Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-07-17
When Barker
Moved ~ "
BY CLARA AUGUSTA.

than Mrs Green's. She and Mrs
Green are rivals. They have been rivals
: all their lives. When they were girls
! they both wanted the same man, and
he had to marry the Widow Bent in
; self-defense. He said he felt that with
the widow at the helm he could defy
the world.
! Mrs. Green lives in the neighborhood,
and she has kept Nency stirred up for
Is years If Mrs. Green gets a new
bonnet, Nancy gets hat. If Nancy has
a fresh table-cloth, Mrs. Green has a
new set Of napkins. If Mrs. Green
washes four sheets on Monday, Nancy
washes six the following Monday. And
vice versa. Yes, always vice versa.
Mrs. Green has lawn and back
yard big enough for Il hen-coop. Nancy
vowed that she'd have a lawn, too, and a
backyard sufficient for two hen-coops.
She wanted an attic. She wanted a
view of the park. She wanted to be
where she could see the reservoir pond.
She wanted back stairs. She wanted
double parlors. She wanted three win
dows in the kitchen In fact, she want
ed SO many things that we had to move.
If ever you've moved, you know what
IT is.
For four days we eat on the head Of
-four barrel, and our food was mostly
bakers stuff
We had loaf of sponge cake on the
table so many times that it seemed like
an old friend. Inearly shed tears when
Nancy proposed breaking II up and
converting it into pudding.
"Silas." said Nancy, the day before
we were TO be loaded up. "there's the
eat to be disposed o. II amt lucky TO
move a cat, and besides a cat won't stay
in a new place unless you grease its |
feet with butter and keep it down cellar |
for at least a week. And with butter |
SO cents pound, and strong at that, |
don't feel justified in wasting It
greasing cats feet"
Good land, Nancy" said I, 81 never
could kill a cat! Especially Priscilla. |
Why, she's been with us ten years. and |
she's like a human. You can't expect /
me to kill her, Nancv?"
Don't be a fool, Silas Barker" said
the partner Of my bosom. with empha-
sis. IF couldn't kill a cat Id-I'd-
put my head in soak, and see if IL
wouldn't Timber up my brainsf"
"You can kill her, Nancy said I.
feeling a great wave of generosity
sweep over me. "Tll go.down town and
see about the coal. and you can fix her
while I'm gone"
"Silas Barker" said my wife, william
,ir Of majestic dignity, don't talk like
! fool! Killing cats is outside Of
sphere. What did / marry
you for? Was it that / might XIII your
ats for you, and"
Its yours" said i; at came from
our relations over TO Four Corners
nd You got it TO catch your mice,
nd"
Its no cat Of minel" said Nancy, de-
idedly. "You go right out now and |
borrow Stacy's gun and shoot il while
IS eating milk Shooting is the most
umane way, they say, to kill a cat"
"Good gracious, Nancyl" said I. II
avent' fired a gun since 1S67-4th Of
uly and she burst and blowed me !
nto the middle Of next week, and set
barn afre."
well, you amt going to use that ;
un, !" said Nancy, calmly. "Stacy's gun Z
all right. II was in the war of the
evolution. You go right out now and I
ct il, and have the business over
Vhen a things to be done | believe in 7
Ding IT," :
When Nancy sets her foot down, {
-hatever she wants has to be done, or +"
here is serious disturbance in the do I
este atmosphere. So. very reluctant n
Z, | must confess, | went over to
tacy's and borrowed his gun 4
"Be careful Of her" said Stacy. "she I
icks, and she's apt to miss fire. and 4
hen again she's SO ticklish about her T
-igger that she's liable to go off any /
iinute without warning. You've got I
. be considerable sarcumspect with
err"
So I took the gun and proceeded TO b
e "sarcums pect" with it. I laid it care /
ally on the top of the wood pile and
allied to Nancy TO bring on the cat '
nd put it on the fence 50 that 1 could v
axe sight at it. il
Nancy got the cat, but somehow j
riscilla seemed TO scent mischief. and !
be declined to remain 10 be sighted at.
Then I resolved to shoot her on the c
ing. and as she was clawing up over &
eighbor Jones' "short part. seized
he gun, and before l could take aim q
he thing went off with a crash that h
.ould have walked a dead man. if he
adn't been dead so long that there \
asn't enough of him to wake. When II
be smoke cleared away l found my p
Elf lying on my back in the heap of
pal ashes at my back door, and the I
at was sitting on a soap box, washing Z
er feet and attending to other de- Y
ais of .her toilet. There were two n
uns now. instead Of one, and Jones' a
itchen window had three broken n
anes Of glass to attest to my skill in III,