Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-01-02
- HssEssss,ss. "a sSssas,EesAssgss2ssH9
BY cHAS. f. PIDGIN
Copyright l9@.l9oa by chas. F. pldgiu.


AFTERNOON, for she thinks Mis- Putnam
! is goin' to die, and she don't want to
be left alone up in that big house,
Betsy looked at Mrs. Hawkins in
quiringly.
Mrs. Hawkins saw the glance and
said, II can't spare yer till arter din
ner, Betsy; say bout one o'clock. You
kin go and stay till the fust thing to-
morrer mornin'. l guess kin man
age supper alone"
"samanthy will be much obleeged,
Mis- Hawkins" said Hiram. 'I1l
drive right back and tell her, and I'll
drive down agin about one o'clock ar
! ter Betsy"
"List'ners get good pint now and
then" remarked Hiram to himself.
Nov see what made Mandy so durn-
ed offish. Wall, she won't have any
/ excuse in the future. I guess kin
ask her straight question when git
good and ready, Mother Hawkins"
! And he struck the horse such violent
blow with the whip that it required all
! his attention for the next few minutes
ito bring him down to a trot. When
he had done so he lad reached his des-
| tination and his resentful feelings had
i subsidized.
After Hiram had gone, Mrs. Haw-
kins and Betsy busted themselves get
| ting dinner. Happening to glance out
OF the window, the former exclaimed,
"Why, there's Jonas, and what on airth
has he got in his hands?"
/ Betsy ran to the window and looked
out.
81 guess it's a head of lettuce" said
she.
At'that moment the door opened and
Jonas Hawkins entered, bearing a
huge head of lettuce in his hand.
wall, Marthy," said Mr.. Hawkins,
! chow did the man from Bosting like
his breakfast? l kalkilated them
fresh-laid eggs would suit him to t."
"He amt got UP yet,' replied Mrs.
Hawkins.
Must have been putty tired" con-
tinued Mr.. Hawkins. II kinder envy
him. Do yer know, Marthy, if wuz
! rich | wouldn't git up any day till it
4 wuz time to go to bed agin." And he
laughed loudly at his own remark.
What do yer expect me to do with
that head of lettuce?" asked Mrs.
Hawkins with some asperity in her
tone.
WAL said Jonas. 81 was over to
HILLS grocery and he'd ordered some
/ from Bosting for Mis- Putnam, but
she's too sick to eat 'em, so Sam gave
/ me this one, cause we're putty good
/ customers, you know, and I kalkilated
4 that if you made UP one of them nice
chicken salads o. yourn it might please
the new boarder and the old ones too"
and chuckling to himself he laid the
lettuce on the kitchen table and walk
ed out into the .wood-shed. In few
moments he was vigorously at work
chopping wood, whistling to himself
as he worked.
Mr.. Hawkins is an awful good-nat-
ured man, isn't he?" asked Betsy.
Eyes" replied Mrs. Hawkins, "he's
too ALFRED good-natured for his own
good. Ii I'd known him twenty-five
years ago he'd have money in the
bank now. His fust wife waz slack
er'n dishwater. But l guess we've
talked enough for one mornin', Betsy.
You jest git that chicken boiled and
bone it and chop it up, and I'll make
the dressin'."
When IL o'clock sounded from the
bell in the church tower dinner was
on the table at Mrs. Hawkins boarding
( house BY 1905 there were fourteen
seated at the table, with one vacant
chair Professor Strout sat at the
head of the table. At his left was Alb.
ner Stiles, while 1tobert Wood sat next
to Stiles. The vacant seat was at the
Professors right hand, and all eyes
were turned toward it, for all had
heard of the Boston man who had ar
rived the night before, but who, much
to their disappointment, had not ap
peared at breakfast.
i At 1910 the door leading into the
dining room from the front entry was
opened quietly, and the young man
who entered, seeing the vacant chair
near the head of the table, took pos
session Of it.
! For moment nobody looked up
each apparently waiting for some one
else to take the initiative.
i Quincy, for it was he, broke the 81
Hence, and Immediately every face al
the table was turned towards him.
Glow do you do, Professor" said he
Good afternoon Mr.. Stiles and Mr.
Wood. All, glad to see you, Mr.. HILL
he added, as he espied Samuel Hill al
the farther end of the table.
The Professors face grew crimson
then bright red, and finally assumed {
blush tinge. Abner sat transfxed
The others at the table had a charm
ing diversity of expressions on theil
faces, ranging from grave to gay
: from lively to severe. No one at the
table enjoyed the situation any more
than Samuel Hill, who was very font
of a joke and who knew of Quincy's in
tention to meet his enemy at close
J quarters.
For several minutes no one spoke
Betsy flew from one to the other wait
ing upon table, but solemn husl
seemed to have fallen upon the Dime,
party. Again Quincy broke the 81
lence.
81 trust, gentlemen" said he, "tha
you will not let my presence interfere
with your usual conversation. have
no doubt Mr.. Stiles can tell us a goot
story, and am equally sure that Pro
: lessor Strout has some entertaining
bit of village gossip that he would likt
! to circulate"
Here Samuel Hill purposely dropped
is fork upon the floor and was obliged
get under the table to recover it
tsy assisting him in the search
I, ~