Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-02-11

After supper that evening Alec wan.
dersd into the store, and finding no one
but Mr.. Higgins, who was lying on biz
back on the counter o. usual, he gave
hin Q little description Of the drive,
and inquired concerning several bust
nsss matters. And o. he talked he could
not help remembering what Mrs. Hig-
gins had said that Sunday evening
about the old gentleman's having fits.
The old fellow looked at him pretty
sharply one or twice, and seemed pms
zled by some strange expression on his
face. Conversation Jagged. There was
q long silence, and Alec was thinking
Of going ont on the veranda when Joe
Higgins burst out:
"Ha, young IN, I've been wondering
what you've been looking at me 80
queer for. guess the women folks have
been telling you was one foot In the
grave. Hey9 Amt that so'"
Alec blushed and stammered In a way
that evidently quite satisfied Mr.. Zig
gins.
Don't you take any stock In what
women tell you. Women have no earth.
ly idee how to bluff the devil. Why,
bless your heart, I've had them fits 40
year, and they never found it out till
jest three years ago. You say I'll die in
one O. 'em some day. Course I'll die
when my time comes, but there's no use
in dying before your time. What is 1t
Scriptur' saysi-theres a time to be
merry, and time to be sad? Is'pose
there's o time to have fits and time
not to have EN-, and time to die in
EN- and time not to.
LET me give you some advice, young
IN. You work too hard. Don't do 1t. !
got them fits working too hard. don't
do it any more. That's why l never
cleaned out the store more. II ! had, Id
"a worked myself to death like enough.
'Lisbeth can talk about Its being a good
thing for business to have the store clean.
But it's better to have dirty store than
no store at all, and IL l had cleaned out
the store regular sho'd probably be
dead by this time.
II s'pose you think it's kind Of queer
for boss to give hand advice not to
work. But my girl 'Lisbeth there, she
works too hard. wish you could set
her better example l don't know what
to do with that girl She gets me. Pm
frighted all the time that she'll work
herself into fits, the way did. Fits
amt such turrible thing. But they re
unhandy, especially in woman, and a
young woman, too, that's like to git
married. I've heard tell of men that
wouldn't marry girl that he'd fits.
That gifts me- But, considering how the
world is, I'd rather 'Lisbeth didn't have
no fits to trouble herself with.
"Come nowl Was 1t she what told you
l had fits?"
ut was Mrs. Higgins that told me, I"
said Alec.
Jaw, l thought it wasn't 'Lisbeth.
But it don't make nc difference. Moth.
er's always a.tslling Of it. But it don't
make no difference, only thought I'd
sort O. tell you Ididn't take no count Of
it myself, 1t is onhandy sometimes,
when you re all alone, for instance yes,
onhandy, but l don't take no count Of
it,"
Their conversation was interrupted at
that moment by the entrance of Bent,
just come from fishing excursion.
He had very old and battered extern
sion bamboo rod in one hand and string
Of fish in the other, which he wanted to
sell to Joe Higgins. But that gentle
man replied that he had made his for
tune that day by selling pig he had
bought for $l.50, and he meant to
keep the profit by him. Bent suggested
that he draw on the principal, but he
said he had anticipated that suggestion
by using the money to pay his rent that
day. So Bent sat down and lit his pipe,
preparatory to talk.