Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-12-03
The Surrender Of Joshua,

invitation OF the Spider
~ ,ile n.y. i1ow on earth could a mere
ORDINARY inexperienced, guileless sin,
sie man pe otherwise than CLAW in The
hands of Mrs. Potter, :" 'i'e'
Originally Whelks, she had NOV
fied IN the first place a Higson and j.,
the second the late, not nndu,,, ,,a,a
mented Potter UNA
Inc grass on the grave of the lattar
having now begun to grow ouita Inv.
uriantiy, the relict considered NO. -
remain widow any longer would ha
sleei waste OF time and opportunity.
helce the card-siX inches bv four-
Win 'he announcement referred to.
ne rest, said Mrs Potter .T
leaves to Providence.
And Providence, thus niouslv ;nvo,,oa
responded with Joshua Jebbings.
Mrs. Potter summed him IN in ono
word. Ginger she commented cow
placently, "and l never knowed a e;,,-
ger man or boy with what you could
call a sperrit."
indeed. SO satisfactory was the gen
efai outlook that she began picking the
Grape tucks off her best merino with
out further delay.
Duflng the first few weeks Joshua
Jebbings rubbed his hands and felt he
was In clover. His new landlady "did''
for him as he had never been "done''
for before. When he came in from
Work-he was a 'wheelwright to his
trade there was his dinner ready TO
the minute. AS soon as he opened the
door the savory smell of onions. or the
cheerful sound of sausages, or some
other dainty. frizzling in the frying
pan, saluted him, while there was
nearly always a lettuce fresh pulled
for his tea.
lie was an unassuming individual.
was Joshua, and SO was conscious at
times of a vague presentiment that
this was a condition of affairs too good
to last. 1t was Joe Whibble who first
opened his eyes to the snare that was
being spread for him.
Reckon ye'll be for putting up the
bands fore long" remarked this wor-
thy. with significant wink.
"Banns!" exclaimed Joshua 'I amt
got nothink to do with no banns, |
amt
Unabashed by the array of negatives
Joe executed another wink of even
deadlier significance, but contented
himself with the sceptical monosyllable
&c arm
This was all that passed at that time,
but Joshua went home with the
ominOuS word bands ranking in his
breast.
He was very silent over his tea. eX-
cept when a bone went the wrong way.
His landlady kept an intermittent
watch on him out of the corner of her
eye.
Its about time I give i'm a int"
she thought. Times getting on, and
Whitsuntinde'd do as well as not
1t was at this moment that Mr.. Jeb-
bings, looking up, caught her eye. But
for the poison instlled into his mind
by Joe Whibble, it is probable that he
would have seen nothing particular in
it. AS it was, it seemed to look
bands" at him-which was worse than
daggers. Mr.. Jebbings choked again.
partly from emotion and partly owing
to another misdirected fish bone.
Mrs. Potter sighed a sigh of fond
reminiscence.
q declare, if you don't remind me for
all the world of Higson. Wonderful
to go black in the face over a red her.
ring. And more'n once he's brought
my heart into my mouth with a apple
core. But. for all that. he lived to die
in his bed.'
AS soon as supper was over Joshua
slipped out and sought solace and Sc
curity at the Ham and Chicken. Joe
was there. and to him Mr.. Jebbings-
after the usual interchange of opinions
on the weather, the crops and the price
of ~pigs-put poser.
S'posin' a wid-that is wom-
leastways a female makes up her mind
to marry a man and he won't have her.
what them"
LAS a gin'ral rule" responded the
oracle, after seeking inspiration at the
bottom of his blue and white earthen-
ware pint mug, "as a gin-ral rule she
marries him all the same
Mr.. Jebbings rasped his chin despond-
| entity with the back of his hand.
"Ain't there no way of choking her
. off, he asked, desperately.
Depends whether she's single or
widder," replied Joe with an expression
| of deep meaning.
S'pose we allows, just for the sake
| o argument as she is wilder.
Then" said Joe, slowly and en-
| phatically, my advice is 'ook it.
Joshua Jebbings quilted the Ham
| and Chicken strung up to the pitch OF
| giving his landlady a weeks notice
BY the time he reached the corner or
| his road his resolution was oozing fast;
| there was hardly a vestige of 1t left as
| he raised the latch.
The first thing that met his too con-
scious gaze was Mrs. Potter.
If it's all the same to you, put IN
Mr.. Jebbings. with considerable trepl-
dation. "if it's all the same to YOU L
I'm thinking of leaving you this day
week Tiff no objection he conciuded
| lamely.
Bless us and save us all. eX-
claimed Mrs. Potter.
"Goo-good night answered MI
Jebbings, executing retrosraue
movement in the direction of the STAIR
case. never mind about getting me a
candle. and-I shant be wanting any
supper
Here. YOU come back
The words fioated after him. and had
the effect of making him quicken MS
| stems