Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1906-11-23

husbands last year to get the insur
anceY
"A million perhaps. but Sarah isn't
going to kill me-"
Time will tell. James; time will tell.
Sarah is sweet and lovely and limo
cent, but when there's $1,000 at stake
who can tell what woman will dot
With this farm and all that money be-
hind her If she was a widow she can
catch a better looking man than you"
The good natured young man con
Sinued TO laugh, and at the supper table
his wife laughed with him as they |
chaffed Aunt Deborah, but the old lady |
continued to shake her head and re-
ply:
wait till the ak or the melted lead
get to work and then Wen see whether
there is anything to laugh at or not"
That night at midnight Sarah woke
up with her heart beating rapidly. She
was about to nudge Henry with her ell
bow. when Il sudden thought came to
her. Aunt Deborah's grewsome predic
lions came up, and she wondered If she
had been awakened by some move on
her husbands part-some move to take
her by the throat. She smiled at first.
but presently the smile faded away.
Wives had been killed that the hus-
band might profit by the insurance.
Aunt Deborah was always predicting,
but at the same time many of her pre-
dictioas had come true. She knew that
Henry loved her with a great love. but
there was that $4,000. For an hour she
lay awake and thought, and the longer
she thought the more miserable she
was.
Sarah had only fallen into a troubled
sleep when the dog barked and Henry
awoke. He did not get up for fear of
disturbing his wife. and after listening
to the dog for a few minutes the
thought of Aunt Deborah's predictions
and solemn face came to his mind.
He grinned at the idea of Sarah kill
ing him off for that $1,000. and yet he
began to recall cases where wives had
done that same thing. She could push
him into the WELL push him down the
cellar stairs or dispose of him in other
ways to enable her to escape detection.
and with that $1,000 she would be a
rich widow. and windmill men. wire
fence men. piano agents and men with
patent farm gates would tumble over
each other to ask for her hand. She
might not even put a $40 headstone at
his grave.
There was constraiDt between them
when the couple woke up next morning.
They tried to make out that there
wasn't. but realized that there was.
Sarah claimed to have headache. and
James said he had touch of rheuma-
tism.
At noon when the husband came up
from the field he had been thinking
things over and almost wished he had
turned Aunt Deborah out of the house.
She was a meddlesome, gossipy old
thing, and he would let nothing she
had said annoy him in the least
Sarah had also been thinking, and
about the same thoughts, and so there
was return of love and confidence.
1t did not last thirty-six hours. how
ever. Henry had to sharpen the AK
and Sarah saw him at it and felt that
he was contemplating a crime. Sarah
asked If the handle of a table knife
could not be made fast by a little
melted lead. and Henry said to him
self after answering her question:
"Ah. ha. Got melted lead on hel
. mind. has she? Well. I've got to lool
out for my ears"
For the next four weeks the pail
were hypocrites toward each other
, They dissembled and deceived. They
thought black thoughts of each other
, James wanted to sleep in the barn o
nights. and Sarah wanted to go hom'
and tell her mother all about II
I Things were Fastening on toward {
2 separation when, as they sat on thu
, veranda one night after SUPPER, say
ing little, but thinking great deal
farmer Joe Collins came driving alon;
q and halted to say:
s "Say, you folks heard the newsT
!. mo. What is it,"
: It'll take your breath away"
d But let's have II"
o wall. that life insurance compan,
r YOU are insured in has busted higher
Gilroys kite!"
I "Oh, James"
e "Oh, Sarah"
And as they went dancing aroun
8 the veranda in each others arms MI
!. Collins looked at them in astonisL
s ment and said TO himself:
O by George. but they seem to b
s burned glad of it!'
O And so they were.
It ROAD MAINTENANCE