The Globe-republican., 1902-05-08
have been. I don't care what anybody

With all his PRACTICAL i1ity Mr.. Car
ruthers had not been business sue
cess, and it was to her own thrift and
industry that his widow owed her
present condition of modest comfort
particularly to her exquisite mastery
of the art of pick1e-making. To her
Justly celebrated pickles, in process of
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 a chronfcally
1nhamed 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 1 do
not now recall any means of diversion
beyond alcoholic Indulgence which the
place presented-was carried on as a
rule, with sobriety, SO to speak, and
decent reserve, which precIuded scan
dal and Offense.
One day heard Mrs. Carruthers, as
L thought, declining chickens or other
household supplies at her back door,
and idly looked out at my window. I
then saw that she was speaking to Mr.
Sprockett, who, standing on the steps,
with his hat pushed back upon his
head at a peculiarly unbecoming an
gle, listened with a countenance abso-
Iutely devoid Of any expression whatso-
ever
I'm mighty obliged to you. Mr..
Sprockett," she was saying, land if
was thinking about getting married.
1 drew back with such iII-consIdered
haste as to bump my head loudly
against the window-sash, and SO
doubtless made my unintended caves
dropping perfectly apparent. 1 apollo
2lZSG WI hen she - ho
day.
''Oh, that's all right. she said, good
naturally; there want much to hear
you know Mr.. Sprockett's mighty
qulet- But L certainly was surprised.
lies been after me more than once
here lately about going into the pickle
business on big scale; but I didn't
know he wanted to be taken in or was
thinking about me. Mr.. Sprockett's
mighty inOffensive I'D just as soon
marry him as anybody-but I kind O.
think marrying amt what it's held out
to be. And SO I thought I'd better
let well enough alone specially as he
want very pressing!"
The next morning he did not appear
at breakfast, and upon Investigation it
was found that he had not come home
the previous night
81 don't think 1 could have hurt his
Mrs Carruthers said to me
over the back fence; +tand he didn't
seem to be a bit set on it, Just hope
he amt sick off somewhere
The potato-nnan arrived we were
Mr. sprockett?'' he said, with a
grin. Mr.. Sprockett got shut I'D for
being drunk last night. They say he
carried on terrible. He'll be up before
he mayor this morning. He's up now,
reckon
Mrs Carruthers had dropped the |
.ubers she was examining ''shut up |
,or being drunk last night" She |
looked at me in a way that I did not |
n the least understand, but saw that |
she was strongly moved. |fShut up!" |
she repeated. Before the mayor this /
Go long I don't want any |
ootatoesI"
1 had never seen her in a towering |
age I should have believed her as |
Incapable of it as Mr.. Sprockett of the |
violent and trucu1ent con- |
luct of which I learned he had been |
guilty while under spirituous excita-
ion-conduct of which the guardians !
IF the law could but take cognizance |
n the interest of public safety. But 1 |
could not help suspecting that if it had |
1een a comparatively mice offense'' it |
would have met its comment What |
business did he have getting drunk, |
when he never had been drunk before |
n his life, SO far as appeared?
That Mrs. Carruthers was in a tow |
ering rage her very back showed as |
she hurried into the house. I saw her |
emerge in a moment, with her bonnet |
strings tied very tightly under her |
.hin, and rapidly disappeared up the |
street To the (unsolicited) kindness |
Of the mi1kman I owe an account of |
what followed
Things was most over when she |
got there he said, "aI1 out of breath; |
he mayor was just fixing to fine him |
heavy anybody could see that-when !
she walked right up and looked him in |
he eye (there was a crowd there, but |
hey gave way), and she says, says She |
Look a-here, Doctor Blanks she says, |
you let Mr.. Sprockett alone she says |
What I say is she says, them that |
i've in glass houses shouldn't throw
;tones,' she says. You amt the one' |
she says, with that nose. to be setting /
n judgment on anybody for getting /
drunk she says, and you know it. |
You ought to be ashamed of yourself |
she says. There amt any use in be- /