The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-06-09
WHEN the DEACON
CALLED.
Copyright, 1851

TO call. One afternoon the farmer and
his wife set out for town, leaving their
guest all alone. This was the after
noon selected by Deacon Watkins for
his call.
There were reasons why the deacon
arrived at the Gregg homestead in a
rather excited condition. He was kick
ed by one Of his cows just before leav-
ing home. one of the hogs got caught
in the fence and had to be released, u
stray bull that he encountered In the
road ran him up n wild cherry tree,
aud IN some of the adventures he lost
jackknife that used to belong to his
grandfather. lie was therefore more
or less perturbed when lie Knocked at
the kitchen door and then entered TO
find the widow asleep IN the room be.
yond. He had turned TO retreat when
she awoke and uttered Il scream at
sight of him. She had been dreaming
of that escaped lunatic. She had
dreamed that he had his fingers on her
throat and was choking her to death,
and here he was before her! The dea.
con muttered his name and an apology,
md the widow sat up. she had read
aud heard great deal about lunatlcs
and how they should be treated. This
Que didn't look very fierce. but she
must be careful not 10 arouse him
she must be soft and gentle and dis.
sembllng. Therefore as soon as she
could catch her breath she smilngly
asked the deacon If he wouldn't sit
down. He replied that he would and
did He didn't ask for the Greggs
Not seeing them about, he inferred that
they had gone to town.
The widow had been told always to
look mad dog or n lunatic In the eye
As she kept her eyes on the deacon she
read cunning. craft and cruelty In his
| face. and she realized that her life was
at stake. 1t was rather embarrassing
| for the caller, but lie talked about In
| dinns. Canadian thistles, potato bugs
| aud the weather and grew more at
ease rs the minutes slipped away. On
| her part the widow tried TO he as en-
| tertainlng, but II was hard work. The
fear was constantly present that the
! lunatic would suddenly break out and
rcnd her limb by limb. She was
! hyslerical. but she didn't cease TO
| smile. When the deacon finally got
around to tell her of his trials and mis-.
! fortunes he found a sympathetic listen
or. She had read that she must al
ways pretend to sympathize with the
| nd oh Al ni
life. BY and by her caller went fur
ther. He said that when his dear com
panion died he made up his mind never
to marry again, but 1t was possible
that he would change his mind IL he
met the right party. 1t was lonesome
living all alone and having no one ia
pet 1t was so lonesome that some.
times he went out and sought the com.
panionship of the oxen.
The widow had been told that she
must seem to agree with lunatic, and
she heaved n sigh and replied to the
deacon by saying that when she had
laid her Joseph meath the weeping
willow she thought the light had gone
cut forever. Time had assuaged her
|
mind. She had come to feel that per.
haps 1t was even her duty to marry
again. She could cook, wash, bake
iron, make soft soap and all kinds OF
preserves, and for three years running
her crazy quilts and rag carpets had
taken first prizes at the county fair
rhe deacon then limited that by hard
4, 4
about $1,000 worth of property. The
widow saw his object and stated tina
her Joseph left her about that amount
and she had increased 1t somewhat
As n matter of fact. she lied about It
hut she had read that one must Away
lie 10 lunatics. aud she didn't propos,
to provoke the one before her.
Deacon Watkins became interested
lie admired. He would come again
II his lost relict was To be replaced
Indiana should have fair chance Il
The race. He liked that smile. III
liked that chatter. He liked Il woman
that could hustle with the housewOrI
and knew by instinct when boile,
dinner was ready to put on the table
He got up to go, and the widow fel
that her life was saved. He llugere,
with his hand on the back of his chaiI
and her throat CONSTRUCTED He nigh
or might not have taken his leave u
soon MS he had finished telling her tina
he thought ailing humanity ought T.
drink more catnip tea when steps wer
heard outside. 4 hog buyer and Ill
. peddler had arrived In chorus. Th
widow cried, Come inw and the
came, but che instant they entered sh
cried something else. Pointing 10 tn
deacon, she half shrieked;
Secure him! He Is an escaped III
natlc"
Then the deacon was thrown on hi
back and tied up with the clotheslin
und threatened with death, and, thong
he suffered aud stammered, no atter
tion was paid TO him, He was bur
died into the droyers cart and Joyce
over to the asylum, and II was onl
then that any attention was paid to hi
remarks When the Greggs returne
and found out what had happened III
farmer went over 10 see his neighbo
' ! lie found him sitting OH the bac