Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-07-26

ever KEEP man outer what was his'n.
l wish the pesky things had been in
Guinea before they come here
I've a notion to wiring their necks
an have 'em for Sunday dinner moth
er'd say.
Don't You never les that notion git
any farther along says the old man,
pretty tol'able firm.
kut mother was sortef firm herself
an that's how it came out the way Il
d1d. 1t was plantin' time an there
was right smart o. fencin' too, SO we
had to have two extry hired men ter git
through the work an hands was
skeerce an hard ter keep. 1t come
Sunday an fer onct mother had ter
stay ter home from meetin' an cook
fer them men. The old man hitched
up an went an took me along with
him. Comm back we see buggy in
front of us that had broke down an
a woman that was havin' considerable
trouble straightenin' out. 1t wus Mis-
Pakenham."
The widder?" asked Baker.
Yes" answered Hancock, "the Wild
der. She had a farm over near Bur
tons in Satterlee township. an run II
herself ever sence Pakenham died.
Closer'n the bark on tree an sour as
them dill pickles o. Rufe's. Worked
In the field in short petticoats an sun
bonnit an did two mems work'sides
ner own, but when she wus dressed
Ter mettn' she rugged up like the queen
Sheeby. Silk dress an gold watch
an chain and cameo bro6sh. That's
what made her so unha nd tout fixin'
her buggy. Ireckon-askeered O. muss-
in her silk dress. Anyway, the old
man pulled up an got out an helped
her Then, when she got through, he
asked her TO st~Sat the house an take
dinner with us, bein' as she hadn't
made mother visit for about wear,
an she finerly allowed that she would.
Wen, we got to settin' down to the
table and there was good 9 nell
What is it" says the old man. Roast
goose says mother, lookin' at him
Study. I'll be ding swizzledl' SAYS the
old man, thumpin' the table with his
INST, masder'n hops. Mis- Pakenham.
she looked from one to the other kind
er curious, an the old man simmered
down, but il wusn't hard TO see he wus
disturbed in hic mind. Mother was some
Illustrated, too. An it wus that-a-
way through the meal. There wus
both OF them geese cooked, but we wus
all right hungry, an Miss Pakenham
wus the hungriest o. the lot, seemed
like. She sent up her plate three times.
Ffnerly she said: Il dunno when I've
rellshed anything like that, but I'm
mower farl fond -,
know as you KEEP geese. Mr.. Hancock
don't says the old man. Them
two geese. come 20 us las February.
an-what's the matter, Mis- Paken-
ham" She had showed back her
chair aus laid down her knife an
fork an WINS glarin' at him.
"'Abe Hancock she saws, slow an
solemn, I,didn't think yust was the
man TO steal a wilder woman's geese.
Them two geese at you folks. have
jest ct wus my geese. They was
taken from my place in Febooary. I
know they wus taken. because thev
was too much attached TO their home
ter leave without help, an I've ben
inquirin' about EN- ever sence Why.
| couldn't go ter town but folks d
holler: mo, Mis- Pakenham, j hain't
seen nothin' o. no stray geese" with
out me sayin' word 10 'efn put
piece in the Clarion about 'eIn. You
needn't teal me, Abe Hancock, that
you didn't know whose geese they
was
Father tried hard to explain, but
she was one of them women you can't
argue with, an then mother got mad
Finally she says: Well, If 1t come TO
that the geese Is ct an you've ct
your good share o. them. We're able
TO pay you what they was worth. if
you've got the conscience TO ask it;
but I reckon you don't want ter take
the bones home with you. Wash, YOU
60 hitch mp Mis- Paleuham's horse.
She's gittin' anxfosss 10 go an don't
want ter Keep her.
81 s'pose.s says Mis- Pakenhanl.
sorter sarcastio, syoa fhrowed away
the feathers
Mother colored up a little more,
an then went out an got the bag o.
feathers she'd plucked from them
two geese, an Mis- Pakenhaln
waltzed off with 'em, an / want ter
SSiI you tudb ncT tongue wa mt SClll
about that ontil the day she died.
Seems like Mis- Pakenham ben
inter town first after the geese left
an she made sech doin's about IL
at none o. the folks felt much in
ehned to help her find 'em, an then
when the old man come in an seemed
so plague-taked anxious ter find tho
owner they wus sorter tickled an
they KEEP the thing up on both sides.
1t jest happened at the old man an
Mis- Pakenham never run onto one
another. It mighty nigh broke the
old mans heart to have Mis' Paken-
ham goin' around sayin' that he'd
stole the geese"
"He wus too honest" commented
the storekeeper.
That's so." said Wash. 81. b'iieve
IN folks hein' honest, but don't like
ter see 'em git bigoted shout it,