Smyrna times., 1900-12-05

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 a 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? | 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 l am gone. No, Samuel, can't
remember n time in 81 years when
you've pulled my e3r 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 a
fresh outburst of emotion, and for two
minutes Mrs. Gallup sobbed bitterly
Mr.. Gallup laid down the milestone
and the sickle and picked up the paper
of tacis and balanced it on the point
of his finger but he was Oblivious of
his surroundings.
"I-I 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 ppttin. 1t will he different
with a gal however. If you don't pull
| her ear at least once week and call
her angel, she'll git sulAJ and finally
run away with a tin peddler. Mrs.
Bebee was sayin that Bertha Williams
would make a good gal wife fur you,
and Mrs. Williams says that you could
not do better than to marry Mary
Hawkins. but | 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.
"Its only this, Samuel. You needn't
do no weepin fur me when I'm gone,
and you needn't hang over the gate
and try to look all broke Tp over my
loss. You kin go right to p!ayin check
erS as soon as the funeral is over. bit
some night. later on. when you are al
alone in the house and the cricketS
are singin. | want you to remember
that | had my good p'ints as well a.
my bad. ! want you to remember tina
l used a clothes biler with seven hOle
in the bottom fur nine years withOu
mendin and that hain't had a new
. corset fur 'leven years. Our teaketul
is over years old. and I've made on
set of cups and sasserS last us sine
we was married. That's all. Samuel
and now I'll go in and die. and you XII
be lOokin around fur your secon
, wifer'
She rose uD with sob and rPtreate
= into the house. but Mr.. Gallup kneV
. nothing of it. He hung the sickle o
a nail near the door, put the whetstOn
> and taclis on shelf i'm the wood sheC
4 and then walked down the path an
closed the hPnhOuse door and cast
a look into the pig pen. When he r.
\ turned to the house. Mrs. Gallup wa
+ looking at her bowl of emptyings undC
n the stove and humming the air of e
Y Want to Be an Angel" She had ha
a her lamentatiOn and got over it, and
I would be three or four days before 81
r would break out again. NJ. QUAD.