Warren sheaf., 1900-05-17

eAA euuy mOEc, HOF make no Wills. nor
tie up, nor tie down; an'she hez KEEP
his wimmin folks tied down long enuff.
an alwuz a-sayin' thetthey did ez the, +
wuz min to!" 4@ a,'s s& j.
Good morning, Mis- Brigham. So he's
gone, poor man. and you're widder to.
day--and it gives5a body a sort O mixed
feeling to think that it's thing that
might happen toanyone O. us, except
Laviny here. she can't be wildly wom-
an! 3 But mebbe she is just:as happy as
II she could be. Faint one that's always
a-tlhiinking that a woman don't more'n
half live unless she has a man to hurry
her up to her work at sun-up and boss
herAall day-no, no! Sometimes |
think that{t the old maids'haveI the best
OF lt9all round, if they'd look at it right!
Butyou've got good deal to be thank
tul for, considering that you've been
married TO-. a man; now you can begin
to take some comfort and you and
Mari-Jane can do just as you're mind
TO, long as you live, if you keep clear of
men folks. Have you got your pie
meat a-boilin yet? Seems to me smelt
1t. y can stay andshelp yousall day as
we'll as not, and twill be change for
me- I'm tired O. lookin at my back
fence: I amt hardly been out o. the
yard all winter" % 8#k *aa @asa&
''There's no denying that moneys
handy and ofnforting at all times. but
more SO at times like these 'Ngsnitfed
Deacon Jones wife, who had been
waiting to get in a,word .edgewise.'"
Mrs. Staples, too, had put away her
things herself,'i as neighbors do at
such times, taking it for granted that
their help and companionship are both
needed and welcome, and when Mrs.
jones paused, she said: well, if you
and Mari-Jane are a-going to have as
much money as the men folks say you
be, you ought to bloom out in pretty
good sort O. mourning for the funeral:
IT the men are right, you hadn't ought
er buy anything less than good all
wool. And then, soon's you get to it,
[ should put good, fair-priced stone
on him, not very showy, but pretty
heavy"
''They wouldn't say so, if they had
heard Harris Brigham declare, as
many times as have. that Mari-.Jane
and / were sending him every day
little nearer the poorhouse!" sobbed
the widow.
"You've been kept in the dark. SOS
he could keep ON pinching you; now.
you listen to me. know what I'm
talking about, for I've had two hus-
bands, and men fair, to middlng. too,
but men for all that! And ! tell you
that you may, just as we'll begin o. a..
enjoy your freedom to-day as next
weeli-for Brigham is just as dead
as he will be after the funeral. So
you just flax round and look up his
papers and find out where you can
get hold of some ready money quick
est. You may find IL wallet full hid
up somewheres: there's my first hus-
band. who was. to be charitable to
the dead. near if not mean with his
money. and we found $50 wadded up
in dirty paper in an inside coat
pocket! A regular tramp's wallet?
Iis, but he come of {, family as diff
ferent from folks as they could be.
and not been born with fur nor feath-
ers on 'em, Mis- Brigham! I'd
stop sniv'lin' if I was you: we
all know who and what old Brigham
was as well-nigh about. as you!
You've kept at it pretty stiddy. and
have done enough now to show re-
spect to him that's dead and gone
or to last till the funeral-unless
somebody special should call to ses
you! So. as say, brace up and find
out how much you're worth. if YOU
can, and tell me what you want
cooked up for the funeral supper, and
how many you expect will come back
from the grave. to eat. Then III go
ahead with the cooking, and my
Sam'n go to the village for anything
we can't borrow round the neighbour
hood. For the lands sakes alive!
Who is that coming up the lane? 1t
looks ike-it can't be?"
Who could it be. to create such en-
element? Even the widow and Mari
Jane hurried to the window an,
peered over their neighbors' shoul.
ders.
"Ma! Ma! It's Jim! Oh, I'm so
glad, so glad!" and Mari-Jane started
for the other door.
Mrs. Brigham caught the hem of
her daughters back breadths, as she
reached the door, and pulled her
backward SO far that Mari-Jane's out
stretched hand could only nervously
tumble the latch with her finger tips;
but not unlatch it! ~"
"Mari-'Jane! Remember that your
pa won't have Jim Reed in this house!
can't hear his words now-'Never,
Mari-Jane. SO longs l live. so help me
God!' Oh. Mari-Jane. your pail make
an awful row! III go an tell Jim he
must go right away. and we'll never
let on to your pa that he's been here.
| hate to see and hear your pa when