The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-01-08

coal cart. dcTc IS Ine COUNTESS blfltO,
whose husband keeps a corner fruit
stand. Here is Mrs. Torrington, color
ed, whose husband is n barber. They
are tenants of McMurphy's fats. Each
one wants to convey the impression
that she is swagser. and they 20 to all
sorts Of tronble and expense to get
lead over each other. Can't you under
stand that in such strife no woman
will let 60 until the breath leaves her
body"
"Maypc can was the doubtful re-
ply, but does it 10 somepody any
good"
"Of course it does. The people for
four blocks around are watching Nc
Mu,phy's fats. If any one Of the
three women can get the reputation of
being hoop-te-do she can lead society
in the Thirteenth ward
"Vhell, und so dcy quarrel some
more"
ut wasn't hair pulling this time, but
they raised rumpus just the same. \
week ago truck suddenly backed up to
the flats and unloaded piano for Mrs.
O'Sullivan. Gee, but you could have
knocked me down with feather. Tim
is only earning 81 q week and drinking
up two of that, but she'd scraped up $40
and got that piano ON the installment
plan. A crowd Of 500 people turned
out to see it unload, and Mrs. O'Sulli-
vans stock jumped fifty points in five
minutes. When it had been carted in.
she sat down to drum on the keys and
kept up noise for seven long hours.
She made the other two women so
jealous that they wouldn't put their
heads out of the window to see the
ambulance go by: but she didn't enjoy
her triumph long
Did some one hit her nit an ax:"
asked the grocer.
"Oh, no. Right away after break
fast next morning tie countess started
off one way and the BARRIERS wife the
other, and before noon two more pi-
amos were unloaded at the fats. BY
George. Mr. Wasserman, but you ought
to have been there
''Vhas She oXcitement:"
"Was she? Well. should remark!
I'm pretty cool sort Of man, think,
but the excitement was so great that
! seized q barrel Of ashes and carried
it out on the sidewalk without know
ing what / was doing Yes. sir, two
pianos at once. with crowd OF
thousand people blocking the street
and sending up cheers to be heard
mile away. Mrs. O'Sullivan pretended
not t. see 'em. and kept drumming
away OH her own piano. but it was
crushing blow to her. When the other
pianos were unloaded the fun began
Did some fighting took place."
qucred the grocer.
NO fighting: each one OF the three
women sat down to her piano and be.
gan to drum and howl, and Of all the
blamed noises you ever heard that took
the cake. After they had kept il up
for an hour had to send for police
man. He came IN with his club and
had to threaten to pound the keys off
before they would stop. He got the
racket huShcd and the crowd cleared
out at last. but war broke ont again
when the men came home at night.
TIM O'SuIlivan took off his coat and
boots and began to dance jig to the
music Of the piano, and it wasn't
minute before there was hullabaloo
over the house The barber and his
wife struck up old Black Joe with
fiddle and piano. and the count and
countess came in with harp and
song SO Wild that my teeth were on
edge, and it didn't take long to block
the street with another crowd"
'If peoples vhas dot vhay l don't be-
lief 1 like to live in dis world much
longer" said the grocer with solemn
shakes of his head.
''It was funny" chuckled the Janitor
as he claspcd his hands over his knee
and winked at basket Of potatoes in
the distance 1T was all opportunity
for me to stand in thu front door and
.ss.~