The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-09-24

hll OF n Suuucn Sne cchSeu 10 mum, 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 ont monotonous ticktack-the cat
was purring as she licked her paws
now and then the wind breezcd up and
ratified the blinds.
ut was that speckle pullet of ours
trying to crow |" whispered Mrs. Gallup, |
with awe and fear in her tones. Every |
hen has bin ON the roost for an hour and |
"a half, and yit she's tryin to crow same
as If it was daylight--same as if she was
u rooster There she goes again"
Mr.. Gallup let the almanac down ON
his knee and listened, but refused to
commit himself. He wasn't going to lay
it on pullet when the clock or the cat
might be to blame
"You heard it, didn't you, Samuel?'
whispered Mrs Gallup as she rose up.
"You are sure that it was our speckled
pullet, amt you? Couldn't be anythin
up stairs or down cellar? If the vinegar
barrel had busted, il wouldn't sound
like that would it2''
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.
ut was the pullet, Samuel" she
presently continued, land you needn't
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
tears were at hand and fortunately
there was piece of dress lining within
reach to use as handkerchief. She
made vigorous use Of it, and then, in a
voice broken with emotion, she said:
ut 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
| lprtnr haH thrprub anntin W hon "a
hen crowed at night, and she was dead
before shutdown next day. My own sis
ter, who was one of the wellest wiinin
in Madison county and never had pain
or ache, woke up at midnight and heard
a hen crow, and next day she fell in the
well and was drowned. Samuel, we
might as well talk things over and git
ready If 1 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
gentle way to get up 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
II could be mean and stingy about
it," she said as if talking to herself
"but shant. If my time has come to
go, then I'll go and have it over with.
did want to rip up that skirt and dye
it and make it over for Sunday dress,
but if I'm sent for ! won't hang back
on account of an old dress. / also want
ed to clean ont and whitewash the eel
lar, but / s'pose you kin hire it done
after I'm gone. There was cellars to
whitewash afore / was born, and
there'll 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 a
direct question. Besides he was reading
an article about the Russian hog and
giving it all his attention Mrs. Gallup
wept copiously and wiped her eyes with
liberal hand, and when Mr.. Gallup had
been allowed reasonable time she said ::
II allus did hope that mother would
be here when died, but if she can't be
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 l died
happy and went straight to heaven, and
If she don't feel too bad you kin let her
kind o. boss the funeral / know she
feels little put out with you because
you wouldn't let me git false teeth, but
she'll forgit it when she hears that
have passed away at last. l confess
was sorter sot on havin false teeth, but
it's jest as well didn't git 'em. don t
know whether angels have teeth or not
II they do, s'pose I'll be purvided fur,
same as the others, and you won't be
anythin out o. pocket. Samuel, shall
you wait hull year afore takin sec
ond wife? l don't keer anythin about it,
of course, but bein I'm dyin l thought
I'd Jest ask. If you want to marry agin
in six months, don't hesitate on my nc
count I'll be up in heaven, fiyin around
and playin on harp, and Of course I
shan't know about it. -
| tui' 'uliup itdNilti uuNu WIN MS
left hand and scratched the heel protrud-
ing from his slipper-scratched it softly
and lovingly through the wooden stock
Tng-and at the same time he finished
the Russian hog and discovered I'M arti-
Gle on the medicinal value of artichokes
GIVE sometimes thought I'd come
back as a speerit and haunt you if you
married again." continued Mrs. Gallup
q she tried to soften up the cambria by
rubbing, but I've concluded not to- !
never was spiteful, and l shan't begin
now. l could come back and knock ON
the windows and rattle the dishes and
thump on the doors and skeer your sec
ond wife into fits, but it wouldn't do
me any pertikler good and it would give
her chance to talk about me. No,
Samuel Some night, when I'm tired Of
singin songs and bangin ON my golden
harp, mebbe I'll fly down and see how
things are gittiD on. but won't even
drum on milkpan to skeer you. I'll
Just look into the smokehouse and hen
coop and see il the pig has bin fed and
then spread my gleamin wings and sail
| back To Daradiap II VDn sbOuld 1it mn