Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-12-08

G. curtains flutter-
ed in the breeze and the tall clock told
off the seconds with leisurely delibera-
ton, was deal too good to last! l
dreamed last night that | saw Sam in
his winding sheet, and this morning
when the letter came | knew what was
In it, word for word, before ever l
broke the seal"
what has happened? eagerly ques-
toned Hitty Johnson, the village gos-
sip, who had stopped on her way to the
place where she was engaged for a
days work at dressmaking to ask how
Mrs. Merrydew's rheumatism was.
HE ain't-deadY'
"Deadw eroaked the old lady, "what
a start you do give one, to be sure!
Dead-of course he amt dead! He's
only-marriedp'
'Well, l declare" said Hltty, "if
that don't beat all! Your Sam mar
riedr'
Married last week." said Mrs. Mary
Merrydew, 'and going to bring his
bride to see me to-day. What am |
going to do, I'd like to know, with a
| daintily fine lady from the city, who
don't know a spinning wheel from IL
clothes press, and never put her hands
into pan of good scalding dishwater
in her life?"
"Well, but" said Hitty Johnson, 'it
seems to me as if that was borrerin'
trouble afore it's due! How do you
know but what you'll like her" "a
"Did you ever know one Of these city
girls that was worth her saltY con
temptuously demanded Mrs. Merry
dew. Not everybody knows what my
luck has been, all my life long. If
there was a bad egg in the bilin' l was
always certain sure to get 1t: If |
| bought ticket No. Z in the rattle at a
church fair, No. was always the tick
ct to draw the prize. | didn't expect
anything better, and I'm resigned to
the Lords Will oh, dear, dear, this is
a hard world to live in!'
"A queer kind of resignation,
thought Miss Hitty, as she FASTENED
on, leaving Mrs. Merrydew wiping her
eyes with yellow silk pocket hand
kerchief and signing like any furnace.
And If Sam Merrydew really has got
married, | hope to goodness he's got a
/ woman who won't take the world quite
so hard rs his mother does!'
"Yes, I'm resigned" said Mrs. Merry
/ dew, as she cut the white crisp fall ap-
pies into juicy slices for a tart, and
mournfully filled the stove with fresh
wood. Though | don't s'pose Sans
wife will keep the old china and the
silver eandlestclls and the Boughten
carpets as I've done; no, and she won't
set no store by the old furniture that
has been In the Merrydew family for a
generation and a half. She'll set and
fold her hands, and let everything go to
wrack and ruin-but I'm resigned. And
Sam. he'll be neglected, and his shirts
will be destroyed, and his stockings
won't be mended-who ever heard of a
city lady taking the trouble to mend
! stockings? But | amt one to grumble
and | always did say that, whatever
happened, would try to be resigned
The baking was all done-the table
was set for tea, and the freight gleam-
ing through the cracks of the stove
danced merrily up and down on the
yellow-washed walls and Mrs. Merry
dew was alternately doing over her
knitting and wiping surreptitious tears
from her spectacle glasses, when there
came n loud, insistent knocking at the
door, and in walked tall, untidy young
woman in cheap blue silk dress
whose NANCY train drew itself over the
floor, and a black lace hat overloaded
with ragged artificial flowers.
"Bless me!' said Mrs. Merrydew, only
half awake, "who are your
"I'm Sans wife," said the young
woman. looking around her with In
dolent interest. "And l s'pose you're
my mother-in-law"