The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1899-08-10

TWO STAY At HOMES.

/. eff wantin to was doin an there
weren't no weemen, I'd ben in San
dyago long ago." said Abner Ricka-
back. He rolled a nail keg close to the
stove, seated himself upon it, dipped a
handful of crushed tobacco leaves from
his coat pocket into his pipe and lighted
the odorous weed with a sulphur
match. Then he wagged his beard at
the assem- bled company and repeated,
"Yessir, I d ben in SandXago long ago."
"Weemen ain much on fghtin away
from home" observed Samuel Snuffer,
biting a cubic inch out of plug of Agri-
culturist's Charm which he had bor-
rowed from the man who was sitting
next him on the counter. The charm
had passed half way around the circle.
and the rem aiming cubic inch of it had
been restored to its owner when Abner,
not catching the full intent of Mr..
Shutters remark, replied: "Yaas
they's heap O. truth in that there.
Weemen is sot ag in furrin wars. Least
ways my weemen is. Now
.sDo they prefer the domestic kind ?"
asked the drummer of notions, who was
packing up his sample case preparatory
to leaving the store.
5"Not at all-not at ALL" said Mr..
Rickaback. Eye see, my missus passed
| thoo sich terrible times back in 1860,
when was -bangin away at the rebels
down in the Wilderness, that when this
here Spaynish war broke out she sais
to me- sais she, 'Ye just shan't go.
" 'Marthy, sails I, I'm a veteran.
The governor O Pennsylvania has call
fer 10, 900 men, an he don't name me,
but he means me jest the same. Be ev-
cry mortal an jest right, I bein wet
eran am included in that 10, 000."
"With that puts on me blues an
gifts down me musket an kisses the lit
! tie ones all aroun an starts fer the door.
Well, sir, you uns never seen sech a
time ez was raised when they see was
off to fight the Spaynyards. Mary Alice,
the eldest, jest tn owed her arms aroun
my neck an bust out with tears. The
seven others begin to bawl, Pap, pap,
you II git shootedl'
"'Children, I sails, sais I, your
papa's veteran an a experienced SOL
dier. Duty calls, an he obeys.'
''The missus didn't see things thet
way. She jest gets me be the collar an
sets me down in an armchair, draws me
boots, walks of with them an me mus
ket an hides 'em. She wern't goin to
have no fooliu round the shanty, she
sayd.
"Marthy seemed to think thet thet
there settled it, but she didn't know me,
| oil ho T ho he
fire so meeklike was a-thinkin. Scenes
wasn't to my likin, SO l conceded I'd
jest let on like I he'd give up all idee O.
fightin Spaynyards, wait tell the fam
lily was asleep an then vanquish
"At midnight sets up in bed. The
moon was shinin thoo the winder, jest
half lightin the room, so could move
aroun without trippin over the furni'
ture. The missus was a-snorin gentle
like, an overhead in the attic I could
hear soft sniffin jest like thrashel
engine when the men has shet down fol
dinner. 1t was the children asleep.
climbs out over the footboard an looks
aroun for me boots. There they wal
stickin out under the missus' pillow,
KNOWN I couldn't git 'em without
wakin her, conceded to vanquish bare
foot. But they was one thing ag'in this
and thet was thet the door was locked
an some un he'd took the key. I tried
the winder, but thet he'd been nailed
shet. Then I gifts mad-thet there kinl
O. quietlike mad when ye boils up in
side an hes to keep yer mouth shet It'i
the meanest kind O. mad too. 1t seemed
like there was smile a-playin arou1
the missus' face, an thet made me sour
er an ever an kinder spurred me on.
"Well, sirs. ez 1 stood there in tn,
middle O. the room thinkin what I'd d.
next and wonderin whether I hadn'r
better jist slip back to bed, me cyl
ketched sight O. an old conf table tha
filled hole in the wall where th,
daubin he'd fell out from atween tn,
lawgs. Thet put me in mind O. schem,
thet I wasn't long in kerryin out, fel
the hole was pretty good sized an I'm 1
small man an wiry. In less'n n no tim,
the conf BILE was outer thet hole, al
was in it. staid in it. too, for jis
as me head an arms an shoulders go
out O. doors | felt a sharp prickin il
me side. pushed back an a great big
splinter jagged me. I tried to go OF
for a'd, an it jagged me again, SO bai
most yelled Sc staid right there
one-half outen the house an the othel
half in. Seemed like time begin tx
move awful slow then, an it 'peared {
whole day fore the moon went from
the top O. the old lone pine tree il
grandaddy's chestnut, which is jest 81
feet. Then me feet an legs was bakir
over the stove an the cold Apryl wind!
was whistIin down me neck.
81 took to countin jest to pass time