The suburban citizen., 1900-12-08
AIphgus EhubhuCk. Gossip
1915 3 3 8 3 ; > ; 2 3 ; ~ SSSSSS$'
By Susan Brown Robbins.

Such was the case with Al
pheus Chubbuck.
First he tried farming, then he
bought a small grocery store, and after
the failure Of this business enterprise
he failed in various other attempts
to earn a living.
Finally he tried matrimony and set
tied down with a comfortable feeling
that now at last he had found just the
right place for himself.
His wife was comfortably well to do
She was a shrewd business manager
and she kept a firm hold on her purse
strings. Alpheus was well fed and
neatly dressed, and his wife allowed
him 81 a month for spending money.
At first he used to spend every cent
Of his money within ten days Of the
first Of the month, but as he found that
Mrs. Alpheus could not be induced to
lend or give him any more he soon
learned to make the money hold out, so
that even on the last day of the month
he would have little change which he
could jingle in his pocket. He grew
stout and prosperous looking.
His wife took great pride in her lit
tie village home and its trim yard.
She cared for the flower garden but
it was the duty Of Alpheus to hoe the
vegetables and NOW the lawn.
He did this under protest He had to
be asked many times, and perhaps be
threatened with q reduced allowance
before the work would be satisfactori-
ly done. In a year from the time Of
his marriage he had the distinction Of
being known as the LATEST man in
town.
1t is said that Satan finds some mis-
chief still for idle hands to do. Who
ever furnished it, mischief was GER
tainly done by Alpheus Chubbuck. Not
by his hands, to be exact, but by his
lively imagination and his active
tongue.
There was a fair prospect that to his
other reputation would be added that
of being the greatest gossip in town.
BY gentle ridlcule, sly insinuation
and the repeating of things people
said, he soon had the whole town un-
settled. Old family feuds were re-
vived, new ones started, while half the
people would not speak to the other
half.
One day. it was the first of April,
Mrs Alpheus heard a strange sound in
the yard. She went to the window and
saw a gathering, rlckety, dingy hen
cart drawn by a raw-boned sOTel
horse. On the seat of the cart sat her
| husband and another man, a shabby,
slouching, disreputable-looking man.
Both jumped to the ground when the
cart came to a stop in the middle Of
the side yard and with apparent haste
embarrassed the horse.
Then Alpheus took out his pocket
book and gave the man some money.
! The man swung himself on the horses
back and with his legs dangling
against her thin sides ambled out Of
the yard and down the street.
"Well, Of all things" said Mrs. Al
pheus, and she went out to make in
quiries.
"I'm going into the hen business, ,"
said Alpheus. "And just think, Loizy,
1 bought that cart for S3."
"And got cheated, too,' she said,
sharply. But then it's your own
money" she added.
Eyes, and I've got a dollar left to
fix it up with"
"A dollarw she said contemptuous-
ly, How far will that go? 1t won't
set the tires, to say nothing Of painting
it and fixing the broken doors"
"Oh WELL" said Alpheus, easily, 81
shall have some more money next
month, and I'll do all l can on it my
self"
For more than two months Alpheus
was missed from his old haunts, and
the relations of the villagers became
less strained. One pair Of lovers after
another became reconciled and a mum
Der Of the family feuds were as #
they had never ncel.
All this time Alpheus vas at worl
o. his hen cart and people began tC
drop in to look at it,
I've got it just about in condition
to paint" he would say, proudly. ITS
taken me a good while to get it ready
but | believe that If anything is wortl
doing at all it Is worth doing well, anC
my wife viii tell you that It was
pretty hard-looking old trap when
got it. You see, it's fixed up pretty
nice now. OF course, it won't show
how much I've done to it until afte
it is painted. l had the tires set anC
that broken shaft mended, and tw,
new spokes and a part Of rim II
that hind wheel. I've scraped an,
sandpapered it and put new snaps OF
all the doors-why, they were fastened
with clothes pins when l got it. Ant
I've fixed a little railing around thr
J top SO can carry things there IL