West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-06-03
Place me on sunium's marbied steep
Where nothing but the waves and 4
Can hear their ghostly murmurs swesr
There. swan-ifke, let me sing and dIe


There. swan-ifke. 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.
ME- Fenton had on a 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 or his face, stepped forward
To surprise his pretty wife. whom he
sincerely loved But the strange words
and actions caused him 10 stop, listen
and look through hole In the screen.
At hrst he thought OF rushing out and
surprising her. But he didn't and stood
quite stiil. 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
thought.
MARY, don't cover my face until just
before you 20 to the door. Oh, 1 for
got to loosen my hairi George likes
to see IT so! And. Mary. do hope
and pray he may repent after this"
We'll. ma'am. he ought to, but /
don't see what he has done"
While this was being said and done
George said to himself:
BY Jfnks, this is getting interesting.
III help carry this thing out I'm hne
style. II Is a joke that can cut two
ways. I'll slip out the back way and
ring the bell and come In, and I'll bet
stack OF little round silver dollars
she'll never play such a trick again"
And he took bis gripsack and went
out the back way.
Mary continued arranging the corpse
and set all tho chairs around the walls
as IL for 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 hurriediy:
Now. Mary, cover my face careful
ly so won't sneeze. Now 60 and let
him In"
Az she said this Mrs. Fenton sud
denly began TO quiver and lift her
knees under the sheet and sneexed
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
q slam as he shouted:
$50 the old hen has kicked the buck
ct, hoped the twig. passed in her
checks and gone to kingdom comel
Well, I'm not going to cry over Il.
What was the matter with herr
Mary remembered her instructions
and with tragic air handed him the
letter.
This, sorP'
George took the letter and read It
laughing still harder.
'Yis, sor: she found II on the fiure-
on the nure--yis. on the f1ure-and fell
did on the spot"
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 a big lum-
mux Of a galoot, and I wish he had
married her"
At this studied insult Mrs. Fenton
lifted her head under the sheet. Mary
only saw II and stifed a cry.
81 say, Mary" said George, "you are
a nice looking girl, and I know 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
II would be an awful bother to break
mp housekeeping. and you could have
all her clothes. her sealskin coat-and-
ah-her table linen. Crhis last was
Annie's Joy and pride) Oh, say, IN
have her crematedl / suppose thereIl
be coroner's inquest and an autopsy.
Yes. Ill have the autopsy, for she
swallowed a gold dollar once. And,
Mary. get your scissors. I'll cut her
hair or. She won't need II where she's
gone, and / guess it's worth at least
s25. And, Mary, you take out her
teeth. They cost S35. And then the
sheet quivered again. But he kept his
back turned. He continued:
We'll, 1t was a kind Of sudden tax
Ing OF. But then save the expense
of doctors bill, and she was getting
along In years--yes. nfty II she was a
day"
Mary stammered:
"Lawsl I wouldn't have gave her
over twenty-five" Mary saw the ist
that now protruded. George lighted a
cigar and continued:
"oh. women have a way OF fixing
themselves up. Now, you wouldn't
believe II. but she had q cork legr'
At last Mary understood that Mrs.
Fenton wanted her to get him out Of
the room and said:
"Ah, Mr. Benton, won't you come to
-. III