Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-28

ner sne acted ike she was plum crazy.
Mind my words, Tenie, she'll break off
that match unless somethin drops, an
drops hard.
The spring had hurried on into the
SUMMER, and upon Goshen hill, which
lay between the Tinker and Ramsey
farms, the blackberries were hanging
amid green leaves in rich, ripe clusters.
Here early and late Mrs. Tinker toiled,
loving the outdoor life and coveting the
many dimes the luscious fruit would
bring for Tenie's wedding outfit.
1t was close August morning, and
Tenie, working over the ironing table,
was thinking longingly of the leafy
GOODNESS and the deep, clear spring upon
the hillside when suddenly she espied
her mother coming across the meadow.
why, what everf" cried Tenie,
dropping her fatiron with clatter, as
Mrs. Tinker, with gown draggled and
sunbonnet awry, but with face alight
with excitement and news, appeared
around the corner Of the house. .'Where
are the berries3"
did you everf" chuckled her moth
er, sinking down upon the step. eff I
didn't have them berries clear knocked
out Of my head an leave them buck
cts standin under the busiest But,
Tenie Tinker, talk about your circusesi
There's things happenin on that hill as
beats any show l ever see.i Oh. my
goodness graciousl"
"Do stop your lsughin, " said Tenie,
untying her mothers bonnet and bring
ing her glass Of water your face is
as red as q beet; I hope you amt got 8
sunstroke. I can't make head nor tail Of
what you'll talking about. !"
There's nothin the matter Of me,
Tenie. I'm just worked up, an SOIL
you be when you've heard. You see,
when I got on top of Goshen this morn
in sec the berries was hangin thick
down toward the Ramseys, 80 down /
went. Twas dreadful pretty and cool
down there; the birds were singin, the
sassrasses was smellin, an the big ber-
ries thumpin down on my bucket, an I
was thinkin of startin up q hymn, when,
all of sudden, see woman over in
the Ramsey patch. ! couldn't see who.
for her bonnet, an knowed she couldn' t
wee me for the bushes.
Right 'twixt us was that old cellar,
where the house burned down. The
bushes was leanin way out over it, an
the woman was gettin nearer an near
er. was jest goin to holler to her to be
careful, when out her feet slipped an
ickety split she went sailin down
through them bushes, an here she was,
settin fiat on that cellar foorl / was
that scarf seemed as if couldn' t cheepl
"She didn' t seem hurt none, set there
kind of whimperin, an then she jerked
her bonnet off, an declare to. goodness if
it wasn't Malindyl An if you'll believe
me, Tenie. l hadn't no sooner seen who
twas than every bit of old Adam riz in
me, an says to myself, Guess they
amt no bones broke, 80 set there. old
lady, mebby it Il do you good!'
There wasn't place where boy
couldn't "a clum out in minute, but
Malindy is gettin old, an she aim t
used to climbin. She got up an went
round an round the wall, but there
wasn't nothin to stand on, an every
time she'd get her toe in Granny an
try to pull herself up somethin would
give an down she'd go"
"Why, nav Tinklerl You settin
there an sayin nothinl' exclaimed
Tenie reproachfully. wasn't you
'shamed Of yonrselff"
well. some. only when thought
how she'd acted to Belindy I didn't care
one mite. an jest when my heart was
soften little who should come a-crash-
in an dsshin through the bushes bnt
Dan'el Carterl
MIR. Carter, hollered Malindy, soon
IS she see who it be mi Carter,
Daniel You amt a.goin by without
helpin me out, be your
."When Dan 81 see her standin down
there, he seemed struck of heap.
What in earth are you doin down
theref' says he.
Il fell in an can't get out, says
she.
"When Daniel heard that he turned
kind of slow like an looked at her with
out sayin word. There was somethin
in that stiddy look that made Malindy
get pretty red in the face, an she took
to fumblin with the corner Of her apron.
'Malindy, says he, goin down clost
to the wall. I'm mighty glad to
get chance to talk to you alone.
I've jest come from my sister Mar
thy's, an she's been tellin me some
more Of your carr'in's on. Now, says
he, clearin his throat, .Belindy is q
breakin down under your prosecutions,
an / amt the man to see the woman j
love- killed without doin my best to
hinder it. I've come to the conclusion,
Malindy, says he. that bein as it's
only crazy folks that talk about poisonin
an a-burnin houses over folks heads
the asylum is the best place for you.