The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1900-11-13
GIT READY TO BE AN ANGEL"

"GIT READY TO BE AN ANGEL"
needn't beat 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 la
BILE to git my summons at any time.
I've got 1t all arranged with her about
the funeral"
Mr.. Gallup did not look around. With
calm elaboration he spat on the whet-
stone, and with calm elaboration he
drew 1t back and forth across the
blade.
Eyes, Samuel, my time has come"
sobbed Mrs. Gallup after waiting
reasonable time for him to speak. "a
few hours hence and you will be a
widower, and a few days hence you
will be wearing a red necktie and can
term around after second wife. When
you started over town, | was as happy
as lark and hadn't the slightest idea
of dyin Ten minutes later when |
went to carry the butter down cellar
there came seven knocks on that emp
ty cider bar'l and as ! stood there
shakin heard whispered voice Assay
in. Hammer Gallup, git ready to be an
angelp 1t was my summons, and I've
got to CO. Nobody kin hold back ag'in
a summons. What kind of second
wife shall you marry. SamuelT
Mr.. Gallup had paused in his labors
and was looking absently at robin in
cherry tree.
you needn't feel at all delikit about
lup as she dabbed at her eyes with the
apron. "I've allus s'pected you'd git
married ag'in if / should die, and
shan't howl and squeal about it. Mrs.
Bebee says If her husband marries
agin she'll haunt him. but you needn't
be afraid of me. I'd ruther you mar
ried ag'in. If you didn't, you'd be goin
to circuses and dogfghts and candy
pulls and become as wicked as Silas
Johnson S'pose you've kinder had
your eye out, hewitt you, Samuel
that is, you've kinder made up your
mind about what sort of a woman
you'd marryY'
Mr.. Gallup withdrew his gaze from
the robin and returned to his work Of
sharpening the sickle, and Mrs. Gal
lup's nose had grown very red with the
pulling when she continued:
"There's the Wilder Lapham, Sam
uel, and everybody says she's wuth
$1,000, but wouldn't want you to mar
ry her. She's too hity tity for q man
Of your age. While she was swingin
In a hammock she'd let the bread burn
up in the oven. She'd want you to go
off to picnic every day in the year.
and If you had any soft soap in the
house you'd hey to buy it. And there's
the Wilder Davis. She's good house
keeper, Samuel, as I'll admit. but they
say she gifts streaks on. One day she'll
be laughin and gigglin all day long, and
the next day she'll be as sulky as a
mule. She kin make a pound of ten
go as fur as l kin, but she told me
with her own mouth that she had four
pairs of stockin's last year Could you
put up with sich extravaganza as that
Samuel? Wouldn't you be thinkin of
how ! allus got along on two pairs a
year,"
Mr. Gallup whistled softly to himself
as he felt of the edge of the sickle with
his thumb. The whistle conveyed no
direct informa ton. but was a whistle
in the abstract Mrs. Gallup looked at
the back of his neck for moment and
worked up and choked back sob and
then said:
There's Phoebe Cousins. whom ev-
erybody likes, but she's an old maid
and sot in her ways. She never back
bites nor gifts mad. but she wants ev-
erything jest SO. If you come into the
honse and throwed your hat down on
the floor or pulled your boots off in the
parlor in the evenin, she'd raise the
awfulest kind Of a row. l guess you'll
hev to marry gal, Samuel. You are
old huff to be the father of any gal
around here, but don't see no other
way. Hev you got any pertickler gal
in mind? 1 was thinkin of Sue Sabins
the other day. She's 20 years old and
a great hand to work, and mebbe you'd
be happy with her. Her mother says
Sue likes to be petted. You've never
petted me, but mebbe you'll change
when 1 am gone. No, Samuel, l can't
a time In n years when
you've pulled my ear or patted me on
the shoulder or poked me In the ribs. |
I-I"-
The remembrance that there had |
been no shoulder patting or ear pulling |
during all those long years brought
fresh outburst Of emotion. and for two |
Mrs. Gallup sobbed bitterly. |
Mr.. Gallup laid down the milestone |
and the sickle and picked up the paper |
of lacks and balanced it on the point |
of his finger, but he was oblivious of |
his surroundings.
I'll don't complain. Samuel" said |
Mrs. Gallup when she could control her
voice again. when / saw that you |
was no hand to pet. let it go. I'm old |
and wrinkled and scrawny, and can't |
look fur pettin. 1t will be different |
with gal. however. If you don't pull
her ear at least once a week and call |
her angel. she'll git sulky and finally
run away with a tin peddler. Mrs.
DeDee WIS Sdylu tuht oeTtud w llIldHuS
would make good gal wife fur you,
and Mrs. Williams says that you could
not do better than to marry Mary
but l amt goin to pick out
nobody fur you nor find fault with
your choice. All I'm goin to do is to
die and become an angel and let you
do jest as you want to. I've got jest
one leetle favor to ask"
The lump in her throat and the tears
In her eyes checked her speech for
half a minute. and during that time
Mr.. Gallup put the tacks down and
lifted up the sickle again.
"It's only this. Samuel. You needn't
10 no weepin fur me when I'm gone
and you needn't hang over the gate
and try to look all broke up over my
oss. You kin go right to playin check
ers as soon as the funeral is over. but
some night, later on, when you are all
alone In the house and the crickets
ire Singh. want you to. remember J