Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-01-04

"a SS82l9 farmer in all
sss,ss.ssasss7sssssas Squan Neck
neighborhood than he was. OF course,
people said Joram Nellums was so
close that dollar couldn't be dragged
out of his pocket with a team of
cattle; but Susan Ann said that was
because they hadn't SO much as he had
and didn't know how to accumulate.
AS far as Susan Ann was concerned,
she was an old maid who took in sew
ing and made enough by it to dress
herself we'll and live in TIE only hotel
in the town of Squan Neck. 1t wasn't
much of a hotel, as hotels go these
days, but it sheltered Miss Billion
very comfortably, and being an in
dependent woman who liked to have
her own way coming and going, she
found it eminently satisfactory. 1t
cost her possibly as much as So q
month more to live there than if she
had gone to Mrs. Wiggins's board
lng-house, but Susan Ann was not
close when it came to her own COM
tort and conv snience. 1t was great
lift to her, no doubt, when she
married Joram Nellums, for now she
was to be mistress of her own house
and the finest farm in the country.
Many younger woman than she
would have been glad TO have become
Mrs. Nellums, and it cannot be de-
MED that on the first Sunday that the
new Mrs. Nellums walked down the
aisle of tho church she carried her
head few notches higher than the
meek and lowly doctrines taught in
the edifice every Sunday really re-
quired of her. That was the woman
in her, however, and it may be ex-
cused under the circumstances. 1t
was great thing to be Mrs. Joram
Nellums, and Susan Ann Billion was
not the only woman in Squan Neck
who thought SO, although Susan Ann
was the only woman who knew what
it was from actual experience.
The happy couple went away on a
bridal tour to be gone two weeks, and
it was sore disappointment to Susan
Ann when Joram cut it just half in
two, giving as an excuse that the bust
ness of the farm had very unexpect-
edly called him back. Like an obe-
dent wife she accepted his explana-
tlons and his promises that they would
go to the city as soon as the crops
were laid by, and they would stay
there as long as she cared to stay.
For month after their return,
Susan Ann laid great store by her ex-
alted position in Squan Neck society,
but somehow there was an ever present
lack OF opportunity to use it to ex-
cess. Joram was busy, or Joram was
tired, or Joram had something else
that prevented, or forty dozen other
obstacles with Joram back OF them in
terfered with her plans. Thus year
ran on, and by that time Susan Ann
was doing kltchenwork and house
work and there was some indication
that she would be doing the washing
next, with fair prospect that tailor
ing for Joram and one or two of the
farmhands would be added to her other
duties. Occasionally Joram had some
thing to say about economy, but he
never accused her of extravaganza.
''You amt very savin', Susan Ann,"
he said to her one day, "but I'm
willin' to agree that you amt great
spender
About this time the fact began to
dawn upon her gradually that there
was q difference in the manner of Mrs
Nellums's everyday life and that of
Miss Susan Ann Billion. She would
wonder sometimes if making dresses
and getting paid for them, with the
privilege OF spending her earnings as
she pleased, was not in some particu-
lars almost as satisfying as doing two
women's work for Joram Nellums with
out pay.
At the end of two years, she dis
covered that the wedding clothes that
she had provided herself with had
come to the ragged edge, and new
dress ut least, and bonnet were abso-
lutely necessary. So when Joram sat
down to breakfast one morning in a
good humor, for the breakfast was
good one, done entirely by herself,
she told him that she wanted some
thing to wear, and gave him little
memorandum of what was needed.
'Jeerooshy, Susan Ann," he ex-
claimed, IL can't stand this. I've
always said you wasn't much on savin',
but this is upsettin' everything. Why,
what you've got down here will cost
as much as thirty-one dollars and
seveIity-five cents"
''What if it does, Joram," she re.
piled amiably, haven't worked for
it? You haven't bought me anything
since we got married"
"Aad l amt bought myself any