Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-01-30

!" ANNf tANf NsR WV th'tiAt ~ -
Yorkshire pudding I've come scrost since |
lost pore mother. Wonder what she's got
for ~breakfasts Hellol What's up with
the door,"
Then he remembered that he had bolted
it overnight. He drew back the bolt, but
still the door refused to open, though he
shook and showed vigorously. He was
glad to hear a substantial tread upon the
stairs and hailed its owner through the
keyhole:
"S~omething's gone wrong with the
door. It's stuck somehow SOS l can't
open it."
"No, 'tain't," was the answer. cts
looked; that's what's the matter with it. +"
That's queer" said Mr.. Jebbings. II
never locked 1t, not to my knowledge"
but l did, " was the startling reply.
II locked it, and the keys in my pocket,
and there it's going to stop till you knows
your own mind"
And with that she turned and oreaked
down the stairs again.
Here's a pretty howdy dol" observed
Mr.. Jebbings as 500 as he grasped the
situation. Bin and locked me IMP
"I'l take and kick that door down,
blamed if I won'tl" he declared furiously.
So he kicked-kicked hard and reckless.
ly-with the result that in less than hall
a minute later he was sitting on the floor
nursing his foot and loudly anathematiz'
ing windows in general and Mrs. Potter
In particular, so that the voice of the lat.
ter, speaking outside of the door, took
him quite by surprise.
Eyes, you may kick, Joshua .Jebbings,
only remember whatever damage you does
you pays for, and you can cuss'n swear,
too, If you finds it helps you any. Hun.
CRY, are your Serve you right. S'pose
you thought you was going to carry on
jest as you liked and then sneak off with
a weeks notice. That's where you made
a mistake. l amt no worm to be tram
pied on, l amt. So there you stops till
you thinks better of It,"
The morning wore away somehow, and
the church clock struck 10. Half past was
MI. J~ebbings' dinner time. She'd never
care to make him miss two meals. 1t
would be altogether too He could hear
her setting the table. How many was she
setting it for? Now the frying pan was
on again. A few minutes and Mr.. Jeb.
bings began to snuff the air like a war.
horse scenting the battle afar. But what
he snuffed was not fire and carnage, but
liver and bacon. His nostrils curled with
rapture.
There was a step IN the stairs, a sub.
stantial step, that made his heart beat and
the stairs creak. 1t came on and on and
stopped outside his door. Mr.. .Jebbings
waited anxiously to hear the key inserted
in the lock, but instead there came 0
thump and a voice saluting him by anne
"Joshua Jebbings, you theref"
well, that's good" observed the cap
tive, soto voce. "How'm l to be any.
where else, I'd like to know, seeing she've
bin and locked me IMP I only wish !
wasn't"
Dinners ready"
Mr.. Jebbings licked his lips in a~nticipa
ton.
"So'm l." he replied eagerly, READY
and waiting"
Ready to have the banns put up Sun.
day."
"Banns! Sundayp' in a muffled STAG.
cato; then with a burst Of decision, "No
I'm jiggered if I am"
VERY we'll, then"
And to his horror he heard the steps re
creating from the door and down the stairs
to the kitchen. Mr.. Jebbings gave way
to despair.
$50 she means to keep me shut up yere
till 1 give in. Well" taking himself into
his confidence, as 1t were, and speaking
in a tone Of dependency, mingled with
reluctant admiration, ''she's a oner, that's
what she is. I s'pose," he continued re-
aectively, II s'pose she's a matter O. five
or six years older'n me and weighs, may
be, a couple O. stun more. Ought to be
t'other way round If a chaps to have any
chance. Banns! Next Sunday! l should
like to catch her at it. I'm sorry now /
didn't take and marry Prisciller Potts
matter O. ten year back. She was dread.
full set on me at one time, was Prisciller,
and then / shouldn't never "a bin in this
ix."
At 8 O'Clock Mr.. Jebbings gave up and
took to his bed. At 4 the voice of his land
lady drew him from between the sheets
and lured him to the window. She was
talking to a %neighbor over the wall, and
her words penetrated to his ear with blood
curdling distinctness.
Aooi MAo' IAiApyS you 10 ehoo
rain last week have made the peas CONS
on wonderful. And my hens have bin lay
ing better'n reglerer than I've ever knowed
EN-, and I've got a beautiful side O. bacon
left over from my last pig. Altogether,
one way'n' other, I've been pretty torch nit
this year., and I don't fancy all the luck's
used up neither. Maybe you'll be hearing
some news fore long that'll s'prise you
No, 1 amt going to let it out yet, and
faint no use your trying to guess, Any
how, I must run in now, for the kittle's
on the bile, and l seem to fancy a rasher
with my tea.
Mr.. Jebbings shook his fist at her re
treating figure.
"D'ye hear that now" he demanded ot
an invisible second party. "Sausages tor
and seems to fancy a rasher with her tea
Why, she's a puffeck horsestretchl Come
to that" with hungry sarcasm, 'dessay !
gould fancy one with mine. Durn it, !
could fancy a whole pigl Look yer, now,
I amt going to stand this. Banns or no
banns, I amt going to starve up stairs
while she gorges herself down. After all,
she's a fust rate cook, and that's more'n
you could say of Prisciller. And you've
got to consider your meals fust, and If she
feeds me as we'll afterward as she's done
up till now, maybe I won't have much to
complain off,"
A few minutes later, Mrs. Potter, COM
ing to the door and making an announce
ment via the keyhole to the effect that tea
was ready, received his submission Undue
form.
"If you've set your mind on them there
banns, I dunno's I've anything to say
agen EN-"
Aud this Is how Mrs. Potter, late Hig.
son, nee Whelks, came to change her lame
for the third time.-Belgravia.
Bound to Win.
''Plugger's dramatic school is making
q winning, I hear"
81 should rather guess. 1t ia the most