Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1903-11-17

objections of his wife and two grown
up daughters, he sold out his business,
conveyed two-thirds of his property to
his wife and children, and invested the
remaining third in an annuity, which
gave him sufficient income for COM
Portable support. He did not live at
the Pettengill house, but in a little two
roomed cottage or cabin that he had
had built for him on the lower road,
about halfway between Masons Cor
ner and Eastborough Centre. A short
distance beyond his little house, a
crossroad, not very often used, con-.
nected the upper and lower roads. Un- |
Gle Ike had a fair-sized library, read |
magazines and weekly papers, but new
er looked at daily newspaper. His |
only companions were about 200 hens
and chickens and big ST. Bernard |
dog which he had named Swiss af-
ter his native land.
The other residents of the Pettengill
homestead were two young men named
Jim and Bill Cobb, who aided Ezekiel
in his farm work, and Mandy Skinner,
the help" who was in reality the
housekeeper of the establishment. Jim
and Bill Cobb were orphans, Jim being
about q and Bill three years older.
When young they resembled each other
very closely. for this reason they had
been nicknamed 'Cobbs Twins" and
the name had clung to them, even af-
ter they had reached manhood.
Mandy Skinner was about 23, and
was the only child of Malachi and Mar
tha Skinner. Her father was dead, but
her mother had married again and was
now Mrs. Jonas Hawkins, the proprie-
tor of Mrs. Hawkins's boarding house.
which was situated in the square oppo-
site Hills grocery, and about a quarter
of mile from the top of Mason's Hill.
Mandy had double burden upon her
shoulders. One was the care of such
a large house and family, and the 9th
er was the constant necessity of re-
pelling the lover-like hints and sugges-
tions of Hiram Maxwell, who was al
ways ready and willing to overlook his
work at Deacon Mason's so that he
could run down and see if Mandy want
ed him to do anything for her.
Hills grocery was owned and car
ried on by Benoni Hill and his son
Samuel Their residence was on the
easterly edge of the town. being next
to the one occupied by old Ben James,
who was widower with one daughter,
Miss Matilda James.
About a quarter of a mile east of
Hills grocery was the village church,
, presided over by the Rev. Caleb Howe.
: He had one son, Emmanuel. who had
graduated at Harvard and had intend
ed to fit for the ministry. but his health
had failed him and he had temporarily
, abandoned his studies. He was great
+ admirer of Miss Indy Putnam. be-
{ cause. as he said, she was SO pretty
| and accomplished. But after long de-
t bate one evening at the grocery store,
: it had been decided without a dissent
r ing vote that "the minister's son was
. lazy 'good-for-nothing,' and that he
] wanted the money more than he did
r the gal" The village schoolhouse
. stood short distance eastward from
S the church. The teacher, Miss Sera'
/ phina Cotton, a maiden lady of uncer
e tain age, who boasted that the city OF
1 Cottonton was named after her grand
e father, boarded at the Rev. Mr.. Howe's
and was ardeptly attached to the min
i ister's wife, who was an invalid ant
l. rarely seen outside of her home.
r On the uper road. about half mil,
D
d Mr.. and Mrs. Silas Putnam. The,
d owned the largest house and best farm
e at Mason's Corner. They were reputee
k to be quite wealthy and it was known
d for a sure fact that their only daugh
d ter, Indy, was worth 100000 in hel
S own right, it having been left to he
d by her only brother, j. Jones Putnam
p who had died in Boston about fiy'
,, years before.
n Mrs. Hawkins had large house, bu
II it was always full of boarders, all o
e the masculine gender. Mrs. Hawkins
e. had declared on several occasions tha
S she'd sooner have the itch than CIR
IS boarder' She was hard-worldn
t. woman and had but one assistant,
n young girl named Betsy Green, one @
fe whose sisters was working out" IL
d. at Mrs Putnam's. Mrs. Hawkins
er Husband, his wife declared. was 81
Of account nohow," and for the presen
lie her estimate of him must be accepte
s without question.
In Among Mrs. .Hawkins's twelve boart
m ers were Robert Wood and Benjami
RS Bates, two young men who were n;
ut tives of Montrose. Bates was brio
I'D and stone mason and Wood was a ca
ne penter, and they had been quite busil
10 employed during the two years the
IS had lived at Mason's Corner.
SIS Mrs Hawkins owned a buggy an
al carryall and couple of fairly goc
be horses. They were cared for by A
NJ ner Stiles. He was often called upo
or to carry passengers over to the railwa
ry station at the Centre, and was the ma
of carrier between the Centre and Nj
lie sons Corner, for the latter village he
he postoffi ce, which was located in Hill
nd grocery, Mr.. Benoni Hill being u
10 postmaster.
at Since his return from the war OBJ
es diah Strout had been Mrs. Hawkin
en- star boarder He sat at the head
alt the table and acted as moderator dr
IN ing the wordy discussions which a
RS. companied every meal. Abner Still
of believed implicitly in the manifest
We periorty of Obadiah Strout over Il
I'D, other residents of Mason's Corner
was his firm ally and henchman, ser
at ing him as dog does his master, n
tn for pay, but because he loves the ST
ze- vice
nc ~. 1,oe offa, oallod tho