The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-12
have been. don't care what ANYBODY

ruthers had not been q business sue
cess, and 1t was to her own thrift ana
industry that his widow owed her
present condition OF modest comfort
particularly to her exquisite mastery
of the art of pickle-making. To her
justly celebrated pickles, In process 'ot
manufacture, the neighborhood was In
debted for a spicy fragrance. which
modified most agreeably the indigen-
GUS flavor OF marine delicacies in an
imperfect state of preservation.
A slight alcoholic infusion was also
OCCASIONALLY observable in the atmos-
phere OF Oyster Point. and chronically
infamed nose marked more than one
prominent citizen-notably the mayor,
who was also the doctor, both horse
and human, of the village. But what
ever drunkenness there was-and l do |
not now recall any means Of diversion
beyond alcoholic indulgence which the |
place presented-was carried on, as a |
rule, with a sobriety so to speak, and
decent reserve, which precluded scan
dial and offense.
One day l heard Mrs. Carruthers, as
| I thought, declining chickens or other
| household supplies at her back door,
| and idly looked out at my window.
| then saw that she was speaking TO MI.
| Sprockett, who, standing on the steps,
with his hat pushed back upon MS
! head at a peculiarly unbecomlng an
gle, listened with a countenance abso-
| lutely devoid of any expression Whatso-
| ever.
I'm mighty Obliged to you, Mr.
| Sprockett," she was saying, and II
was thinking about getting married.
l drew back with such ill-considered
haste as to bump my head loudly
against the window-sash, and SO
doubtless made my unintended caves
dropping perfectly apparent. l apollo
gized when she came over later in the
day.
oh, that's all right she said, good
naturally; there want much to hear
you know Mr.. Sprockett's mighty
quiet. But l certainly was surprised
He's been after me more than once
here lately about going into the pickle
business on a big scale; but l didn't
know he wanted to be taken in or was
thinking about me. Mr.. Sprockett's
; mighty inoffensive I'D just as soon
2 marry him as anybody-but I kind O
t think marrying amt what it's held out
t to be- And SO I thought I'd better
let well enough specially as he
Y want very pressing."
The next morning he did not appear
p at breakfast, and upon investigation 1t
4 was found that he had not come home
|, the previous night.
|, Il don't think l could have hurt his
= feelings" Mrs. Carruthers said to NE
e over the back fence; land he didn't
5, seem to be bit set on it! l just hope
= he amt sick off somewhere"
It The potato-man arrived as We were
h talking.
o Mr.. Sprockett?" he said, with E
grin. Mr.. Sprockett got shut up fol
At being drunk last night. They say h
a carried on terrible. He'll be up befor'
Is the mayor this morning. He's up now
r l reckon"
as Mrs. Carruthers had dropped tn
10 tubers she was examining. Shut VI
as for being drunk last night" Sh
looked at me In a way that l did no
al in the least understand, but l saw tina
ay she was strongly moved. Shut up!
ge she repeated. Before the mayor thi
ad morning! Go long l don't want an
o. potatoes!
e. had never seen her in a towerfn
IN rage. l should have believed her a
's' incapable of it as Mr.. Sprockett Of tn
outrageous, violent and truculent cor
:, duct of which I learned he had bee
II guilty while under spirituous excite
tion-conduct OF which the guardian
1t of the law could but take cognizanc
RS in the interest of public safety. But
he could not help suspecting that If it ha
.r- been a comparatively nice offense"
n would have met It's comment" Whs
sr- business did he have getting DRUM
when he never had been drunk betol
ed in his life, SO far as appeared?
Y" That Mrs. Carruthers was in tov
le ering rage her very back showed {
il she hurried into the house. l saw h'
int emerge in moment, with her bonnie
i'm strings tied very tightly under h
lid chin, and rapidly disappeared up II
ny street. To the (unsolicited) kindne
of the milkman l owe an account
ext what followed.
In Things was most over when 81
ar got there" he said, 'all out OF breatl
ng the mayor was just fixing to fine hi
lat heavy anybody could see that-wh'
all she walked right up and looked him
10 the eye (there was a crowd there, b
er- they gave way), and she says, says sh
in Look a-here, Doctor Blanks, she say
you let Mr.. Sprockett alone she say
she What ! say is she says, them tn
ats live in glass houses shouldn't thro
But stones she says. You amt the on
ave she says, with that nose, to be settll
in Judgment on anybody for gettil
n I drunk she says, and you know
of You ought to be ashamed of yoursel