The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-06-27


and wedding hxings would
aud maybe he was right. Twas
mighty good COW / bought n
was teaching when he married me.
cut out to teach. but think I was really
cut out to teach, but there amt many
things 1 can't turn my hand to in the
way of work. though | say It that
shouldn't. Twas a mighty good COW
/ bought with the money d saved up.
as l was saying. and / made a heap o.
money selling the milk; and after all.
'twain't what a wedding would have
been. don't care what anybody says!"
With all HIS practically Mr.. Car
ruthers had not been a 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 pickle making. To her
justly celebrated pickles. In process Of
manufacture, the neighborhood was in
debted for spicy fragrance which
modified most agreably the indigenous
flavor Of marine delicaeies in an i'm
perfect state of preservation.
A slight alcoholic infusion was also
occasionally observable in the atmos.
phere of Oyster Point. and a chroni.
cally iniamed nose marked more than
one prominent citizen-notably the
mayor. who was also the doctor. both
horse and human. of the village. But
whatever drunkenness there was-and
| do not now recall any means of di-
version beyond alcoholic indulgence
which the place presented-was car
ried on, as a rule, with a sobriety so
to speak, and decent reserve. which
precluded scandal and offense.
One day heard Mrs. CarrutheTs. as
| thought. declining chickens or other
household supplies at her back door.
ana Idly looking out at my window. I
then saw that she was speaking to Mr..
Sprockett, who, standing on the step.
with his hat pushed back upon his
heal at a peculiarly unbecoming angle.
listened wit a countenance absolutely
devoid of any expression whatsoever.
I'm nightly obliged to you. Mr..
Sprockett" she was saying, land if
was thinking about getting married."
drew back with such ill-considered
haste as to bump my head loudly
against the window sash, and so doubt
less made my unintended eavesdrop-
ping perfectly apparent / apologized
when she came over later in the day.
"Oh, that's all right" she said,
good naturally; there want much to
neaT-yGu know Mr.. Sprocketts
mighty quiet. But I certainly was sur
prised. He's been after rue more than
once lately about going into the pickle
business on a big scale; but I didn't
know he wanted to be taken in or was
thinking about me. Mr. Sprockett's
mighty inoffensive-Td just as soon
marry him as anybody-but l kind o.
think marrying amt what it's held out
to be. And so thought I'd better ret
well enough 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.
II don't think / could have hurt his
feelings" Mrs. Carruthers said to me
over the back fence; "and he didn't
seem to be a bit set on it! just hope
he alma sick off somewhere"
The potato man arrived as we were
talking.
Mr.. sprockett?" he said, with a
grin. Mr.. Sprockett got shut up fol
being drunk last night. They say he
carried on terrible. He'll be up before
the mayor this morning. He'll be VI
before the mayor this morning. He's
up now, l reckon"
Mrs. Carruthers had dropped the tn
bers she was examining. Shut up fol
being drunk last night" She looked al
me in way that | did not in the leas
understand, but | saw that she was
strongly moved. "Shut up" she re
peated. Before the mayor this morn
ing! Go long! I don't want any pc
CaJOeS!
/ had never seen her in a towering
rage. / should have believed her as in
capable of it as Mr.. Sprockett of tn
outrageous, violent and truculent cor
duct of which l learned he had BEEF
guilty while under spirituous excits
tion-conduct of which the guardian
Of the law could but take cognizance i
the interest of public safety. But
could not help suspecting that if
had been a comparatively mice o
tense" it would have met its con
ment" What bushes did he have &c
ting drunk, when he never had bee
drunk before in his nfe, so far as al
peared?