The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-01-11

OivdhiaSt 1elto. W nat Up Win the
door ?r
Then he remembered that he had
bolted it over night He drew back
the bolt, but still the door refused TO
open, though he shook and showed Wig
orously. He was glad to hear a SUBJ
stantial tread upon the stairs, and hail
ed its owner through the keyhole:
Something's gone wrong with the
door. It's stuck somehow SOS can't
open it."
No, 'tain't,n was the answer. "Its
locked; that's what's the matter with
it.p
That's queer said Mr.. Jebbings.
1 never locked it; not to my knowI-
edge
"But didF' was the startling reply.
~ locked it, and the keys in my
pocket, and there it's going to stop till
you knows your own mind.p
And with that she turned and creak-
ed down the stairs again.
Here's pretty howdy doF' observ-
ed Mr.. Jebbings, as soon as he grasped
the situation. ''Bin and locked me inv'
"I'H take and kick that door down,
blamed if 1 WON'T" he declared fu-
riousIy.
So he kicked-kicked hard and reek-
lessly-with the result that in less than
half a minute later he was sitting on
the floor nursing his foot and loudly
anathematizing widows in general, and
Mrs. Potter in particular, so that the
voice of the latter, speaking outside Of
the door, took him quite by surprise.
"Yes, you may kick, Joshua Jebbings,
only remember whatever damage you
does you pays for, and you can cuss'n
swear, too, if you finds it helps you
any. Hungry, are you Serves you
right. S'pose you thought you was go
ing to carry on jest as you liked, and
then sneak off with d weeks noticel
That's where you made a mistake.
amt no worm to be traB&pled on, /
amt. So there you stops till you thinks
better of it,"
The morning wore away somehow,
and the church clock struck twelve.
Half past was Mr.. Jebbings' dinner
time. She'd never care to make him
miss two meals. II would be altogeth-
er too He could hear her setting the
table. How many was she setting il
for? Now the frying-pan was on again
A few minutes and Mr.. Jebbings began
10 snuff the cir like a warhorse scent
ing the battle afar. Bat what he snuff
ed was not fire and carnage, but liver
and bacon. His nosirils curled with
rapture.
There was a step on the stairs, a sub
staniial step, that made his heart beat
and the stairs creak. 1t came on and
on and stopped outside his door. Dir.
Jebbings waited anxiously to hear the
key inserted in the lock, but instead
there came thump and voice salut-
ing him by name.
Joshua Jebbings, you there?"
"Well, that's good" observed the
captive, sottO voce. "How'm / TO be
anywhere else, I'd like 10 know, seeing
she've bin and locked me in? only
wish / wasn't"
"Dinner's ready"
Mr.. Jebbings licked his lips in antici-
patton.
''so'm ]" he replied eagerly, "ready
and waiting"
''Ready TO have the bans put up
Sunday ?p
"Bans? Sundayr in a mufsied STAG
cato; then with burst of decision,
"No Pm jiggered If | am."
avery well, then"
And to his horror he heard the steps
retreating from the door and down the
stairs to the kitchen. Mr.. Jebbings
gave way to despair.
$50 she means to keep me shut up
yere till | give in. Well" taking HIM
self into his confidence, as it were, and
speaking in tone of dependency,
mingled with reluctant admiration,
''she's a oner, that's what she is. !
s'p0se,n he continued reflectively, al
s'pose she's matter o. five or six years
older me and weighs, may be, a couple
o, stun more. Ought to be t'other way
round if chaps to have any chance.
Bans, Next Sunday should like TO
catch her at it. Pm sorry now didn't
marry PrisciIler Potts matter o. ten
year back. She was dreadful set on me
at one time, was PrisciIIer, and then ]
shouldn't never have been in this fix"
At three o'clock Mr.. Jebbings gave
up and took to his bed. At four the
voice of his landlady drew him from
between the sheets and lured him to
the window. She was talking to
neighbor over the wall, and her words
penetrated his ear with blood-curdling
distinctness.
"Yes, Mrs. Kirby, you're right-that
rain last week have made the peas come
on wonderful. And my hens have bin
layin' hetter'n reglerer than Pve ever
knowed 'em, and I've got beautiful
side o. bacon left over from my last pig.
Altogether, one way'p other, I've bin
pretty forch'nit this year, and | don't
fancy all the luck's used up neither.
May be you'll be hearing some news
fore long that'll s'prise you. No, ]
amt goin TO let it out yet, and 'tain't
no use your trying to guess. Anyhow,
I must run in now, for the kittle's on
the bile, aud 1 seem to fancy a rasher
with my tea"
Mr. Jebbings shook his fist at her re-
treating figure.
"D'ye hear that, now?" he demand
ed of an invisible second party. SAT-
sages for breakfast and liver and bacon
for dinner, and seems to fancy a rasher
with her tea! Why, she's a pufieck
horsestretchl Come TO that" with
hungry sarcasm, ''dessay I could fancy
one with mine. Ddrn it, could fancy
a whole pigl Look yer, now, / amt
| going to stand this. Bans OF no bans,
I amt going to starye up stairs while
/ \