New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-10
BEN AND Mr.. MANNING.

appear round the turn in the road that leo 10
the village
ANY on. would have called Alloy Ann very
rood-looking woman as she stood in the midoie
Of the kitchen trying TO make up her NINA Az,
coIute,v a, IN N. meat She was tall and well
,or,nod. she had an oval face. with what Was
generally described as loads ot liEht mar
twisted at the back Of her head. and falilns IN y
pretty looseness about her forehead Her milo
blue ewes were pleasant to look a.. Siii Hpoy
Ann was thirty-nve years old. and unmarried
In ceprecating this fact h"r friends always
explained that though Abby Ann was real manu.
some. an Jest as good she could be- the
men somehow. didn't seem - take to her. There
were pcop. who added TO this explanation inc
remark that the men didn't know anything. any
how
Il gives me pleasure to record al tho beginning
Of this sketch that at this moment Abby Ann ~
an engaged woman. AZ she stands here tnink-
ing ~ mea1 for dinner. she 10 bo:rothsd 10
James Manning who lives on the Burn; HlVer
Road and who has had one wife whom ne mas
buried and one WIFE whom Ia has not bnTie"
but VINO has left the Manning home because as
she sad she couldn't stan IT there aho'h'r
instant" This fclt to b. a vague "Hp'an"-
ton OF her departure. bu, ii was al She ever
vouchsafed to give.
T. was generally understood however. that
she loft NJ. Manning for the purpos" OF sohg
away with an agent 10Y a superior kind OF lamp
chimney. This agent had travelled through the
village ara had returned again and again un''
Mr.. Manning had departed with him
Under the circumstances tho deserted huSodhn
had had no trouble in procuring legal r'i'aSr
rom his wife. Wien he had really got MS III"
~. Immediately began - go HON" with Ao"y
Am Capen from ali evening meetings. ana !"
call upon h"r more ard more often.
Vow. ! tell you what lis. saIi ADD!
mo her to her daughter 81 ain't got one gran ~
rcsnec, for any man whose VIII" runs away ""'"
him"
.'Rut mother" was the rcspon-" he am 20
blame 'carse C,nthy went OF win 'hA' ''
Ter"
Mrs C.pen shook her mead.
"you needn't eli me" she sail. "R1t u YOU
want I'm to come here corrtr amt s'in 10
make no row. You've ben II age this s'fn";'m''
and YOU N do e you pieasN: bat ain TO
oo,nion OF Jane, Manning jog say you vas
roin 70 hal ;hc butcher
= was thiukln' of It
You amt al run out ~ vegetables. ~ you
As she put this question Mrs. Cap'n turned
few hardk.rch!e,s and towels She looked Over
her glasses al he- daught"r. and 4 smile came To-
her shrevd FACE "a she looked.
YOU needn't eli no meat on my account 'he
went on Il On g.t "ong hrstrste. ALWAYS
dli Ike baked p'taters n cream. They're Tea'
sstisfyir' 20 me- Y pc n caXe-rm dom al
right"
Abby Ann walked up 10 the sink. There Nas
nuzz,.d expression On h. ,ar couni"nanc"
Il d'know how '-ls mar" she sad thai book
on yego;s-;ani.n roads AL riEh. n ia max
IN nv mind I never'd touch meat again. Bu'
FOR two or thre" DAYS I've bon ''"in' W a.
gone d.dnj knows | WAS fitted 70 ~ v"s"-
,arlan What DO YOU think. mar
Mre. Cap.r va, "sudsng to~'l ~ 'nl
down in her tub She replied ths 81" MAS 'ir'
she didn't know what Abby was h'ted for. W,
she knew on. thing she want ht,ed for. n That
was to r. over on the Burnt Rive Road n He
with James Manning
on mother. how aw'ully down On James
you b.
Mrs Capen laughed shc began - wing OF
Nor towel She said ~ would b~ ply Z mother
and chnd should both h. In loy" Nth James
tn. sound - wheels On a rough road Na' now
heard by both women
..There'. the butcher You'll have to make up
your mind ABOUT meat
>hbv Ann sratch.d up a shawl from, ne tao.s
and put ii on her head a. she ran into the yard.
She was lust In tine 90 sigma Ia a man driving
a whte-cover~d cart
TIT, man Immediately drove up 10 the door
step
Abby Ann walked he-tstingl" 10 m" back -
the cart where the meat aas displayed IN"
gave little shudder as sh. looked a. y. bar tnat
..gon4ness" - which he had 'pok'n urged
hoy on
Il 'spo.~ YOU kill all your o1n critters. don't
YOU Mr. Hll"" ,he asked.
"sartn." IN a Jovial tone; ut don't hurt nm
hardly b.t"
~ seems pity to take III" when
wal" hastily Interrupted NJ. Hill YOU
wouldn't want To eat un alive. would We" Tha;s
one reason why can't never swalIer an oyster
raw mean. keep th.nkin' they're swmmin'
round in my stummIck Was YOU .ookin' fo'
place 10 stew or fry Abby Ann"
Before she could reply Abby Ann distinctly
heard a grow from the from; % the wagon.
What's that" she asked quickly.
"Shet mp won't yc?' shouted Mr. H.
lie was not addressing This remark to the
woman near him. hut to whatever had growied.
lie now turned to her and said twas a thun-
de,in' dorg he was takin home to knock in the
head foT Squire Beais
THAT buil-teii'er msbby you've seen IL.
th,ugh he Amt had II long II loves to fight
betlei'n IT loves 90 eat. It's Jest had night
vi u beas: twice It's size that Worryin'
the Sauire's cat. Its all managed up Squire
told me- 10 take II HON" n make way with II.
Did You say you'd have piece TO stew"
The butcher punched his grmy for~hng~r into
a chunk OF meat as he spoke. and remarked thai
there was pie'e that would 60 grand In a
smothtr'
But abby Am had left his side and gone to
he front Of the wagon
On the floor under the seat and chained to II.
was lying a dark brindled dog with blood
smeared on !ts glossy side. with fragment ~
skin torn from its forehead. and with "A bleed
ng undnrlip He eazed with rcd ewes ~ the