Smyrna times., 1912-12-25
SHE GOT
RILED
By ARCHIBALD PETERS


cause she was such a frail little thing,
so different from me, a strapping
farmers boy who could follow a plow
all day and sling my legs at barn
dance till o'clock in the morning.
1 wasn't afraid of the devil himself,
while MarigOld, though a country girl,
didn't dare go near COW. Her mother
had to do all the milking.
'What would you do l asked her,
IF robber came into the hOuseY
81 should die of fright" she replied.
This troubled me. for l proposed,
after our wedding day. to take my wife
on to my farm. and didn't see how 1
could stay within eyesight of my house
all the while. If a tramp should some
along or a criminal of any kind he
would have an easy job of getting
away with whatever he could carry.
But it wasn't this that troubled me
so much; it was the prospect of coming
home some day and finding my wife
murdered or that she had been fright
ened to death. which was about the
same thing.
Well, we were married. The house
on my farm was about 100 years old.
1t would require ten men a month to
knock 1t to pieces, so heavy and so we'll
knitted together was its framework In
the kitchen was a fireplace six feet
wide. The furniture was as old as the
house and as strong. 1t was so heavy
that 1 had casters put on every piece.
When l went out in the morning
Marigold would ask how far was go
ing-whethe- l would be within call,
and all that
One day was obliged to drive to the
county seat on some business anS be
away several hours. Marigold didn't
object TO my going-in that way she
was plucky-but could see she assent
ed with dread If l could have sent
any one else l would have stayed at
home. But couldn't very we'll do so,
and, timid as my wife was. knew she
wouldn't have permitted such a course.
: I kissed her gOodby about o'clock
in the morning, drove to town, at
tended to my business and reached
home in time for the noon meal.
l didn't see Marigold in the yard
watching for me. and this frightened
me. Driving up to the front door, let
the horses stand without hitching and
ran into the hall The rooms were all
in disorder With my heart in my
throat ran to the rear. In the kitch-
en- l saw sight. Most of the furniture
had been rolled against the fireplace,
and a board was placed one end
against a bedstead and the other
against the wall. Something awful
must have happened-that something
my wife had always dreaded. 1t
:. flashed through my brain that this
dread was not due so much to physi-
cal weakness as to a premonitiOn OF
a. evil. oh, why had l left her? If
4 found her alive | would never leave
D. her alone again.
n. Behind the kitchen was the wood
n. house, and running through the wood
n. house, keeping my eyes open all the
while for my wife's dead body.
emerged into the back yard. Wha
was my surprise and relief to see Mari
gold sitting quietly on a stump a shor
. distance from the rear of the hOus
with my shotgun over her knees. he
finger on the trigger.
4 "For heavens sake, sweetheart, wha
has happened?
She was so intent upon something o.
the roof of the house that she did no
reply. turned my eyes in that direC
ton and was thunderstruck at seein
a mans head raised above the chin
er. nev. But it was lowered Immediately
and. taking another glance at my wife
saw her with the gun to her shoulde
and pointing at the chimney.
"Next time you do that" she SAT-
81 "I'll fire sure"
Was ever man so bewildered as 1?
= "My dear / pleaded. "do explain"
"About an hour ago. she begal
'that villain in the chimney came
the house and asked for something
eat. He saw by my looks that | W;
frightened and since l was alone can
in and threatened to kill me If didn
tell him where the money was. Som
how this made me kind of mad.
sides. | didn't want to lose the none
So | lust wouldn't tell him. Then
ransacked the house. l had done Il
sweeping. had put everything to right
and it riled me to see him tossil
things about
81 thought if could get him into
-foset or somewhere l might keep hi
9 I'll you came home. Then it Occurr
TO me to tell him the money was in t
chimney. He climbed up there. hur
ing for it, and | wheeled the furnitu
against the opening and got boa
- from the woodhouse to brace 1t wi
Al so he couldn't move it away. He tri
and. seeing himself cornered, was elm
. ing up when | snatched the gun
9. ran outside He was just getting o
when | told him if he didn't get ba
I'd shoot him"