The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-11-17


seconds, but she never finched. 1t
seems as Of the meaner a body be the
holder they be. I tried to be kahn an
pleasant when I wished her good-day,
but I he'd a struggle with myself to
keep from telling her what I thought.
When l got home, 1 found Mis- Tug
giles and Mis- Prouty there, awaitin'
fer me, They he'd started to a committee
meetin' at the church, but they said
Ephrum he'd urged 'em to stay Ontil |
come back. / wuz glad they wuz there,
fer I wanted to onburden my mind to
somebody thet'd be interested. Before
I'd fairly ketched breath an got my
bunnit eff, Mis- Tuggles tackled me,
an SEE she:
Nov, Mis- Bowers, do tell us what
you've seen an heerd at the McWl
DER"
"weIl," eez I, meditatively, "where
shall I begin3"
"Oh, begin at the very b~eginnin', "
sez Mis- Prouty. I'm ell worked up
bout it."
Yes" gez I; "an' / reckon you'll be
worked up more'n ever when you've
herd oil I've got to tell you. Well,
when 1 fust got to the house, a hired
girl met me at the door an told me to
take a seat in the dre,win' room. I
went in an 'lowC1 they'd been cleanin'
house, frum the looks Of things -nuth
ing was in its place. The furniture was
oil cluttered up in the middle Of the
floor, till you could scarcely walk fer
it; an big vases that belonged on the
mautelpiece wuz settin' round in O
ners, an on leetle stands thet looked as
eff they'd fall over ef yuu teched 'em.
Most everything in the room looked
mighty light built. Even the cheers
he'd such epindlin'lcokin legs l wUz
most a-feerd to set down in one Of 'em.
1 know eff Ephrum should tilt back in
one of 'em, like he does in our cheers,
they'd cresh right down. They wuz
sech funny shapes, too. Some wuz
low, catty-cornered, an'some wuz high,
with ~leetle, narrer, one tort'ble backs
an some with no backs tall. Now,
Jest think O. settin' down to rest a spell
in sech cheers as them"
"Well, Ireckon they wouldn'ts set the
easiest in the world" SEE Mis- Prouty,
but long as they are stylish, I
wouldn't mind hevin' a few"
"'Tain't in me to he stylish" SEE I;
I'm in fer solid comfort. I'll put my
two rockin' wilIers ag'in' any sother
cheers in Sapville, fer comfort as we'll
as looks"
MIS- Tuggles she jjned right in with
me, fer beIn' heavy on her feet, she
does enjoy a good, easy chcar when
she finds one. But as for Polly Prouty,
one cheer is bout as good as enuther
fer her-her only Weighin' som'ers
nigh eighty pounds.
While l wuz still talking bout the
furniture, Miss Prouty broke in, an
81 she:
well, did you git up garrett, Mis-
Bowers?'
mo" sez I, ST didn't; an 1 even
went SO fur e. to ask Mis- McWilder
which door led up-garret. She told
an then seq she: We won't go in
the attic; that's husbands workroom.'
l looked at her stiddy, my idee bein'
to sqelch her; but she looked at me as
cool an on~concerned. An while 1 wuz
still lookin' at her, she up an told me
I needn't be imaginin' ell sorts of
things about the attic, fer they he'd no
skeleton in the closet, she could ssure
me. An I felt like sayin', We'll, eff it
'taint a skeleton, what is itG tell you
sisters, there hain'ta doubt in my mind
but what there's co%unterfttin' goin' on
in tibet garrett; an it makes my blood
bile to think a sech DARN meanness."
NOW hush - sez Mis- Tuggles. "How
you do talk. Who'd a thunk it? I
hope it faint so, Mis- Bowers fer Jed
Jest sold Mr.. McWilder a load er hay,
t'other mornin', an mebbe the money
he paid hain't no good"
Bite on it, an you kin TELL" sezI I.
But l dasn't bite on it," says she,
''fer it's bills"
ia! thet's all the wuss," SEE Mis-
Prouty. "Jerushi Bender he'd two er
them bad bills passed on~her over at
H~oopeston, an she he'd to pawn her
retticule an six new shirts er Z3ke's to
Sallie Tool, so to git money 'nough to
como home on"
"WeH," s.z l., Mis- Tuggles, you'd
better git rid er thet money soon's you