The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-21
MRS. DOLBY'S TALKS.
The Deacon Is Hard Hit, but Main
tains a Discreet Silence.

tains Discreet Silence.
Several little things had happened
during the day to cause Deacon Dolby
to look forward to a seance after the
supper dishes had been cleared away,
and when the hour finally arrived he
was as ready as he could be to take
what was in store for him. He sat
down in bis rocking chair in the sitting
room. pulled off his shoes and had been
reading testimonials about new patent
windmill for ten minutes when Mrs.
Dolby softly began:
Samuel Dolby, just after breakfast
this morning you went to the barn.
something was the matter with the
stable door. When it would not omen.
you banged and kicked and muttered,
and after five minutes you picked up a
big stone and smashed at the door
with all your might. At the same time
you said something. 1 was too far off
and YOU saw me and didn't repeat it.
but 1 want you to tell me right here
and now what it was. Certain rumors
nave reached my ears, and l want to
know if there is any truth in them
Did you say 'pshaw,' sugar or-or-''
The deacon had reached testimonial
NO 4, and he became so deeply inter
ested that he forgot to answer the ques-
ton. Had it been otherwise he might
nave been compelled to admit that his
exclamation had neither .Dshaw'' nor
sugar IN it. Mrs. Dolby sat looking
at three-Quarter view of him for two
or three minutes and then continued.
AT the dinner table today I asked
you to pass the fried eggs. The plate
was hot, and you burned your fingers
and dropped it with a crash. 1t was bad
enough to have the plate broken and the
contents spilled all over the tablecIoth
but that was nothing to what you said
AS the plate fell you yelled. AS I didn't
say any thing at the time you prob
ably thought [ din't pay attention, but
! I Nr1T Mt 10 rv,, ~,
Dolby, you are a man fifty nine years
old, a deacon of the church and sup
posed to be living example before the
world and yet when you burned your
fingers you yelled out 'Thunderationt'
Don't deny it, sir 1 not only heard it.
but wrote 1t down on the pantry door
as soon as 1 got up. 1t will remain
/ there as long as we live in this house
and I shall never see it without having
! cold chills go over me. What have
you got to say for yourself?"
He had nothing whatever to say, but
something IKE smile appeared at the
corners of his mouth. He was thinking
what he would have said had he stub
bed his toe instead of burning his
fingers. He could have defended the
word thunderation' as perfectly prop
er under all occasions of sudden excite
ment' but before he had made up his
mind to do so Mrs Dolby went on:
AT O'clock this afternoon I asked
you to go up into the garnet and get
down my quilt frames while l went
over to see Mrs. Green about fan
pickles. Just as I returned YOU fell
downstairs with such clatter that for
a moment l thought the house had
been struck by a cyclone. l was so ex-
cited and l came so near fainting away
that 1 don't remember what YOU said
Dut know you yelled out at least four
times Samuel, l want you to tell me
exactly what you said. 1t was some
lnlns dreadful, but perhaps under the
circumstances can excuse it, and you
can make a fresh start. / know that a
ran downstairs is a sudden thing, and
II IS liable to throw even a deacon off
ms balance. Did one of your express
SONS refer to the bad place, Samuel"
All four of his yells were directly con-
nected with the locality mentioned as
ne dlstlnctly remembered, but the dea-
con didn't propose to enter into any
arguments or discussions. He had said
what ne had said, and if Mrs Dolby
mad any doubts about it. then all the
/ better for him, and he had made a safe
escape OF 1t. He tried his best to be-
come deeply interested in testimonial
NO. 6, which stated that the seNone Such
windmill only needed the breath of a
Sleeping babe to set it in motion. and
AFTER heaVing few signs over the gen
eral situation Mrs. Dolby brought for
ward the last offenSe:
When 7 was ready to set ahont oct
ing supper, I asked you to bring me
IN pail Of fresh water from the we'll
GU went out with the pail, and 1 sud
ueniy heard some one shout out went
20 the door and found you lying on your
p2ck on the ground. You had struck
your toe against the soap kettle and
Ialen down didn't say anything,
Samuel-not word. 1 don't think you
even saw me. I am not asking what
you SAID when you fell down. because
tnlnk 1t was, oh, myl' But what |
want explained is what you said later
on when you found the pump stuck
Iast; When you had worked away at
tlIe handle and the water wouldn't come,
you Jumped up and down and kicked
me pump and shouted: '- it
IT, it, three different times. /
was having chill, and my fingers were
N my ears, and so I didn't catch the
words, but must know You must con-
less TO me and trust, me to forgive YOU
II can What does man say when he
Sraos a pump handle and jumps up ana
Gown ad looks red in the face? If YOU
con speak right up and tell me, I shall
think the very worSt''
LHe deacon laid down the circular as
II ne intended to make a fun breast OF
IRE aftalr and depend upon Mrs Dolby
Nlleiy heart to forgive, but after a
moments thought he changed his mind
ana let his eyes fall upon the last tes-
Lll-ollal 1t was only ten lines long, and
ne read It over three times. While sfle
waited 1or his answer amid deep silence.
~ ana by he yawned and stretched and