The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-05-20

this letter on the floor, and-mind that
say On the foor--and that gave one
piercing Shrek and fell dead"
81 will, ma'am," said Mary. taking
the ragged letter.
In the meantime Mrs. Fenton had
pushed a chair to the side of the table
and prepared to mount, while she said
plaintively:
"Oh. Mary, feel like some Of the
people they write about-the Indian
girls that leap from precipices, singing
their death songs.
"Place me on Sunium's marbled steep,
Where nothing but the waves and |
Can hear their ghostly murmurs sweep.
There, swan-like. let me sing and die"
Annie stepped to the table from the
chair preparatory to lying down and
assuming her corpselike position Mary
gathered her skirts around her feet.
] Mrs. Fenton had on very pretty
white dress with much lace around the
waist. She prepared to ''be dead" as
Jenny Wren calls it. when George. who
had got nearly all the soap out Of his
eyes and off his face, stepped forward
to surprise his pretty wife, whom he
sincerely loved. But the strange words
| and actions caused him to stop, listen
and look through hole In the screen.
At first he thought OF rushing out and
surprising her. But he didn't and stood
quite still, awaiting developments.
At last Mrs. Fenton managed to get
down to the table, and Mary adjusted
her head and the clothes about her
feet. Mrs. Fenton closed her eyes and
folded her hands across her breast;
then she was suddenly struck by a
thought.
MARY, don't cover my face until just
before you go to the door. Oh. l for
got to loosen my hair! George likes
to see it so! And Mary, l do hope
and pray he may repent after this"
"Well, ma'am, he ought to, but l
don't see what he has done"
While this was being said and done
George said to himself:
'.By Jinks this Is getting interesting.
I'll help carry this thing out in fine
!. style. 1t is joke that can cut two
ways. I'll slip out the back way and
ring the bell and come in. and Ill bet
stack of little round silver dollars
she'll never play such a trick again"
And he took his gripsack and went
out the back way.
Mary continued arranging the corpse
and set all the chairs around the walls
as if for a funeral. Then the bell rang
suddenly and hard. Mary jumped
Mrs. Fenton said:
Hurry. quick; give me the powder
boxw And she put the powder on SO
thickly that she did look very white
She continued hurriedly:
Now, Mary, cover my face careful
~ so 1 won't sneeze. Now so and let
him in."
AS she said this Mrs. Fenton sud-
denly began to quiver and lift her
knees under the sheet and sneeZed
three times, while Mary was fairly
dancing with fear as the bell rang
again, this time furlously.
At this minute George was at the
door and bounced in, laughing heart
ily, while Mary looked too shocked for
words He threw the bag down with
slam as he shouted:
$50 the old hen has kicked the buck
ct, hoped the twlg. passed IN her
checks and gone to kingdom come!
Well, I'm not going to cry over It,
What was the matter with her?'
Mary remembered her instructions
and with tragic air handed him the
letter.
''This, sor"
George took the letter and read it,
laughing still harder.
"Yis, sor; she found it on the flure-
on the flure-yis. on the flure-and fell
did on the spot"
what spot?" asked George. looking
about him curiously.
"Lor'. don't know. sor," replied the
girl. who was beginning to be ratified
with the turn affairs were taking.
"Well. don't care Now, Mary. this
letter was written to her by big lum-
mux of a galoot, and wish he had
married her."
At this studied insult Mrs. Fenton
lifted her head under the sheet. Mary
only saw it and sti1ed a cry.
81 say, Mary" said George. "you are
u nice looking girl, and kno" you
are tidy and a good cook. Now. what
do you say to taking the old hens
place I've had my eye upon you for
long time
There was another subdued commo-
tion under the sheet.
"Just as soon as she is planted, for
it would be an awful bother to break
up housekeeping. and you could have
all her clothes. her sealskin coat-and-
ah-her table linen. CThis last was
Annie's joy and prideJ Oh. say, Iii
have her cremated! suppose there'll
be a corOner's inquest and an autopsy.
Yes, III have the autopsy. for she
swallowed gold dollar once. And,
Mary. get your scissors. I'll cut her
hair off. She won't need it where she's
une, and | guess it's worth at least
SO And, Mary, you take out her
teeth. They cost $50. And then the
sheet quivered again. But he kept bis
back turned He continued:
"Well, it was kind Of sudden TAX
Ing off But then | save the expense
of Il doctors bill. and she was getting
along in years-yes fifty if she was a