Smyrna times., 1900-12-05

dll hEAO1 III DE AN AN6EL!
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 liza
BILE to git my summons at any time.
I've got it all arranged with her about
the funeral"
Mr.. Gallup did not look around. With
calm deliberatiOn he spat on the whet-
stone, and with calm deliberation he
drew it back and forth across the
blade.
"Yes, Samuel. my time has come"
sObbed Mrs. Gallup after waiting a
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. l was as happy
as a 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 barl. and as l stood there
shakin heard a whispered voice Assay
in, Hammer Gallup. git ready to be an
angel" 1t was my summons. and I've
got to go. Nobody kin hold back ag'in
a summons What kind of n second
wife shall you marry, SamuelY
Mr.. Gallup had paused in his labOrs
and was looking absently at a robin in
a cherry tree.
You needn't feel at all delillit about
talkin it over with me-" said Mrs. Gal
lup as she dabbed at her eyes with the
apron. "I've allus s'pected you'd git
married ag'in if l should die. and
shan't howl and squeal about it. Mrs.
Bebee says if her husband marries
ag'in 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 goiu
to circuses and dOgights and candy
pulls and become as wicked as SilaS
Johnson. S'pOse you've kinder had
your eye out, hev'n't 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 o
sharpening the sickle, and Mrs. Gal
pulling when she continued:
There's the Widder Lapham, Sam
uel, and everybody says she's wutl
$1,000, but wouldn't want you to maj
ry her. She's too hity tity for maj
of your age. While she was swingi
in hammock she'd let the bread bur
up in the oven. She'd want you to 6
off to a picnic every day in the yea
and If you had any soft soap in til
house you'd hev to buy it. And there
the Widder Davis. She's a good hous'
keeper, Samuel, as I'll admit, but the
say she gifts streaks on. One day She
be laughin and giggln all day long, an
the next day she'll be as sulky as
mule. She kin make a pound of te
90 as fur as | kin, but she told n
with her own mouth that she had fol-
pairs of stockin's last year. Could yS
put up with sich extravaganza as tha
Samuel? Wouldn't you be thinkin
how l allus got along on two pairs
year?'
Mr.. Gallup whistled softly to himst
as he felt of the edge of the sickle WI
his thumb. The whistle conveyed
direct information. but was whist
in the abstract. Mrs. Gallup looked
the back of his neck for a moment a
worked up and choked back sob a
then said:
There's Phoebe Cousins, whom
erybody likes. but she's an old ms
and sot in her ways. She never bat
bites nor gifts mad. but she wants
erything Jest so. If you come into
house and throwed your hat down