Evening star., 1896-07-04
TT you only didn't have No cofnn." said

IT you only didn't have No cofan." said
brave little Andrew.
fin. but she was a practical woman. and
when ono day she had three dozen chick
ems to ship to m lreet. and no suitable
coop. and she thought Of the coffin she did
not hesitate. He said was to make It
useful" she said. It'll pay for itself and
the onions quicker as a chicken coop than
any other way"
"Oh. motherr' cried little Andrew, when
he saw what she was about.
1t amt goin' to hurt 1t none." said Mrs.
nails"
."rhe paint will be ruined" eKpostulated
John
'stasy can freshen It up again." said Mrs.
Tuttle.
The farm hand grinned as he drove up the
lane with Mr.. Tuttle's coffin in the wagon,
and Mrs. Tuttles chickens sticking their
heads through the Stats ''De ole man ain
gurno lack dis To- nufan'." he said. II hope
he don't pass me on de road"
Mr. Tuttle did not meet his coffin on the
road: indeed. he was altogether In ignor-
ance of the dissertation until one morning
at the station he saw long white box
among the returned coops He could scarce
ly believe his senses, and yet that box un-
mistakably resembled the coffin that his
children had painted. He went up to 1t and
doubted no longer. There was q card at
wagon and smartly touched the young horse
with the whip. He was in tremendous
hurry to reach home. to carry the outraged
coffin into the house and put it away, never
to be used again for domestic purposes 1t
had been the baby's cradle, and now II was a
chicken cocp-after the children had PAINTED
II. too Had Mrs. Tuttle no sentiment at
all? He and his coffin would be the laugh
Ing stock of the neighborhood. II would
rather be cheated" he roared, and again
the whip descended upon the back Of the
colt.
The colt sprang forward wildly, Jerking
the wagon to such an extent that Andrew
Tuttle lost his balance and fell backward
into the coffin and lay there kicking and
breakneck speed. The man in the coffin
gave up attempting to get out; strange
thoughts came to him as he rode rapidly
along once or twice he smiled grlmly and
once he swore. The colt took the lower
read down al the end Of the lane through
the creek. where the ice was thawing and
what Tuttle dreaded came to pass; the colt
broke through the ice, shivered and fell
With some difficulty Mr.. Tutt,e managed
to rise out Of his coffin. He called loudly
for help and he and one OF his men extri-
Gated the colt from the ice
tached bidding the commission merchant
return coop to Mrs. Andrew Tuttle.
Welt" said Tuttle. well. well-'
He had the wagon with him and he backed
it UP to the pile of coops and loaded. He
was an angry man when he got into his
wagon after the coffin. He was driving a
colt, fine slim-legged mare very valu-
able piece of horseflesh. scarcely trained.
and wild at the touch of whip. Yet Tut
tie, IN his state OF excitement, stood in the
Hut putty bad. sab; yes. sah," said the
negro. He neva gunno be de same hoss
again; no. sab; he gunno be q plug hoss
now 70 sure
Take him to the stable and you get on a
hoss and ride back to the station" ordered
Mir. Tuttle, in strangely calm voice
Tell EN- at the station to telegraph for q
boss doctor: plug or not. that colts got to
be tended to-"
Then Mr.. Tuttle took hold of the shafts
and drew the spring wagon along to the
house.
oh" cried Anastasia, here comes faith.
eli and he's pulling his own coffin"
oh" echoed little Andrew, fathers
pullin' his own coffin"
Andrew Tuttle came into the sittine
room and searched for a pencil, and thei
he called imperatively to Mrs. Tuttle
Fetch me a bit Of paper quick; 1 want te
do sum-.
Every one in the Tuttle household was
quiet when it's master did sum.