Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-02
CHAPTER xxx.

3 O'CLOCK lot the gentleman lTOm bOS'
ton to come down to breakfast. She
then waited impatiently from 8 O'Clock
till 9. During that time she put the
breakfast on the stove to keep 1t
warm, and also made several trips to
the front entry, where she listened to
see if she could hear any signs OF
movement on the part of her new
boarder.
When 9 o'clock arrived she could
restrain her Impotence no longer, and,
going upstairs, she gave q sharp knock
on the door of Quincy room.
What is it?" answered voice some
what sharply.
tits 9 o'clock, and your breakfasts
most dried up" replied Mrs. Hawkins.
81 don't wish for any breakfast"
said the voice within the room, but in
much pleasanter tone. What time
do you have dinner?" 4
aTwelve O'Clock" said Mrs awkins.
ALI right, answered the voice,
cheerfully. "I'll take my breakfast
and dinner together"
"That beats ALL" said Mrs. Hawkins,
as she entered the kitchen.
''What beats all?" asked Betsy
Green, who worked for Mrs. Hawkins.
st beats ALL repeated Mrs. Haw-
kins, chow these city folks can sit up
till 10 O'Clock at night, and go without
their breakfast till noontime I've
fixed up somethin' pretty nice for him.
and I don't propose to see 1t wasted. :
What are you goin' to do with it?'
asked Betsy. "'Twon't keep till to-
morrer mornin'."
"I'm goin' to eat it myself" said
Mrs. Hawkins. And suiting the action
to the word, she transferred the appe-
thing breakfast to the kitchen table,
and, taking seat, began to devour it.
"Havei you seen your sister, Sa-
manthy, lately?" she asked.
4 was up there Sunday evening"
replier Betsy, "and she said Mis- Put
nam was failin very fast. She keeps
her bed all the time now, and Saman-
thy has to run up and down stairs
bout forty times day. She won't
let Miss Indy do a thing for her."
"Well. If I was Indy" said Mrs.
j-.her if she wanted me to. She used to
abuse that child shamefully. Is Miss
Indy goin' to keep house arter her
mother dies?"
No safd Betsy. she's got her
things all packed UP, and she told Sa-
i7es2thy she should leave town for
We'll snd good as soon as her mother
ives bsried.
Il don't blame her." exclaimed Mrs.
HAWKINS. Where's Samanthy goin'?"
'.Oh. she says she wants to rest
awhile afore she goes anywheres else
to live. She's all rim down.
"P'rans she'll go and stay with yer
mother for while"
NO" said Betsy, "she won't go
there"
"Ain't yer mother m her on good
terms? ?"
ooh, yes" replied Betsy, "but the
four boys send mother SIS a month
apiece. and us girls give her 50 a
month apiece, and it's understood that
none of us is to and loaf round at
home, less we pay our hoard"
IS "That's all right" said Mrs. Haw.
kins. tYou can tell Samanthy for me
I that she can come here and stay a
couple o. weeks with you. Your beds
big enough for two, and won't charge
her no board if she's willin' to wait on
/ table at dinner time. You'll get the
benefit of it, We know, Betsy, for you
kin get the dinner dishes done SO
much earlier"
aTAat's very kind Of you, Mrs. Haw
kfRs,'j said Betsy, and the converse
ton lapsed for moment till she in
+ quired, Twill your daughter Mandy
y stay with Mr.. Pettengill arter he mar
ries Hubby Mason?"
ri don't know" replied Mrs. Haw
kins. Mandy says that Hiram Max
well is the biggest fool of a man she
ever saw"
"Then she must think good deal oil
i him." laughed Betsy.
"Waal, fancy she Does" replied
Mrs. Hawkins; "and I've no objections
Z to him, SEEM as that Mr.. Sawyer is
goin' to put him inter the grocery
store and back him up. But Mandy
says that he won't come to the pint
8 He hints and hints and wobbles all
round the question, but he don't ask
her to marry him right out and out
Mandy says she won't gin in until he
does, for if she does, she says he'll be
chuckin' it at her one Of these days
that he didn't ask her to marry hin
and be sayin' as how she threw her
self at him, but there's too much Of
the old JOB Skinner spirit in Mandy
for her to do anythin' like that"
At this moment Mrs. Hawkins look
ed up and saw Hiram Maxwell stand
ing in the half-open doorway that lee
into the wood-shed.
"List'ners never hear any good o.
themselves" remarked Mrs. Hawkins
as Hiram advanced into the room.
II didn't hear nothin'," said Hiram
atIve got too many things in my head
( to tell yer to mind any women's talk,
he continued.
what is it?" cried Mrs. Hawkins
and Betsy simultaneously!
"Well, fust," said Hiram, "early this
mornin' your sister Samanthy," here
+ he looked at Betsy. came tearin' dowr
to Deacon Mason's house and said as
how Mis- Hepsey Putnam was power
full I e wanted me to @"r
ttengill's and
right ur
IN