The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-15
MRS. DOLBY TALKS.
She Surprises the Deacon, But He
Maintains Silence.

!
Deacon Dolby had gone down to the
postofice after supper. and as he left
the house Mrs. Dolby was singing a
hymn at the top of her voice and do
| ing up the dishes. When he returned,
! an hour later. he found her stretched
on lounge in the sitting room and
| evidently at deaths door. He didn't
! ask any questions nor betray any in
| terest, however. The same thing had
occurred about a thousand times dur
ing the past ten years. He had re-
! ceived a circular at the postoffice, and
now he sat down and took his shoes
off and began to look it over. 1t was
from a copper mining company. He
had got as far as to that when
Mrs. Dolby spoke up and said:
Samuel, don't you want to know
what's the matter with me?"
The Deacon. lifted his right foot up
on his left knee and scratched his
heel and seemed not to hear.
THE matter IS that 1 am stricken
with death" continued Mrs. Dolby, as
| she wondered whether she looked pale
or not-pale enough for the occasion.
Yes, Samuel, 1 have got my summons
to go. and you won't be bothered with
me but Il few hours longer By mid
night you will be free to marry again,
and my spirit will be playing on a
golden harp, 1 didn't want to go until
I had done up twenty jars of straw
berries, but when we are called we
can't hold back. Do you think you'll
miss me when I'm gone ~
The mining circular announced that
the Honest Joe" claim. which was one
of the five claims. situated over the
celebrated Jim Crow copper vein, had
bored deep enough to ascertain that
the said vein was fourteen miles thick
by two broad. and that it was esti-
mated that fourteen hundred million
tons of copper were lying there ready
to be snaked out and sent to market.
Deacon Dolby was taking it all in and
n of nc h jC
Whether she expected it to be answer
ed or not. she continued:
when you started for the postoffice,
Samuel, was singing away as happy
as a lark and expected to live for TWEEN
ty --ears yet. Then Mrs. Edwards came
over to borrow my four-pound flat
iron. She was in an awful hurry. but
she thought I, hadn't ought to go on
living in ignorance of certain things.
Samuel, two weeks ago you went over
to Liverpool You said you went to see
a five legged calf. When you got back
you told me Just how that fifth leg
was hltched on and you looked SO in
nocent that but for Mrs. Edwards I
should have gone to my grave without
suspectfEg anything. Samuel, your sins
have found you out. There was cir
over to see the circus. You were one
of the first ones in and one of the |
last ones out. U-m-m-m! If anybody !
had told me that 1 would live to see
Deacon Dolby at a circusH'
Tears and sobs came at this juno |
ture and the Deacon seemed a little |
But for the circular he might |
circus simply to see the hyenas, but the |
paper interested him. The shares in i
the Honest joe were 500 each. but |
that the widow and orphans and min
might participateiin good thing they
had been cut to SIS each for a short
time. The President of the company,
who was noble man. and could not
per cent. dividends at the end of
year One cent down and q cent a
month would buy ten shares right off
the reel.
Yes. went to a circus" said Mrs
Dolby. after breathless silence lasting
i've ninutes-"went to a circus and
bought lemonade and Deanutsi You
we're seen there. You were seen to
laugh and snort at the clowns jokes.
You were seen to look with your
mouth wide open when the circus
women were riding horseback on one
eg. You did all these things, Samuel,
and then came back to your poor
wife and innocent home and sat down
and told about a f1ye-legsed calf! It's
, good thing I've got my summons to
90 never could have lived after
inding out what sort OF a man you
we're Samuel do you deny going to .
The circus? It's just possible that
people took some one else for YOU. Do
you want to hold my hand and deny |
t?''
Mr.. Dolby put down his right foot
md elevated his left and went through {
he scratching operation again. But
'or that and the circular he might nave
lied a general denial. He had at
ended the circus. but only to see the {
Elephants. A hired man had once con-
ended that they had wings and featn-
ers and he wanted to see for MINI
elf. The circular went on to say tnat I
Joe" mine was no swindle, T
md to advise the public to beware
# all other copper mines. They were
imply holes in the ground for the
innocent and unwary to fall into. He
lad lust decided to sell a COW ana
invest when Mrs. Dolby said:
Mrs. Edwards said she couldn't stay
mother minute after telling that you
we're seen at the circus. but wouldn't
ct her go. I told her that I was a
ying woman. and that she must tell
ne all. Then she said that you and a
ot more men were at Snyder's gro
cry few nights ago. and Snyder pass
d around a pail of hard cider. You
now what hard cider is Samuel. You
now how oily and deceiving 1t Is. You