Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-09-21
Nevertheless, she did talk about it.


sions, imbibed an impression of thu
late Mr.. Knapp's eccentrieities tha
was not altogether complimentary t.
the departed gentleman.
Poor dearw said she one day. "H,
tried so hard to speak. If he only coult
have told his wants!" We never asked
her any questions. We just let her tall
on, feeling that this was the kindesf
and best. | inferred from this last re
mark that her husband had been af
fected by paralysis, particularly as she
had said on another occasion: 81 uset
to sit at my window, and james sat al
his, | sewing. he looking out of the
window at what was going on in the
street. He seemed perfectly happy as
long as | was there. But then we car
never tell | often wish now that
had done more for him or could have
learned better what he wanted"
what did the physicians say or do p
asked.
"They said it was the breaking up OF
the system by old age never fell
that they quite understood the case"
Poor little thing. Married to an aged
paralytic and yet regretting his death
as the breaking up Of the one tie on
earthi What desolation-w what utter
desolation her case seemed to mel !
was moved to take her in my arms and
weep with her. which was great deal
for me-
Not only was the late Mr.. Knapp old
and imbecile and paralytie, but he had
other traits which must have rendered
him highly objectionable as a daily
companion.
"Just about this time every afternoon
| always gave James a bowl of cream
with fresh sponge cake In it. He would
not touch 1t unless 1t was in a certain
bowl nor unless it was fresh from the
bakers. And yet they tried to per
suade me that he didn't know any
thing"
From which inferred that. added to
his other peculiarlties. the late Mr.
Knapp possessed an extremely un.
pleasant temper.
"And oh, Mrs. Curtisp she walled
"after the poor dear was dead and
gone, they wouldn't let me bury him in
the family lot" From which | infer
red that the dear departed had come OF
family of unpleasant tempers. Such
heathenish doings / never heard tell
of. Surely. however they felt toward
him during his life, nothing but a fiend
would deny him the family resting
place after he was dead!
But | forgot my interest In Mrs.
Knapp and her affairs by reason OF
some of my own. | had a delightful
letter from Tom Dixon. saying he
would be with us for a week Now
Tom was a favorite cousin of mine,
and l spent a good deal of time fur
nishing up my little belongings so that
| might look my very best when he
came. And then. I was putting finish
ing touches to Toms room. too, until
the minute he arrived. so that really
had no time to talk 60 Mrs Knapp or
to listen to her IL she wished to talk to
me-
Dear old Tom! How good it was to see
him that day with his bIithe ways and
''bonny brown hairP' We talked and
talked till supper was called, and then
we still talked all the way to the dining
room door, and yetwe found time to say
nothing about any one but ourselves.
As we seated ourselves at the table
saw Mrs. Knapp's vacant place (for she
was a little late) and realized that l
had not mentioned her presence In our
household.
"Why, we have a boarder, Tom,D
began, in answer to his look of inquiry
at the empty place. Just as l spoke
she glided in.
why, who ON earth would have
thought of finding you hereY and he
shook her hand In a grasp so hearty
that could see it was painful to her
She colored family and said a little
unsteadily. This is indeed a surprise,
Mr.. Dixon" and | read between the
lines that the surprise was not an al
together agreeable one.
But Tom didn't seem to notice any
thing (most men are dumb about such
things. you know, so | kept my eyes
and ears open and waited for develop
ments.
At last they came and in a most
startling manner.
So hear poor Jim is gone at last?
said Tom. turning to Mrs. Knapp as he
buttered his seventh biscuit (Tom al
ways was rather a greedy youth and
enjoyed most heartily the good things
of this life, mothers cooking among
them).
"Oh, Mr.. Dixon, how can you speak
of him in that wayw exclaimed the
widow, hurrying from the room in fit
of sobbing.
Tom stared.
"Well. I'll be darned! What under
the sun is the matter with the woman
anywayf' he exclaimed.
''You ought to be aNhamed of your
SELF" replied | severely. NO wonder
the poor woman is shocked to hear
you speak of her husband In that way
after he's dead and gone"
Tom stared again. And then he broke
into such spasms of laughter that
thought he had suddenly lost his mind.
/ had heard of such things, but had
fortunately been spared the sight of
them so far.
"Her husbandr' he exclaimed. when
he could catch his breath, as he wiped
the tears from his eyes, Her hus-
bandl She hadn't any husband. She
never was married. Jim was her old
black catv' And then he went off again
into spasms.
No wonder the hard hearted relatives
had objected to having all that was
mortal of "the late Mr.. Knapp laid
In the family lott
Mother and i looked at each other
and said nothing. What was there to
say? But we thought things don't
know whether they were the same
things or not. but we certainly thought
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