The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1900-11-07

the floor or pulled your boots of in the
parlor in the evenin, she'd raise the
awfulest kind Of row. l guess you'll
hey to marry gal, Samuel. You are
old 'nuff to be the father Of any gal
around here, but don't see no other
way. Hev you got any pertickler gal
! in mind? l 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 time In q years when
you've pulled my ear or patted me on
the shoulder or poked me In the ribs.
~
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 tacks and balanced it on the point
of his finger, but he was oblivious Of
bis surroundings.
IL don't complain. Samuel" said
Mrs. Gallup when she could control her
+ voice again. "When l saw that you
; was no hand to pet, let 1t go. I'm old
and wrinkled and scrawny. ard can't
look fur pettin. 1t will be different
with a gal. however. If you don't pull
her ear at least once week and call
her angel, she'll git sulky 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 up over my
loss. You kin go right to playin check
ers as soa7 as the funeral is over. but
some night. later on. when you ore all
alone in the house and the crickets
are singin. | want you to remember
: that l had my good p'ints as we'll as
my bad. want you to remember that
/ used 4 clothes biler with seven holes
in the bottom fur nine years without
mendin and that hain't had new
corset fur 'leven years. Our teakettle
Is over 8 years old. and I've made one
set Of cups and sassers last US since
we was married That's all. Samuel
ard now I'll go In and die, and you kin
be lookln around fur your second
wife!"
She rose up with a sob and retreated
into the house. but Mr.. Gallup knew
nothing Of it. He hung the sickle on
a nail near the door, put the milestone
aud tacks on shelf In the wood shed.
and then walked down the path and
closed the henhouse door and cast
look into the pig pen. When he re-
/ turned to the bouse. Mrs. Gallup was
looking at her bowl of emptyings under
the stove and humming the air Of Il
Want to Be an Angel" She had had
her lamentation and got over it. and 1t
! would he three or four days before she
would break out again. NJ. QUAD.