Evening star., 1908-02-03

there quick So back I put. and | don'i
, know as I've got a full measure of peas
cause It seemed to me that some of EN-
| spilled off the top when Capn Pound
berry was emptyin EN- in. l hope not
| cause peas is high now. Not that ii
makes any difference to well-off folk
like you. Mr. Van Brunt. but
Hadn't you better go back and pick
'em up?' asks Van solemn as an owl
"Oh land of love. no. There want
enough for that. Besides / want to see
Mr.. Pratt. Well. Mr.. Pratt" says she
| Il suppose you're surprised enough to
find me working out. Dear, dear, l dom
know what Jehiel-he that was my first
husband-would have said: nor my Sec
ond one neither. But there, We can't
none of us never tell what's in store for
us in this world. can we?''
| made some sort of answer: don't mat
ter what. She went ahead lamenting over
what cOme-down twas for her to work
out. You'd think she'd been used to mar
BILE halls to hear her. She settles the
dishpan between her knees and starts in
shelling peas. talking blue streak all
the time. She was a whole sewing circle
in herself, that woman.
Jehiel was such quiet man." she
says. after a SPELL "He scarcely ever
talked" Didn't have a chance. thinks l
to myself) when he died-did l ever
tell you how Cap'n Samuels-my first hus-
band as was-come to die, Mr.. Hartley?"
says she.
Hartley had took up the natural life
book and was trying to read 1t. Now he
looked up and says. mOurnful but re-
signed. mo, Mrs. Purvis. I believe we
have never had the pleasure
THE pleasure was wholly the cap'ns.
Gays Van Br7lnt. under his breath. If
Hannah Jane heard him she didn't let it
worry her
well. she says. twas this way:
Capt. Jehel-him that was my first hus-
band-was the most regular man in his
habits that ever was. l guess Every Sat
urday night all the time we was married
and we was married eleven year. not
counting the two after he was took sick
he always had baked beans for supper
I used to say to him. 'Jehiel.' I used to
say, 'ain't you tired of baked beans?
SO fond of EN- But he never did,
and
She stopped for a second to get her
breath. Van cut in quick.
THAT wasn't the cause of his death
then?" he asks. very grave.
''Who-What?'
Turning into beans? OF course not
believe you said he didn't turn
Il said he never got tired of en-
Course he didn't turn into 'em. Who
was saying. every Saturday night we
had em. and one night-'twas the last
one. poor thing She stopped to ur-
furl her handkerchief and mop her eyes.
pray go on. Mrs Purvis," says Van
very polite. you were saving twas the
last beam
II said twas his last well night. There
was beans enough. land knows. Well
I had 'em on the table and he set down
Hannah says he. 4 don't feel like beans
tonight l looked at him. 1t want be-
cause they want good beans. I'm al
ways as particular as can be about cook
ing beans. Always put such to soak over
night on a Friday, and then Saturday
morning ! take EN- and put 'em in the
bean pot along with some molasses and "A
particular about your pork Don't l
used to say to the man that drove the
butcher cart. don't says I. give me
nothing but fat pork. Nights well have
says L. "a streaked chunk: streak of lean
and a streak of fat. Then I put em in
the oven and bake 'em all day and by
night they're ready. So when Jehiel says
to me, Hannah. / don't feel like beans,
set and looked at him..
did he look like 'em?' asks Van.
Hannah Jane switched round on the
step and stared at him. But he was as
sober as a church and just running over
with sympathy seemed SO. SO she shifted
and went on.
''He looked sick she says land I
could see that he was sick. too. So
got him to bed and what night | put in,
Oh. the hot jugs to his feet: Oh, the
running for the doctor. We had DR..
Blake here then. Mr.. Pratt You remem-
Der him. don't you? Great big tall man
with gray wliskers. No. wait minute
Twas DIR. White that had the Whiskers:
DR. Blake was smooth faced. No. seems
to he had muStache. I remember
he did. because he was engaged to Emma
Bakers sisters girl. and she used to say
that when she once got him for good le'd
have to raise more beard than that. She
said doctor without beard was like
soft billed egg -without-without
something or mother i'm it. Strange |
can't think. An egg without something
in it.
Chicken. possibly" suggests Van
mo, indeed Salt. that's what twas
A soft billed egg without salt in it. Now
you'd ought to be as careful about billing
eggs as You had about anything else
Way some folks bile eggs is a sin and
could build stone wall out of 'em.
seems so: and then again I've ct em
when I've actually had to drink EN-
Now when | bile eggs | always-let me
see: / want speaking of eggs when |
fust started Where was -?
You We're telling us about beans. |
believe. Mrs. Purvis," pllrrs Van again
have a dim recollection of beans Mrs
P"
.'Oh. yes. yes, | was going on to tell
of .Jehiels sufferins. Mr.. Van Brunt. If
| could only begin to give YOU idea OF
that poor critters agony. Why, he--who's
that al the back door?'
Twas the neighbors boy. ii turned
but he took Hannah Jane away from MS,
which was mercy. She dropped the
diShpan and went inside.
Gro be continued tomorrow