Barbour County index., 1908-12-09

-
Give me- says l, a streaked chunk;
streak of lean and a streak of fat
Then put 'em in the oven and bake
'em all day and by night they're
ready. So when Jehiel says to me,
Hannah, 1 don't feel like BEANS I
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 church and just running
over with sympathy, seemed so, so
she shifted and went on.
He looked SICK" she says, ''and !
could see that he was sick, too. So I
got him to bed and what night l put
in! Oh, the hot jugs to his feet! Oh,
the running for the doctori We had
DR.. Blake here then, Mr.. Pratt You
remember him, don't you? Great big
tall man with gray whiskers. No,
wait minute. Twas DR.. White that
had the whiskers; DR.. Blake was
smooth-faced. No, seems to me he
had a mustache. 1 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 he'd have to raise more beard
than that. She said doctor without
beard was like soft-boiled egg with
-without-without something or
mother in it. Strange 1 can't think!
An egg without something in it.
Chicken, possibly" suggests Van.
mo, indeed. Salt! that's what twas.
A soft-biled 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 sin and shame. I've ct eggs
so hard that you could build a stone
wall out of 'em, seems so; and then
again I've ct 'em when I've actually
had to drink 'em. Now when 1 bile
speaking of eggs when 1 fust started.
Where was II"
You were telling us about beans, 1
believe, Mrs. Purvis,'' purrs Van
again, sweet and buttery as can be-.
Il seem to have dim recollection Of
beans, Mrs. P"
ooh, yes, yes! 1 was going on to
tell of Jehiel's sufferins, Mr.. Van
Brunt. If 1 could only begin to give
you an idea of that poor critters
agony. Why, he-who's that at the
back door?"
Twas the neighbor's boy, as it
turned out, come to borrow a cupful
of sugar, but he took Hannah Jane
away from us, which was a mercy.
She dropped the dishpan and went in.
side.
Van Brunt looked after her. "Will
some one please inform me-" says he,
whether I've been at a clinic, or a
funeral, or just a cooking-school ses-
sion?"
''Humph!" says Hartley. "Unfor-
tunate interruption. Now we shan't
learn what became of the long-suffer,
ing Jehiel."
"Oh, he died." says Van. 81 wanted
| to find out what became of those
| beans"
81 understand now why they put
AT Rest on Jehiel's gravestone," l
says.
Hartley turned to me. Skipper -
| he says, you mustn't think that Van
| and 1 are altogether cold-blooded be-
cause we refuse to weep over the de-
| parted Samuels. The lady has
cheered us with happy little memories
of this kind ever since she agreed to
demean herself and make 'riz biscuit
| at four-ffty per. She began with her
cousin, who died of smallpox, and
she's worked down through the family
till she's got to her husband"
Yes says Van, 'and he's only her
first. We shall hear later how Mum.
ber Two fell into stone-crusher or
was boiled in oil. Lord"
Hank Purvis had five brothers, "
says 1; "and they've all died within
the last ten year. You've got more
| funerals coming to you"
1t was quiet for few minutes. Out
back we could hear Hannah Jane lay
ing into the neighbor's boy because
! he tracked mud on the kitchen floor.
1T was no use," says Van, decided.
| Il refuse to renew my subscription to
| The Daily Morgue. All those in favor
| of parting with the Widow Purvis at
once, immediate, P. D. O., will say
Aye Contrary minded, No. It's a
vote. Hannah is erased. What shall
we do, Martin-go back to James and
dignity, or feed ourselves?"
Hartley seemed to be thinking.
Skipper" says he to me, you can
cook. I-eyen I, the interesting in
valid-can eat. your chowder and like
| it and come back for more Will you
come and help us out? What do you
say?" -, ns -
Van Brunt sat up straight. MAR
tin says he, you're as comforting as
the shadow of great rock in ain a
something or other. You're a genius.
Pratt, you've got to come here and
live with us, We peed thee every
hour, as Mrs. P. sings at a. m,
which is her ungodly time for getting