money and
won't be apt to be wasteiul To BIZ sure
| she won't be as handy about the house on
the start as country gal would be; but
| then she's quick witted and'll soon learn.
| I'll look her over when she comes along
and make mp my mind whether I'll take
| her or not"
Drawing an old fashioned silver watch
| from his pocket, he consulted its open
| face.
"Half-past O'clock" he announced.
"Irs about tins now she was along"
He glanced down the road.
II don't see nothin' of her. Mebbe she's
gone by. No, there she comes now
Something white appeared in the dis
girl of perhaps twenty summers. She was
tallisb, with a willowy form and refined,
thoughtful face. She had one OF those ex-
ceptionaily sweet mouths which seemed to
say "Come and kiss me-" while the some
what naughty eyes that looked out through
spectacles seemed to say: Don't you
dare to even think of such thing! Add
to this that she had literary aspira ions,
aud was in nowise disposed to underra'e
herself. and you have fair idea of Miss
Maud Pellew."
"Good mornin'. Miss Fellow" called out
the deacon as she came abreast.
Good morning, Deacon Puffer," she
responded in low voice, but clear as
bell.
"Its nice mornin'."
Yes; very"
ION your way to school. s'poseP"
Yes"
How do the scholars behave ?'
"Pre ty we'll"
"Have you had to lick any of 'em yit ?"
mo"
"Wall. give it to 'em If they need It,"
81 Shall, said Miss Pellew with deci-
sion.
1T won't do to let 'em git the upper
hand OF you, you KNOW"
''Of course not"
"If you need any help keepin' 'em
straight just call on me-"
"Thank you; but l doubt not shall be
able to keep them in proper subsection with
out any assistance"
II don't doubt it, nuther. You look as
if you were purity strong. They'll have a
purity big job on their hands if they try to
run over you. I'll bet on you single
handed again the hull school. Hee, hee.
heeP'
Miss Pellew smiled and passed on. Dsa-
con Puffer looked after her admiringly.
"My mind is made up-pn take her
she was. L tell YOU them arms of hers
have got muscle in 'em. They'll just
make churn hum. And see her step off
Why, she goes like racer. 'Twon't take
| her all day to no nothln' And what a
good color she's gotl Her face amt bit
like city, gals, faces generally be. 1 tell
you she's healthy. Prob.ly never was sick
| a day in her life. 1 shan't have to be buy
ing medicine for her every little while, as
| did for Betsy Jane. Yes, I'll take her:
Pll marry her just as soon as her
| school is through with. and that
will be in a very few weeks. I'll
stop her when she goes by tonight and
h n ovar with her. 'Twnntt do RI pnt =
off; she's a purity gal and some one else
may want her. Now that 1 think ont, I
believe I've heard say that she's turned
| the heads of hall the young fellers in the
| neigh borhood, and that some of 'em ere so
far gone that they leave thelr work in
the afternoon and go and set on the fence
near the schOolhOuse so as to see her come
out at o'clock, and mebbe have a word
or two with her. Of course SIGH stories as
that don't lose n0thin' a-travelin' about,
but then there must be leetle something
on the start to make EN- out Of. Yes, I'll
buttonhole her when she goes by To-
ight."
Shouldering hoe, the deacon started off
toward his potato patch. There's one
thing l didn't think of at first" he NUT
tered as he hobbed along, "and that is if I
marry her l shall get rid of paying her for
teaching this summer-that is, if marry
her right on the mark before she has a
chance to present her bill. Her wages
belong not to Miss Pellew-there won't be
no Miss Pellew then-but to Mrs. Puffer,
and of course l shall take charge of 'em
for her, for don't believe In a woman
that is married woman a-carrying a
pocketbook. There's somethin' kinder
small and mean about sich proceedin'
1t looks just as If she wasn't willing to trust
her husband to support her. And it's Con-
trary to the scripter, toe, as l explained TO
Betsy Jane. The Bible says that they
twain shall be one fish, and if they are
one flesh they oughtn't to have but one
pocketbook, and of course the man should
carry that because he's the head of the
family"
Shortly after o'clock that afternoon
Deacon Puffer left his work and seated
| himself on pile of boards by the road
side. Presently the teacher came along.
"Good afternoon, Miss Pellew." said
| the deacon.
"Good afternoon. Deacon Puffer," was
| the response.
"Miss Pellew. want to have leetle
talk with you"
| The girl came to halt.
Come and set down here" said the
deacon, patting the board.
''Thank you, but prefer to stand. I'm
| not the least tired"
4 y a