West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-11-15
MRS. GAllUp'S
lAMENTS.
She Has Comforting Talk With
Mr.. Gallup About His Second
Wife.
She Had Been Summoned and Was
Going 10 Join the Angel Band.

~ ovet to the store for milestone
- aud paper Of earpe, ,acks. and as
he went Mrs. Gallup was washing up the
dishes and singing "rhe Home Over
There" with grca, feeling lie returned
in half an hour, and as he reached the
kitchen door the sound of sobbing met
bis cars. lie looked in To find Mics.
Gallup weaving back aud forth on a chair
with her check apron at her eyes. Some.
thing had happened, lie didn't inquire
what IL was, ba, turned about aud sat on
the doorstep aud In an absent way began
sharpening sickle with the stone he had
bought. Ii was FIVE minutes before Mrs.
Gallup volunteered an explanation. When
she saw that he had neither anxiety nor
sympathy, she hitched her chair into the
doorway, used a fresh spo, on the apron
to wipe her eyes and finally said
"Samuel, when you've got ,ha, sickle
sharpened you might 60 over to Mrs.
Beebee's and tell her that shall be a dead
woman before to'mouer. You needn't bea,
around the bush at all, but tell her right
out She'll rather be expectin' the news
She was over here this afternoon, and she
said was liable to git my summons a, any
time. I've got it all arranged with her
abou, the funeral"
Mr.. Gallup did not look around. With
calm delibera,ion he spat on the milestone,
and with calm deiberation he drew IL back
and forth across the blade.
ayes, Samuel, my time has come -
sobbed Mrs. Gallup after waiting reason
able time for him to speak. "A few hours
hence and you will be widowcr, and a
few days hence you will be wearing red
nccktie and canterin around after n second
wife When you started over town was AS
happy as a lark and hadn', the sliphtes,
idea of dyin. Ten minutes later when
went to carry the butter down cellar thore
came seven knocks on that empty cider
bar'l, and as stood there shakin' heard
whispered voice a-sayin 'lIanncr Gallup,
git ready TO be an angel = II was my sum.
mons, add I've got to go. Nobody kin hold
back ag'in a summons. What kind of
second wife shall YOU marry, Samuel ?"
Mr. Gallup had paused in his labors and
was looking abscnily at robin in cherry
tree.
"You needn't feel at all delikit about
talkin' II over with me-" said Mrs. Gallup as
she dabbed at her eyes with The apron. "I'vc
alus s'pcc,ed you'd git married ag'in II
should die, and shant howl and squeaI
about it. Mrs Bebee says IL her husband
marries agn she'll haunt him, but you
needn't be afraid of me. I'd ruther you
marry ag'n. If you didn't. you'd be goln'
to creuses and dog6ghts and candy pulls
and become as wicked as Silas Johnson.
S'pose you've kinder had your eye ont,
hev'nt you. Samuel--that Is, you'ye kinder
made up your mind what sort Of woman
you'd marry ?"
Mr. Gallup Withdrew his gaze from the
robin and returned to his work Of sharpen-
ing the sickle, and Mrs. Gallup's nose had
grown very red with the pulling when she
continued
There's the Widder Iapham, Samuel.
aud everybody says shes wulh 81. 900. but
wouldn't want you to marry her. Shes
too hi,y tiy for a man 81 your age. While
she was swingin' in hammock she'd let
The bread burn up in the oven. She'd want
you 10 go of to a picnic every day IN the
year, and II you had any soft soap in the
house you'd hev to buy H. And there's the
Widder Davis. She's a good housekecper.
Samuel, as I'll admit. but they say she pits
sireaks on. One day she'll be laughin' and
gigglin all day long, and the next day she'll
be as sulky as mule. She kin make
pound Of tea 20 as far as I kin, but she told
me with her own mouth that she rad four
pairs Of stockn's last year. Could YOU put
up with such extravagance as that Samuel
Wouldn't you be ihinkin' Of how alIus got
along on two pairs a year ?"
Mr.. Gallup whislled softly TO himself as
he felt the edge Of the sickle with his thumb.
The whistle conveyed no direct information,
but was whistle in the abstraet. Mrs.
Gallup looked at the back Of his neck for
moment and worked up and hooked back
sob and inen said
"Ihere's PhOeba Cousins, whom every
body liked, but she's an old maid and sot in
her ways. She never backbi,es nor pits
mad, but she wants everything jes, SO. II YOU
come into the house and ihrowed your hat
on the floor OF pulled your boots OF in the
paFlor in the cvenin', she'd raise the awfulles,
kind Of a row. guess you'll hcy to marry
a gal, Samuel. You arc old noueh 10 be
the father Of any gel around here, mt
don't see no ether way fIey you got any
pcrticklcr gal IN mind ? was ihinkin of
Sue sabins the other day. She's 20 wears
old and great hand to work. and mebbc
you'd be happy with her. Her mother says
Sue likes 70 DE peucd. You've never
pe'icd me, bu, mebbe you'n change when
an gone. No, Samuel, ] can't remember
time in ~ years when you've palled my
ear or paited me ON The shoulder or pokcd
me in the ribs. -
The remembrance ,ha, there bad been mo-
shoulder pauing ~ ear pulling during all
those long years brought fresh outburs, II
emotion. end for two minutes Mrs. Gallup
sobbcd bitterly. Mr. Gallnp laid down ihe
milestone and sickle and picked 90 The
paper Of iacks and balanced it on The point
q his 6ngc-. bui be was obvious Of bis sur.
roundiugs.
IL don't complain. Samuel" said Mrs.
Gallup when she could control her voice
again. "whcn J saw that you was no hand
- pes Jet it &C., I'm old aod wrinkled
and scraFny, and I can't look for psldn'. |
j will be different wiih gal however n /
you don't pull her car at least once q !