The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-24
MRS. DOLBY'S TALKS.

ned the Deacon that the kerosene was
almost gone, and when he got up he
took the can and went down to tho
grocery. He had got a gallon of oil and
started for home when two of the men
hanging around the store got into Il
dispute as to whether the Canada this
tie was vegetable or a flower, and he
stopped for an hour to give his opinion
on the matter. He had left Mrs. Dolby
singing: 1--WE Got a Home Over There, "
and clearing off the table, and there
was nothing to be anxious about. He
looked for her as he entered the Kitchen,
but she wasn't there. He passed into
the sitting room to find her kneeHng
before an old black trunk she had got
down from the garnet and packed al
most full Of her clothes. She also had
her bonnet and shawl on, as If con-
templating a journey
The Deacon saw. but had nothing to
say. During the day some boy had left
a handbilI at the house announcing that
Carter & Brown were going out of bus
mess and were prepared to knock
prices endways. He sat down and
picked it up, and had read it over for
the third time when Mrs. Dolby turned
on him with
Samuel, you don't ask what I am do
ing, but you must suspect that [ am
going to leave your house. Time and
again I have told you that I couldn't
live with pirate, and now the end has
come. Yes, Samuel I am going to live
the rest of my days with my sister
Mercy in Indiana. She has told me q
hundred times over that if you ever got
so wicked 1 couldn't stand it any long
er to come to her"
The Deacon heard, but he didn't look
I'D. The hand-bin said red flannel
would now be sold at 20 cents a yard
and he was wondering if he shouldn't
get some for undershirts. He had got
as far as to figure that he would need
two yards and a half for large ana
liberal shirt. when Mrs. Dolby folded
an old black skirt into the trunk ana
sat down on 1t to say:
81 sorter hate to leave you, Samuel.
but duty calls. That is, I can't make
out that it is my duty to live with
horse thief and villain any longer
The best wife in the world can bear
only so much. I shall think OF you
often when I get way off there, and al
though you haven't kissed me for
twenty-one years. five months and
fourteen days as / was figuring up
Yesterday, you'll also miss me. There
Won't be ANYTHING on my conscious,
but you'll wish and wish you hadn't
done it"
AS near as the Deacon could make
out from her last words he had done
somethins-s2methinG partaklng OF me
awful-something for which he could
not hope for forgiveness, and he waited
in considerable anxiety to hear what
it was Mrs. Dolby didn't leave him
long i'll suspense.
II was doing up the dishes. Samuel,
and wondering who you would marry
for q second wife when [ died, when
Mrs. Partridge came in to borrow an
egg to settle their coffee for breakfast.
/ had handed her the egg and was say
ing that 1 shouldn't mite wonder II
We had an earthquake before the week
INF when she began smoothing
my hair and calling me poor thing and
saving that it was too bad You acted SO.
Of course, I had to ask her what she.
meant by that, and after good deal
of coaxing she told me what she knew.
I tainted away, and when 1 came to she
was gone. Then 1 got the trunk down
and began packing. AS l said before,
I can't put up with the pirate business
any longer"
The deacon was now considerably in
terested. but he didn't propose to give
himself away. The handful announc-
ed paper collars at five cents box,
and he made up his mind that they
could go no lower even if Wall street
had to go out to work at dollar a
day. Mrs. Dolby lifted out an old yell
low waist from the trunk and inspect
ed it and put it back and then con-
tinued:
you went over to see Joab Tyler the
other day about some grass seed. You
when you did you were all sopping
wet It had rained while you were
gone and I thought it was that. and
I made you hurry into dry clothes and
drink a bowl of catnip tea. 1 did
what good wife should do, and
never suspected any scull-duggery
Samuel why didn't you tell me all
and ask me to forgive you I might
have fingered over it, but I should have
forgiven In the end, same as all wives
do Why didn't you?"
The grass seed episode had passed
out of the deacon's mind, but now it
returned, and he knew what Mrs. Dol
by was driving at. For this reason his
interest in the hand-bill suddenly be-
came more intense.
You don't say a word, Samuel, but
I can answer for you. Mrs. Tyler told
know them to be women who won't lie
In going around to the kitchen door
when you got there you stopped at the
we'll for a drink of water. The plat
form gave way and you went down.
Mrs. Tyler heard you yell out as you
went down, but she couldn't move to
save her life. She says she felt her
hair curling just as it does on the
tongs. Mr.. Tyler was away from
home, you had scared her almost to
death, and there you were down in
the we'll, with the water up to your
chin. Samuel, I always thought that
when a mans life was in danger he
thought of the Bible and sung Gospel
hymns"
At this, Mrs. Dolby broke down. She
had wanted to break down earlier in