The Washington weekly post., 1900-08-21

! in the daytime I'll try and hold on
! though | spOSe one ought to die when tn,
hour comes. Mebbe you've bin thinkin
! that when | died you'd have to nav out ;
great lot of money over the funeral, but
| want you TO know different I've neve
! bin an eXtEaVagant woman, and | kin csj
| along with a cheap funeral. / was reck
onin' it up tother day. and / was sur
! prised and pleased with the fiCgers. ID,
| YOU know. Samuel Gallup, that the hui
! thing from fust 10 last, won't cost a CEN
| over S30?'
One Of Mr.. Gallups eyebrows was slight
/ ly raised in a questioning manner, but ht
made no verbal reply
only $50. Samuel, and that includes one
| of the best lots In the graveyard. If yor
wanted to bury me cut in the backward
the cost would be reduced to S25. and
don't think any husband on earth kir
complain Of that. There are wives who'G
kick ag'in bein' buried in the backyard
hut ] shan't say a word. And I've ar
| ranged other things fur you, Samuel
| While you've bin busy with politics and
lawsuits I've bin arrangin' fur death Ir
about an hour from now, when / the
my last, you'll go over and rap three
times on Mrs. Watkins door. Three raps
mean that hev scared away. and she'll
be over in ten minits TO take charge
Then you kin GO right 10 bed and go to
sleep, same as usual. The funeral viii
| take place the day after. Mrs. Green will
lend you fourteen chairs. and Mrs. Taylor
will pick out the hymns to be sung. Mrs
Jordan will milk our COW and strain the
milk and MIS-. Johnson will come over
and git your meals. Are you listen to
me, Samuel?'
If he was. there were no signs Of II
He had got through with the moon and
passed On to the medical testimonials
and he seemed to be reading with bated
breath.
"An you'll hev to do" she continued
after a sob or two, 'is to move about
kinder sorrerfullike and shed few tears
I've had thirty-two fits of sickness since
We was married, and sometimes you've
had to hire the washin' done fur me; but
after all, you'll be kinder sorry when
I'm gone. You'll remeber how made one
teakettle last fourteen years, and how !
allus made the tea and sugar last longer
than any other woman in town. shan't
ask you to break down and weep, Sam
uel, but if ! was you I'd shed tears. /
not only deserve 'em. but all the folks
will be watchin' you TO see if you are af-
fected. You've got six handkerchiefs al
most as good as new, and you won't run
short even if you shed tears from both
eyes. Don't you think I'm right Sam
uel?"
She wiped her tears and held back her
sobs and waited for a reply, but none
came. Mr.. Gallup was reading how the
life Of man who had fallen on a pitch
rTk had n ~
bitteTs. and his ears were closed.
AS to buryin' me III the back yard,
of course YOU kin do as you think best. In
one way ii will save you s., and in an
other II will take up ground fur cab
bages. You'll marry ag'in. OF course, and
your second wife will want a hammock
out under the trees. Mebbe she'll object
10 my grave. If l was your second wife
/ wouldn't object to your first wife's
grave, but I'm different from most wom-
en-. You'd better think the thing over
purity seriously. And there's another
thing, Samuel 4 long time ago / told you
that II you ever got married ag'in I'd
haunt you. ! was mad and said more'n
l ought 10. or course. | could come back
as ghost and rOOSt on the footboard of
the bed and keep you awake nights. and
/ could hide down cellar and skeer you
most TO death when you come down after
cider, but IN not that kind of a woman.
Right here and now want TO tell you
that I'll never haunt you nor your second
wife, Don't you think Tm purity good.
SamueI?"
Mr. Gallup had finished the pitchfo-k
testimonial and struck one where = man
had been blown up with stump, and ne
was so interested that he didn't hear her
question. She wept for three or four min
Utes. and then said
No, Jon't go to any unnecessary ex-
ptnse 10 lay away my mortal remains.
Samuel. As nay speerit will be ffyin'
around in heaven. it won't make no great
ciTfcrence about my body. When Mrs.
Thompson died she wanted a funeral 10