The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-20
Widow Coxe's Wig.

think Pm going to have step-grand-
| mamma at lastr
she spoke in a whisper, so that the
| mole old squire. reading the newspaper on
| the front porch, should not hear her, nei-
! Their should her voice reach the ears Of
pies in the kitchen.
| Ella stood out among the currant bush
| es, while Josie Hall, her boarding school
mate and dearest friend, leaned over the
| garden wall
Dear, dear. how dreadful said Jo-
| Sic in sympathetic accents
Not so bad, after ALL retorted Ella.
stopping 10 gather four-leaf clover. Mrs.
| Coke is a nice sort of woman, If grandpa
fancies her-and in case they should get
| married, you see am free TO go to New
York and take those drawing and paint
ing lessons that I have siged for so
| long,
But she's such a horrible old scandal
mongeri''
That's a fashionable falling"
And she goes patting around in those
| plush slippers like a supernatural pussy
cat-and she talks about the dear
squire"
We'll, why shouldn't she?"
90" said Josie. with a careless toss
of the head, 'if you're satisfied no one
| else should object
The squire had finished the newspaper
! when Ella returned to the house.
Where have you been, my dear?' he
| demanded blandly.
Down in the garden, grandpapa, after
currants"
''And where is Mrs. Coxe?"
I'm the kitchen"
What is she doing?"
Making lemon pies, grandpapa, be-
lieve, and getting ready TO preserve
| gooseberries.
"Ah-h-h-h!" said the squire, comforta-
bly, inodding his head. Mice woman,
Mrs. Coke. I CHANGED TO mention yester-
day that I was fond of gooseberry jam
| in the winter, and here she is trying to
anticipate my wishes already. very
nice woman
Yes, grandpapa," said Ella, demurely.
"By the way" cried the squire, sudden
~ starting up as a new thought struck
him, $there are more of those choice
Seeding peaches gone again since last
night. Did you see it?''
81 noticed that the branches were bro
ken down little. grandpapa."
"Burglarsi Sneak thieves!" cried the
squire, the bald crown Of his head be-
coming a rosy pink in his excitement.
''To dare to steal my fruit before it is
ripei But I'll be even with 'em yet, III
have a man-trap with teeth as sharp as
a steam saw-Pll-dear me, Is that the
dinner bell? But Mrs. Coke Is so surpris-
ingly prompt"
Mrs. Coke herself, however, the nonpa-
reil Of a housekeeper, who aspired in
time to become Mrs. Squire Witherley.
did not appear at the table. Ella knocked
at the door with anxious inquiries.
"Pray excuse me for today, my dear"
Mrs. Coxes nasal voice answered from
II Of HyI-7
room. I'm a little tired out with pre-
serving"
Late in the day the widow made her
appearance, her head tied up in an enor-
nous pink-spotted handkerchief.
Dear me. Mrs. Coke what is the mat
ter?" said innocent Ella
''It's to prevent Influenza" said the
Widow Coke, looking under the pantry
shelves to nd the milk skinner. But she
took particular pains to keep out Of the
range of the squire's vision.
How did the gooseberries come out?"
Ella inquired. thinking that at last she
had hit upon an acceptable topic Of con-
versation.
''They-they stuck to the KETTLE said
Mrs. Coke, and she hurried out of the
room to feed the young turkeys.
Half an hour afterward the hired hand,
Moses Nickel, came up to where Miss
Witherley was wedding her flower beds.
You couldn't spare me little cookin'
soda, could you?" he asked, in a mysteri-
Gus whisper,
Cooking Soda, Moses? What for?''
well. it's our Billy. He's dreadful on
Settled in his stummick.'
Cholera, Moses?''
90, bless We, miss, no! But boys will be
boys, you know-and Billy, ne found
kettle O. gooseberry jam sot to cool down
on the garden wall, till all of a sudden
like, he stirred up somethin' with stick
and lowering his voice again, sit was
a wig! A red wig!'
Ella burst into a peal of irrepressible
laughter. 1t was plain enough now. The
Widow Coke had lost her wig in the pre-
serving kettle.
well, Moses" she said, as soon as she
could sufficiently control her voice, don't
say word. I'll get the soda, but you
must tell Billy TO be little more careful
as to stolen sweets hereafter"
There was no moon the next night, only
the fiery, golden glitter of stars and the
uncertain lamps of myriads OF glow
worms. All the lights in the Witherley
mansion were out, and no one save Ella
and the squire's self knew that the lat
ter parsonage was stealthily watching
down under the shadows Of the tall cur
rant bushes for the midnight depredator
who had SO lawlessly rified his young
peach trees.
Just as the clock was on the stroke OF
u, there was a rustic among the bushes.
the sound of stealthy footsteps, the
cracking of leaves and gravel under foot.
The squire sat up. his eyes starting from
his head his whole frame trembling with
triumphant expectation as a tall, gaunt
figure, robed in black, emerged from the
shrubbery, and. STOPPING beneath the tree,
took something from beneath a clump
of elderberries at the foot Of the finest
peach tree.
Like a cat from It's ambuscade the
squire bounced upon the midnight
prowler.
i've got you. have I? Villain, Sneak!
Wretched theft And I'll shake every
bone out of you body; see if I don't!"
Squire Witherley"' shrieked a shrill
voice Of terror and apprehension.
why. it's Mrs. Coke! In the name OF
all the fates and furies, ms'am, what are
you doing under my peach trees at this
hour Of the night?"
But between rage and fright the widow
was for once thrown off her guard.
You're no gentleman. Squire WIther-
ley," she exclaimed. Nor you, neither.
Elaa-no lady. I mean" as the squire's
Hstonished granddaughter appeared on
the scene. Applying and a-peeping
night and day."
But you shall not leave the spot,
ma am insisted the undaunted squire.
until you explain precisely what you are
doing here at this time OF the night"
What I'm doing herei' she sharply
repeated. II amt stealing your peaches,
anyhow! II you must know. came 20