The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-27
Our Daily $bcrt Story

1t. Never spoke pleasant word; couion make him.! Just shut his teeth an an Bwer, surly as he always did: I'm a get tin along an right says he-an that all,
 But when Sam got ready to marry Marthy. Phi Slocum sent him an invite
 to the weddin'. and he come. Come m that same broadcloth suit he'd wore to her mothers funeral-pretty well moth- eaten. 'twas-an' with his hair comoed on slick. Didn't say a word. It madc some of the women nervous, because he set there likc a tombstone, an. never
 moved nor srniled But when man don't go anywhere but twice lifetime, tain to be expected hell act like other folks. An he didn't see 'em married, after all I told Sam them bridesmaids would do somethin' out of the way, an they did --fnrned over a lamp, an set the house on fire! Cold down to zero, too .an' all the young folks scurryin' around out dcers In white dresses. Lord. such time! Hurryin an shoutin' an confusion -ey'rybody yellin' something difrent-an' Marthy pretty near in mysteries because she'd left some things she'd been plan min to wear on the winder sill upstairs; a ring, an a ribbon, an locket with her mothers picture. You know the sayin'.
 Something old an something new. some thing borrowed an something blue; an girls are sort of superstitious.
 An one kind of crazIness breeds more. I guess, for before we'd got her quiet there was another stir--old King a tryin' to rush into the house. an two or three holdin' him back. Let me go in ther, says he, strugglin' an strainin'. You're crazy, says Will Black. You won't never come out alive
 "'Oh. I'll come out fast enoughr says old King, ugly as ever. He was all crip- pied with rheumatiz, but he give Black lister that sent him reelin', an pushed into the door an upstairs. What in sim says Mason, an stopped! Swear in don't seem the right thing to funer- al. An we all held our breath an stood there a starin' up.
 "'Twan't over two minutes, couldn't have been; an then Sam give a yell; Back old King against thousand for doin' what he sets out to" We all yelled then; for a gust of wind had blew the smoke. an from where twas cleared we see old King a comin' down, steppin' slow an firm, with his hands shut tight an sort O smilin'-put me in mind of that day he walked with Lucy into church -come walkin' down the stairs, the fire each side but not touchin him, an through the hall, an out into the street.
 "An' when Sam run after him-'Look here cries Sam, you can't go now! They're comin' over to my house to fin- ish the weddin', an you've got to see it out he never stopped nor turned his head I've he'd enough,' says he, hur- ryin' away. I've he'd enough, tell you. an I'm a goin' home
 "The young folks got to laughin' about 1t over to our house that night. Some said the fire itself made way for him on account of his temper; an some said he run in there to cure the rheumatiz, an some said twas for the sake of thaw- in out. There was considerable fun. I've read somawhcre that evry laugh is set down to your credit, an if so l don't know but what old King more'n made up for all his sins that night, without know in' 1t.
 "An the next mornin' when Jim Mas son went by to Hartford he found him just over the hill. lyin' dead in the snow an that, locket with Lucy's picture in his hand! He'd breathed the fire, the doctor said; an if that was true Gas most like 'twas), he must have known he was dyin' when he come down them stairs. an hurried away sos to die by himself.
 "TIe want no hand to make fuss over things, old King want"