Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1901-02-07

GIT READY 10 BE AN ANGKLP
needn't beat around the bush at all,
but tell her right out She'll rather be
expectln the news. She was over here
/ this afternoon, and she said l was liza
BILE to git my summons at any time.
I've got 1t all arranged with her about
the funeral"
Mr.. Gallup did not look around. With
calm elaboration he spat on the whet-
stone, and with calm elaboration he
drew 1t back and forth across the
! blade.
YES, Samuel, my time has Gomez
sobbed Mrs. Gallup after waiting a
reasonable time for him to speak "a
few hours hence and you will be a
widower, and few days hence you
will be wearing red necktie and can
term around after a second wife. When
you started over town. was as happy
as lark and hadn't the slightest idea
of dyin. Ten minutes later when !
| went to carry the butter down cellar
| there came seven knocks on that emp
| ty cider bar'l, and as | stood there
shakin heard a whispered voice Assay
In, Hammer Gallup, git ready to be an
| angel! 1t was my summons, and I've
got to 60, Nobody kin hold back ag'in
q summons. What kind of a second
wife shall you marry, SamuelYs
Mr.. Gallup had paused In his labors
and was looking absently at a robin In
a cherry tree.
you needn't feel at all delikit about
| talkin II over with me-" said Mrs Gal
lup as she dabbed at her eyes with the
! apron. "I've allus s'pected you'd git
married ag'in IL l should die, and
| shan't howl and squeal about II. Mrs
Bebee says IL her husband marries
ag'in she'll haunt him, but you needn't
| be afraid Of me. I'd ruther you mar
ried dg'in. II you didn't, you'd be gein
| to circuses and dogfights and candy
| pulls and become as wicked as Silas
| Johnson. S'pose you've kinder had
| your eye out, hewitt you, Samuel
| that is, you've kinder made up your
| mind about what sort OF a woman
| you'd Martyr
Mr.. Gallup withdrew his gaze from
the robin and returned to his work OF
sharpening the sickle. and Mrs Gal.
| pulling when she continued:
There's the Wilder Lapham, Sam.
uel, and everybody says she's with
/ $1,000, but l wouldn't want you to mar.
| ry her. She's too hity tity for a man
| OF your age. While she was swingin
~ a hammock she'd let the bread burn
| up in the oven. She'd want you TO 20
! of to a picnic every day In the year.
and II you had any soft soap In the
house you'd hev to buy 1t. And there's
/ the Wilder Davis. She's good house.
keeper, Samuel, as I'll admit. but they
! say she gifts streaks on. One day she'll
/ be laughin and glgglln all day long. and
the next day she'll be as sulky as a
/ mule. She kin make pound Of tea
! 60 as fur as | kin, but she told me
with her own mouth that she had four
pairs of stockin's last year. Could you
! put up with sich extravaganza as that,
| Samuel Wouldn't you be thinkin OF
how / allus got along on two pairs a
Year,
Mr.. Gallup whistled softly to himself
his thumb. The whistle conveyed no
direct information, but was a whistle
In the abstract. Mrs. Gallup looked at
the back of his neck for n moment and
! worked up and clicked back a sob and
| then said:
There's Phoebe Cousins, whom ev-
| erybody likes. but she's an old maid
and sot In her ways. She never back
bites nor gifts mad, but she wants ev-
| erything Jest so. II you come into the
house and throwed your hat down on
the floor or pulled your boots OF In the
parlor In the evenin, she'd raise the
awfulest kind of row. 1 guess you'll
hey to marry gal, Samuel You are
| old nun to be the father of any gal
around here, but I don't see no other
way. Hev you got any pertickler gal
| 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. l can't
remember a time In 81 years when
you've pulled my ear or patted me on
the shoulder or poked me In the ribs.
II
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 1t on the point
of his finger, but he was oblivious of
his surroundings.
II don't complain. Samuel" said
Mrs. Gallup when she could control her
voice again. when I saw that you
was no hand to pet. let Il 60. I'm old
and wrinkled and s9rawnx. And I can't