The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-19
MRS. GALLUP'S FEARS
SHE HEARD A SOUND AND DECLARED
THE END WAS NEAR.

Says GOodby-GaIIup's Serenity Undis-
turbed.
1t was O'Clock in the evening. Mr..
Gallup sat by the sitting room table,
looking over a farmers almanac which
the drug store man had given him as
he came up to supper, and Mrs. Gallup
was ripping apart the skirt of an old
brown dress which she had planned to
dye a jet black and make over as good
as new. For the last ten minutes she
had been humming as she worked, but
all of sudden she ceased to hum, drop
ped her work and exclaimed:
Samuel Gallup, do you hear that?''
Mr.. Gallup hadn't heard anything
out of the routine The clock was Civ
ing out monotonous ticktack-the cat
was purring as she licked her paws
now and then the wind breezed up and
ratified the blinds.
cit was that speckle pullet of ours
trying to crow p whispered Mrs. Gallup,
with awe and fear in her tones. every
hen has bin on the roost for an hour and
half, and yit she's tryin to crow same
as if it was daylight-same as if she was
a rooster. There she goes again.
Mr.. Gallup let the almanac down on
his knee and listened, but refused to
commit himself. He WASH It going to lay
it on puIlet when the clock or the cat
might be to blame
''You heard it, didn't you, Samue1?''
whispered Mrs. Gallup as she rose up.
'tYOu are sure that it was our speckled
pullet, ain t you? Couldn't be anythin
up stairs or down cellar? If the vinegar
barrel had busted, it wouldn't sound
like that, would it?''
Mr.. Gallup lifted the almanac, rear
ranged the spectacles on his nose and
dismissed the matter from his mind.
He didn't know that Mrs. Gallup walk
ed over and fell upon the lounge and
pressed both hands on her heart and
looked around for something to wipe
away the tears which would presently
flow.
cit was the pullet, Samuel" she
presently continued, :'and you needn It
try to argue me out of it. She's bin tryin
to crow for the last week, and only this
afternoon J throwed a potato at her
from the back door. She has finally sue
ceeded. She has not only crowed, but
crowed after dark, and of course you
know what that means? Samuel, one or
t'other of us will be in the graveyard
afOre the week is out. -
Mr.. Gallup did not start up. On the
contrary, he settled down in his chair
and became deeply interested in an ar
ticle descriptive Of the finding of num-
Der of four eyed potatoes in cellar in
the ruins of Pompeii. Mrs. Gallup's
+o1v
there was a piece of dress lining within
reach to use as a handkerchief. She
made vigorous use Of it, and then, in a
voice broken with emotion, she said:
sit will probably be me, Samuel.
Mrs. Taylor might have lived 20 years
longer if she hadn' t heard hen tryin
to crow at night. Poor old Mrs. Latham
was all over her rheumatism, and the
doctor had got through comm when a
hen crowed at night, and she was dead
before shutdown next day. My own sis
ter, who was one Of the wellest wimin
i'll Madison county and never had pain
or ache, woke up at midnight and heard
hen crow, and next day she fell in the
we'll and was drowned. Samuel, we
might as well talk things over and git
ready. IF I had dropped the dishcloth
four times hand runnin, it wouldn't be
any wuss than this. -
| Mr.. Gallup moved his right foot over
| against leg of the table and rubbed in
| a gentle way to get up a friction and
ease an itching spot on the instep, but
/ he seemed to be entirely obliviOuS of
| Mrs. Gallup's presence in the room
The piece of cambria slid over her nose
and eyes and was only dampened in
spots by the tears, but Mrs. Gallup's
+ thoughts were elsewhere.
81 could be mean and stingy about
it," she said as if talking to herself,
"but I shan't If my time has come to
| go, then I'll go and have it over with.
I did want to rip up that skirt and dye
it and make it over for Sunday dress,
but if I'm sent for I won't hang back
/ on account Of an old dress I also want
ed to clean out and whitewash the Gel
lar, but I pose you kin hire it done
/ after I'm gone. There was cellars to
whitewash afore I was born, and
there'l1 be cellars to whitewash long
after I'm playin on golden harp.
Don't you want to come over and sit by
me while die, Samuel?''
Mr.. Gallup didn't reply. He prob
ably realized that she was talking, but
didn t understand that she had asked
direct question. Besides he was reading
an article about the Russian hog and
giving it all his attention. Mrs. Gallup
wept oopiously and wiped her eyes with
liberal hand, and when Mr.. Gallup had
been allowed a reasonable time she said:
81 allus did hope that mother would
be here when died, but if she can't be
l shan't raise no fuss about it. Perhaps
it's better she amt here, as she's a
great hand to have Mysteries and carry
on. You can say to her that I died
happy and went straight to heaven, and
if she don't feel too bad you kin let her
kind O. boss the funeral I know she
| feels a little mt ont with rnn hecansa