The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1907-11-28


/ wished | were at home The country
was indeed beautiful TO look ~. bui
not TO walk IN with low shoes ANA d
new suit The grass was knee deer
everywhere. even In the front yard
Besides. ! was getting very hungry
Presently back Of the house. beside
an orchard, | caught sight of man
piowing between rows Of green things
waded through the grass 10 the wall
and, balancing myself on II. called to
him He paid no more attention TO me
than II had been a June bug Finally
I ! followed after him aud touched his
arm
lis Mrs, Sweet al homer asked
He turned tnd looked az me hard
without saying word Then be drop
ped the reins and stalked solemnly to
ward the house, | following, asking
questions, TO which no answer was
vouchsafed. Finally | decided that he
was insane and as We neared the house
vowed ! should never trust myself In
side with him, but when he produced
the key from under the doormat and
opened the front door the action seem
ed 10 unseal his lips
He cast one comprehensive glance
| into the dark interior aud then burst
out la loud. hearty voice, Darn her,
/ she's taken down the sttin' room
stoyew After that ! felt at ease. ex.
cept with my wet feet.
While my host was building fire In
the kitchen stove he Informed me In
the rising voice common to the very
deaf that INA has gone TO SEWN So
ciety," thinking would not come In
the rain, and also added that must
make myself ito home" while he done
the chores" Therefore | sat supper
less for two hours and fed the fire, all
the time thinking how much more com
Portable | should be II some one would
perform a similar service for me-
Nine O'Clock and Ma Sweet came to-
gether, She was the fat one and felt
so "turribly sorry" that she'd made a
"mess of my comm" that | forgaye
her aud ate heartily of the supper she
set forth-pickles and pie, cheese aud
doughnuts, cake and milk. While !
ate and until went upstairs she rock
ed and asked me questions, pa snoring
in his chair, until | was nearly wild
You see, so far | had not done bit OF
thinking which would lead to a decl
sion concerning Lem.
When | started upstairs ! asked her
to call me early. as ] wished to walk
out little around the country alone.
| emphasized "alone," for she had just |
told me that pa intended to get sur
rey and take his sister-in-law, herself |
and me around the lake after break
fast Before breakfast decided
would walk through the cemetery and
consider Lem. Not that there is any
thing funereal about him, but ceme
terry is conducive TO thought-more con-
ducive, soon discovered. than is the
combination Of pickles, pie and cheese
laid TO rest on deep feather bed.
had never slept on feathers before
and, come to think Of 1t, ! can't truth
fully say that slept on them that
night. although toward morning ! did
fall into doze deep enough so that ]
dreamed that Lem had turned into n
great sour cucumber pickle wearing
an inverted mince pie for a hat, and
then
Miss Drew! Say, Miss Drew, get
upr' came outside my door, and !
opened my eyes to the early dawn and
half past 4
1--WE have breakfast at g." continued
Ma Sweets voice. but ! didn't think
you'd like TO git up any earlier"
Breakfast at 8. | crawled out and
looked into the glass One glance at
my pale yellow skin was enough. de-
cided that there would be no com
munion with myself In the cemetery
that morning and beat an ignomlnious
retreat back to bed until breakfast
was seryed-pickles. doughnuts and,
climatic horror OF indigestion. pork
and beans. h
ate lightly. both ma and pa com
menting on my pallor and lack Of ap-
petite. aud soon after breakfast pas
sister; inlaw. the lean Mrs Sweet.
Joined us. and we set out behind a big
long legged horse that took
the old surrey over the ground In
jerks.
sat on the front seat with pa. while
the Fat and the lean Mrs. Sweet occu.
pied the back seat II was glorious
and my spirits arose despite
the fact that ! had yet arrived at no
decision We were bound for SINNERS
lake, which pa Informed me loudly
was as ''prntty water spot as could
be found IN three counties" and be-
lIeved him when we came in sight OF
It. II ls set In saucer Snapped val
ley, with the road running SO near the
edge OF the water that. swollen by the
recent rains, the little lakelet had en-
croaehed on one wheel track.
AS the old surrey creaked merrly
along Ma Sweet began pceking tvei
the back seat 10 assure herself aud Us
that something was wrong with the
vehicle III never snapped like this
tcfore," she began anxionsly and
raised her voice. PA. pa. stop and see
what ails the criiter"'
But instead OF stopping ia cracked
his whip and cried, "G'lang here" lie
had not heard word
Then the lean Mrs. Sweet raised her
voice; Say. Watts. stop moment
stop!'
The swapping had Increased In vol
unle. but pa heard Il not. nor did the
thin voice OF his slsterin.law pcne-
trate his inner consciousness.
Then ! took hand IN th~ matter.
half arose 10 bring my lips near pas
ear and screamed. "Mr Sweet, you
better ! got no further. The right ..
froni wheel crumpled up and folded TO.
gether like the remains Of the one boss
shay. aud | shot headforemost, frog
IKE. over pas knees into the lake. my
arms extended and my loose sleeves
seooping Up quantities Of yellow sand.
Pa pulled ne out by my feet They
remained high and dry which cannot