Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-12

there is sweet smile upon her face"
II am SO glad" said Alice. She
pressed his arm a little tighter, and
looking up to him. she said, Perhaps
she has met her boy, and that smile is
but the earthly reflection of the heav-
emily one that rests upon her face in
her home above"
II hope SO" replied Quincy; and
| they walked slowly out of church and
/ took their places on the rear. seat of
the Pettengill carryall, Ezekiel and
Uncle Ike sitting in front. ei,
Mandy skinner and Mrs. Crowley had
not gone to the funeral. The latter
was busy skimlning cream from a doz-
en- large milk pans, while Mandy sat
| before the kitchen stove, with Swiss
by her side. She was thinking of Hi
ram, and wondering If he really intend
ed to ask her to marry him.
4 don't think he's been folin' me- but
now he's goin' into business / should
think it was about time for him to
speak up or quit"
| Swiss suddenly arose, shifted and
went to the kitchen door, The door
was opened softly and some one en-
tered the room. Mandy did not turn
her head. Perhaps she guessed who
it was. Then some one placed chair
close to Mandy and took a seat beside
her
Say, M-m-m-m- m-a-andy," said Hi
ram, will you please read this to me?
It's an important document, and
want to be sure I've got it just right"
AS he said this he passed Mandy
folded paper.
She opened it and the following
words met her eye: ''This is to certi-
fly that l, Hiram Maxwell, of Mason's
Corner, in the town of marlborough,
county Of Monmouth, and Common
wealth of Massachusetts,, hereby de-
clare my intention to ask Miss Aman-
da Skinner of the village, town, coun-
+ y, and state aforesaid, to become my
lawful welded wife"
ooh, you big silly!". cried Mandy.
dropping the paper, for she didn't think
| it necessary to read any further.
| lis it all right" cried Hiram. cit
cost a quarter to git it drawn UP. Then
swore to it before old Squire Rund-
| lett over to Montrose, and it ought ter
hold water. You'd better keep it,
Mandy, then l can't fling it. at yer that
l never axed yer to marry me-
who told you that?" asked the girl
indignantly.
Ma Hawkins. Well, she didn't ex-
actly say it to me, but she spoke it out
SO loud to Betsy Green that herd it
clear out in the wood-shed and I'll tell
! yer what, Mandy, it kinder made me
mad" +: .-.,..gss,....
well, it's all right now" said Man
Nv. soothinp1v .
SIS it?" asked, Hiram, his face beam
ing with delight.
| The next instant there was. sue
cession of peculiar sounds heard in
the room. AS Swiss came back from
the kitchen door but one chair was
needed for the happy couple, and an
onloolser would have Thought that
chairSwas occupied by one person with
a very large head, having light curly.
hair on one side and; straight dark hair
on the other, no face being visible.
1t was upon this picture that Mrs.
Crowley loked as she opened the door
| leading into the kitchen and started to
come into the room with "a large pan
full of cream.
Astonished. she stepped backward.
| forgetting the two steps that she had
just assembled. Flat upon her back
she fell, the pan OF cream drenching
her from head to foot.
It's drowned I am! It's drowned
amn' she cried at the top of her voice.
whats the matter? How did it
happen?" said Mandy, as She rushed
into the room, followed by Swiss.
"Shure it's thinkin' was" moaned
Mrs. Crowley, when the milk fell on
me-
s@"Thinkin' of what?" cried Mandy
sharply. 'sYou couldn't have been
thinkin' of your business"
"Shure was thinkin' of the day
when Pat Crowley, and 1 both sat in
the same chair, forty years ago" said
Mrs. Crowley, rising. to her feet and
wiping tn cream from her eyes, and
nose and ears.
| During this time Swiss was busily
engaged having a rich feast. upon the
cream left in the pan. Hiram appear
ed at the kitchen door to learn the
cause of Mandy's absence.
Raising her hands high in the air,
Mrs. Crowley said, 'sBless you, my
darlints; may yer live long and may
all the saints pour blessin's on yer
bids"
And with this invocation the poor
old woman hobbled off to her room in
the ell and was not seen again until
the next morning.
"A (To be Continued Thursday
u What They Demand.