The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-05-23
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The SmAlley
Monument.
A STORY OF CHARITY.
--a.--
BY JAMES BUCKHAM.
A STORY OF CHARITY.

is a man here would like to speak TO
YOU"
1t was Monday morning, and Mrs.
Cornelia Smalley was hanging out
her wash. Her sleeves were rolled
above her elbows, and her skirts also
were pinned up to keep them from
the dew. She was in no condition
to receive a man caller, much less
to go across the street to meet him.
Consequently the imperative sum-
mons of her sister-in-law reused
something very like furry of right
eous Indignation in the good wom-
ans ordinarily placid bosom. She
cleared her mouth of a clothespin
with an explosive snort and replied:
'Ellen Jones, l should think you'd
know better. Tell him Pm engaged.
/ bep
Mrs. Jones turned rather sheep
ishly back to her house and present.
ly emerged, with a man following in
her wake. The man had large
portfolio under his arm, and his
manner was unmistakably that of a
commercial traveller of some sort.
The pair crossed the street and ap-
preached the side gate of Mrs. Small
ley's yard. The proprietor stood
stiffly, with her back to them, hang
ing out the last articles in her
clothesbasket. Her muscular arms
played deftly along the line, and her
large, sturdy ankles rose above a
pair of mems rubbers with a certain
forbidding primness and solidity, as
if any man might know what to ex-
pect from the tongue of woman
who was prevented by her sex from
using such members as they should
be used in the circumstances.
"Cneil," said Mrs. Jones apollo
getically, 81 had to bring the man
over. He was bound to see you. 1
let out to him that your husband
was dead and you had lot in the
cemet'ry, and he said you were just
the person he would have to talk
with"
Mrs. Cornelia Smalley spun
around like whirling dervish. 'For
the land sake" she cried. "What if
my husband is dead? | hope that
needn't make me the prey of every
designin man that happens to come
along"
"Ah, my dear madam, you mis-
take my meaningw exclaimed the
man with the portfolio, raising his
dust covered hat. at was, rather,
out of the most sincere respect and
regard for the memory of your late
husband that ] wished to talk with
you. Mrs. Jones tells me you have
not yet secured a monument for
your lot in the cemetery. | am the
travelling representative of the
Hardridge Granite works and am
soliciting orders for monumental
work here in town. We have Just
got out some new, original and very
beautiful designs in monuments and
stones, and | should be very much
pleased if you could spare a few min
utes to look at the drawings and
photographs in my portfolio. Our
prices are very low, considering the
class of work we turn out, much
lower than those of large city con-
Germs, and in dealing with us you
may have the double satisfaction of
encouraging one of the chief indus
tries of your own county and getting
your monumental work from re-
sponsible parties close at hand, who
could not afford, were they so dis
posed, to treat their own neighbors
in anything but the most honorable
and personally interested manner"
"Have you got through ?" asked
Mrs. Smalley calmly, picking up her
clothesbasket in one hand and her
pail of clothespins in the other.
"Yes, madam, if you, are not in
clined to hear me further" was the
judicious reply. 81 do not intend to
trouble any one who is not willing to
consider the advantage of dealing
with our local industries. But if
you ever intend to get a monument
for your lot ] think you will be
sorry that you refused to consider
what the Hardridge Granite works
can do for you"
"Well," replied Mrs. Smalley wa
yeringly, Il should think you'd
know better than to come around
botherin any woman on Monday.
But if you don't and are willin to
be taught you may bring around
-FOUR books tomorrow afternoon at
, o'clock. | won't deny that Pm
thinkin of gettin a monument for
my husband, and p'r'aps 'twould be
better to get it in the next town but
one than to deal with folks never
saw and couldn't get at without pay
in small fortune for travelin ex-
penses if | wanted to-"
Every well, madam," replied the
agent. 81 had planned to canvass
Wolcott tomorrow, but will stay
over a day on your account
UAlI i'll ;. o,l1oI l.,oI. NJ