Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-05-20

ers along the sheet. Then when he
this letter on the floor. and-mind that
l say On the floor-and that l gave one
piercing Shrek and fell dead"
II 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:
ooh, Mary, l 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 l
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 q cry pretty
white dress with much lac: around the
waist. She prepared to "be dead" as
Jenny Wren calls 1t, 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 q 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, I for
got to loosen my hair! George likes
to see it so! And, Mary, 1 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 a joke that can cut two
ways. I'll slip out the back way and
ring the bell and come in, and III bet
a 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
o~l so+ III +La .lo;,, ,,1,,I {ho r-o1J-
as if for a funeral. Then the bell rang
suddenly and hard. Mary jumped.
Mrs. Fenton said:
Hurry, quick; give me the powder
box.' And she put the powder on so
thickly that she did look very white.
She continued hurriedly:
"Now, Mary, cover my face careful
ly so l won't sneeZe. Now 90 and let
him in"
AS she said this Mrs. Fenton sud
denly began to CULVER 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 furiously.
At this minute George was at the
door and bounced in. laughing heart
lily, while Mary looked too shocked for
words. He threw the bag down with
a slam as he shouted:
$50 the old hen has kicked the buck
ct, hoped the twig, passed in her
checks and gone to kingdom come!
Well, Pm not going to cry over it.
What was the matter with her?"
ATorv ratoarol.oro1 how ;pc{r,,of;or
and with a 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 fure-
on the fure-yis. on the fure-and fell
did on the spot
what spot"' asked George. looking
about him c%uriously.
"Lor'. l 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 a big lum
muX of a galoot, and | wish he had
married her.
AT this studied insult Mrs. Fentor
lifted her head under the sheet. Mary
only saw it and stif1cd a cry.
81 say, Mary" said George. you are
a nice looking girl. and | know yor
are tidy and q good cook. Now. wha'
do you say to taking the old hens
place. I've had my eye upon you for ;
long time"
There vas another subdued commo
ton under the sheet.
Just as soon as she is planted, 70
it would be an awful bother to breal
up housekeeping. and you could hav
all her clothes. her ssalskin coat-and-
ah-her table linen. (This last wa
Annie's JOY and pride.) Oh, say, II
5 have her cremated. l suppose there'l
/, be a %coroner's inquest and an autopsy
Yes, I'll have the autopsy, for sh'
swallowed a gold dollar once. And
: Mary, get your scissors. I'll cut he
(; hair off. She won't need it where She
?, gone, and ! guess it's worth at leas
s25. And, Mary, you take out he.
teeth. They cost $50. And Their thu