Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-05-21

longer.
"As it happened, it was mighty lit
tie while longer. One night when
they'd bin drinkin as usual they made
up their minds to slide down the BAN
listers headforemost one at a time.
They did it. The first one fell on the
floor and didn't get up. The next one,
comm suddenly along, fell over him.
So did the next and the next until that
thar hall floor was alive with cow
boys a-squirmin and a-twistin like SO
many eels, all mixed up SOS you
couldn't tell t'Other from which.
"Jest as the last one come slidin
down Bill Scraggin walked in on 'em.
He found the little widder standin thar
in the hall with the tears rollin down
her cheeks, a-wringin her hands.
"The way Bill Scraggin Strengthened
out that thar gang was caution. Aft,
er he had kicked 'em pretty well sober
he marched 'em up stairs and locked
their doors OH 'em. Then what he
said to the widder | don't know, but
the thing seemed pretty well settled
between 'em from that time on. The
cowboys got new leader, and Bill
Scraggin moved to town and begun 10
get civilized.
"Some of the men about the hotel
said as how they was glad on account
Of the widder. She'd had hard time
Of it supportin her good for nothin
first husband and then takin keer of
herself. They'd like to see her mar
ried to good, strong man what would
see to it that she didn't want, they
said"
Here he half closed his eyelids and
peered through them at the bordering
hedge between the two states.
You can't never tell how this thing
Of marryin is goin to turn out" said
he, land that's one of the reasons why
| amt never committed matrimony
myself.
"T'Other reason is that the only wo-
man | ever keered for married some
body else. Maybe it was jest as well
she did"
There was a period Of silence freight
ed with thought.
"And then. ag'in. maybe 1t want"
with a proud upward jerk Of his beard
I'd chin. Anyway, could er taken
keer of her, good keer of her, and I'd
er done It."
He brought his fist down on the arm
of the chair with crash. I'D er
done it." he reiterated. Heaving q
sigh, he mused on:
But | don't know. You can't never
Tell how it's goin to end, as | said be-
fore. You make up your mind that I'LL
be all billin and cooin. and mostly its
Jest the opposite. The mint woman
marries n man she gifts to hate the way
he walks across the room. it seems like
And it's the same way with the man
Before he's married it's BE keerful
dearest; don't stumble over your little
shadder thar on the walk. After
they're married it's Why can't you
stand on your feet? Good Lord, they rt
big enough. What makes you &c
stumblin over everything in the road
like a plumb idiotT And so IL goes
II | was maxim n guess now. ID guess
| that after the knot was tied things was
goin to turn out exactly contrairiwiS,
from what you're most likely to cal
culate. Amt l right"
"Well, | don't know" l answered
"Maybe."
Maybe" he shifted. Thar amt NJ
maybe about it. Take ninety-nin'
cases out of Il hundred
$50 many as that interrupted.
"Yes, so many as that, and they
turns out wrong. / amt sayin as how
it's the fault Of the man or the faul
of the woman. but it's a fact. I've
stood off and watched. and know.
He restlessly prodded the tobacco
down deeper into the bowl of his pip'
with a hardened forefnger. TAKE
the case of the widder Weston, for in
| stance" he stormed. Thar was
strong man what keered enough for
pore little lone body to up and MARI.
her. You'd er thought if he keere'
enough for her to marry her he'd o
tried some way or other to supper
her now, wouldn't you!' a.,
"Wel. he didn't do nothln OF lh
sort +" Leaning eagerly forward, III
Iookad me straight in the eyes, thoug'
hardly think he saw me. You Sc
ber waitin on the table, didn't you:
he asked. ,. -.
"And runnin out in the kitchen eV
cry mint or two to find out whethe
things was burnin or notT
| nodded assent.
His forehead creased in q heav
frown as he jerked his stunted thum
i over his shoulder and whispere
hoarsely, "And you see that thar goo
for nothin, lazy. tritlin hulk a'setti
over thar at the other end OF the pore
a-smokin q pipe, don't you!
"Yes."
"Well, that thar is Bill Scraggin. a
soon as ever he marries he stops wor
not that he did so much work peior'
but he kinder scraped some sort OF llN
in together, stealth horses and roDDl
stage coaches and one thing and III
other. but now he don't even do that.
"He got civilized" he added, with
curl of his lip under his scrubby mu'
tache.
you don't mean to say that she SUI
ports him?
"That's Jest what do mean to sa.
Seems 10 me like once woman p
gins to slave she's got to keep 1t u
tbe balance Of her life. II n man see
woman kin support him, don't maf
no difference what sort of man he !
: II kinder knocks all the spunk out
t him. He sets down and lets her SUI
! port him, specially out here In u
west. I've seen II done time ana ag
r time and ag'in. time and agin."
e He puffed furiously. The smoke e
! veloped him. His stern face appeare
hazily through the dense cloud OF II.
a you'd er thought" he continue
t wistfully, turning to me again III
e slowly Hopping his brawny hand apo
= IN the effort to watt it away. "that Of
g good for nothin husband was enou;
t for one woman, now, wouldn't yo'
!, The widder Weston's had more'n n
t share. TO think the pore little wom'
had to have two!
s At that moment Bill Scraggin aros
n sIouobod across the Yeranda, walk