Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-18

derStand each other? 1 can see through
a man. but when one woman sets her.
self to hoodwink another it's a differ
ent matter"
! give Jim just enough encourage
ment to keep him where I wanted him,
and no more. IL couldn't have him
for husband without his paw for
stepfather l wouldn't have either OF
'em. Before listened to Jim had
a-mind TO settle matters between Mr..
Shadwell and NAV. We kept a few
pigs just to eat up the leavin'+ from
our table and TO sell when they got big
enough. First thing did was TO COM
plain to mother that the sty was too
near our house. 1t smelt bad. And
kept dingin' at her to let me move 1t
till she give In. Then one day when
she went to the county fair stayed
home and had the sty moved close up
to Mr.. Shadwells fence.
Nobody made any objection till one
night got out of bed. went to the sly.
let out the pigs. scraped hole under
! the fence between our yard and the
Shadwells' potato patch big enough
for the pigs to git through and put 'em
all in the patch.
The next mornin' 1 looked out of my
window and saw Mr. Shsdwell stand
In over his potatoes-those that the
pigs Hadn't eaten-swearin' like pi-
rate. Nav, she happened to take the
swill to the sty at that time. which
was mighty lucky for me and unlucky
for them.
whats the matter. Mr.. Shadwellr
she asked, kind O. soothin'.
Matter. ma'am, Why, the movin'
O. your sty up here has cost me most
o. my petatoesr'
Pm sorry" Nh ri
What did you move it for7" v
MANDY did It."
"AlT I've got to say is Mandy better
move 1t back again. Mandy seems to
i be boss in your house anyway"
/ This made nav mad. and without
answerin' she dumped the swill into
the trough and come back into the
house
Jim come over that night and told
me his father was mighty sorry he'd
lost his temper. l said to Jim that his
! father better come the next Sunday
night and not say anything about any
unpleasantness and all would go
smooth again. He said he'd give his
father my recommend and went away
early to make the old man feel more
comfortable.
I'd been lookin' for a weak spot in
the fence between the two farms and
had one in mind. That night | pulled
away enough of 1t to let our cows into
the Shadwell cornfield. You ought to
seen that cornfield the next mornin'.
] almost felt ashamed of myself. When
nav saw the damage that had been
done she went over to pacify Mr.. Shad-
well. and It ended in their gittin' into
a regular fight. BE said some one
must "a done 1t a-purpose. This riled
nav a little. but she kept steady She.
said she'd been wonderin' for SONG
time why he didn't mend the weak
spots in his fence. and he said there
wasn't any weak spots. except what
had been made a-purpose. Nav ask
ed If he was referrin' TO her, but she
wouldn't give him time to answer. She
Just let out on him.
Mr.. ShadwelI he didn't come over the
next Sunday night: no more did jim
I thought mebbe Jim bad begun to see
through a milestone. and he had The
next day, after the COW destroyed the
corn. he and his father was hammerin
at the fence all day. didn't 20 near
'em ! just waited. Next day when
Il was goin' TO the store met Jim in
the road. he hardly spoke to me. I
asked him what was the matter. and
be said Id spoiled everything between
MS His father had taken a great dis
| like TO me and had forbid bis comm
over TO our house evenin's any more.
whats he got against me?" asked
in a voice smooth, like peaches and
cream.
He'd have more against you than
he has" said Jim, IF he'd seen you
the other night. as ! did. turnin' the
COW into our cornfield"
; knew his paw and my nav had
done too much ightin' to be likely to
make it up. go I said to Jim: There's
nothin' mean about me. IL the old
: folks love each other as we do |
wouldn't stand in their way to bein'
happy" Jim said that was lust like
me-alNays givin' way for other peo-
pies benefit
When tAe trouble had blown over
Jim and was married. his paw max
In no objections after Jim told him my
mobile words" as Jim called 'em, about
not standin' in the old folks way. But
the spell between EN- wasn't so thick
as IL they'd been younger, and II was
broke clean through. Mr.. Shadwell
treats me fairly well. but he hasn't tina
confidence in me Jim has or had when
we was married ] expect the fathers
nearer right than the son. do think
man in love can make the biggest
fool OF himself. he always seems to
! me 10 have taken leave Of his senses
Nav and MIR ShadweH ire pretty
good friends: hut. laws. they don't
want TO get hitcbed. They'd fight
hwful!