The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-11-18

shouted.
81 owe you?" SEE he. cts lie! |
don't owe no living critter sixpence"
''Let me come in" SEE l. land l will ex-
plain For l seed that Crimes boy and
Green's hopeful and the MARITIME boy was
all coming down the road, and would he
a-listening.
And | stepped rite by him into the
house, he being rather clumsy with that
wooden leg of his n, and moving slow, he
followed me in, and l went rite to hzness.
"Major," seq /, drawing a long breath
to ill myself full of wind, 'have you ever
thought of marrying again?"
"Hey?" SCI he, pointing the trumpet
at ne.
''Do you want wife," SEE |.
"Where's my wife," SEE he. why
dang it ALL Mary Ann Sloper, you kno "
they re all dead!'
''Do you want another?' SEE I, Citing
dsprit and feeling as if l would give five
cents for somebody that would take pair
of helerses and pump some breath into me.
"Want a mother?n seZ ne. What in
natur should | want of a mother? | am
old enufr to take keer of myself, l reckon'
Land of compassion!" seq |. "Who
sed anything about your wanting a mother?
Do you want to change your condition."
And this time screeched into that ear
trumpet so hard that the very plates in the
cupboard ratified ard my ears rung for a
week afterward.
never realized before what serious
job it was to court deaf man. And just
at that minute the door opened, and in
come that housekeeper of his, looking as
mad as hornet that you have jest trod
into its nest. l expect that, somehow or
or nuther, she had wind of my being to the
majors, and had come home to see what
was up.
'Pitty sakes, Miss Sloper!" seq she.
"Who'd ever thought of seeing yon?"
And she was sweet as new milk, though
she hates me like all git ont.
"Laww seq |, 'I'm glad you've come,
Marian; for I can't make the major hear
nothing. l come over to see if couldn t
swap some eggs to set"
hope the Lord will forgive me for that
fib
"Our hens don lay no eggs" SCI she.
And, after a few more civil remarks, |
left the house.
And, though that housekeeper critic
never let on that she mistrusted anything
it's my opinion that she knovcd well enuif
was after the major.
went across lots to Abner Gotdng's.
Ahnel has got five small children, and
all of them is wuss than Satan that is, if
Satan was OF their siza.
They all pitched onto me as soon as
went in, and stuck me all over with mo-
lasses and orange.ju juice, and wiped their
fingers on my shawl, and jest about spite
my gown and fixings generally.
Abner, he was all doubled up with the
rhumatiz, and has to go around with a
cane, and the house smelled OF arniky and
lie of cedar and tansy aud NORWOOD and
goodness knows what enuff to choke ye.
| made up my mind that, if ever l did
come there to live, I'd fummergate the
house with old shoes and birthstone, and
see il | couldn't change the smell.
l unfolded my business to Abner, and he
smiled kinder shy, and SEE he:
"lm sorry-but the Wilder Pendergast
spoke to me last week. And fust come,
fust served"
Wal, got out of there as quick as l
could, and struck Decline for Simeon
Snasey's.
When got in sight of the house, seed
that the gate was boarded up and all the
winder blinds was shut. Could it be that
Simeon was dead or moved away, and | had
not heard OF ii? | pulled at the gate; but
couldn't stir it a peg. Then elm over
the picket fence, and tore pritty nigh all
the plating off the skirt of my gownd on
ono vi Iutui plCketS-CousaIn II! tTiEu
the door, and knocked, and | tried the
back poor, and went to the barn and
hoIlered "Mister Snasey?" with all my
might; but only echo replied.
TLen come back to the house and tried
to shove up some of the wnders. lugged
an old hencoop round to the front of the
house and mounted that, and | guess |
should have managed to hist up the
kitchen winder il | hadn't heern a voice
from overhead; and looking up, see
Simeon peeping out the attic.winder.
"Iou can 90 home" SCI he; "taint no
use to stay. / shan't come down. Won't!
You're the fifth women that has been here
inside Of IA week, and all of them wanted
to git married. | don't want no wife!
ANT lonesome. I'm as happy as clam
can cook my own vitt!es and mend my
own clothes. Go home! If | was a going
to marry, I'd never marry an old maid that
was bald headed and lank as fence railr'
Aud he slammed down the winder If
| could have got hold of him, I'd a. made
him think his day had COME | was mad
clean throuyh and | was still madden