The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-27

thing they noticed was them dat1ronS on top of the cistern door. Mis- Prim- rose, she says that looks funny. But another woman speaks up and says Danny must of been playing with them while Elmira was over town She says, ''Was you playing they was horses, Danny ?'' !
 I was feeling considerable like a liar by this time, but I says was playing horses with them, fur couldn't see no use in hurrying things up. I was bound to get lamming purity soon anyhow. When was kid could always bet on that. So they picks up the f1atirons, and as they picks lem up they come a splashing noise in the cis- tern. I thinks to myself, Hanks corpsen be out of there in a minute. One woman, she says:
 'tGoodness gracious sakes alive! Whats that, Elmira ?''
 Eln1ira says that cistern is mighty full of fish, and they is some great big ones in there, and it must be some of them a-dopping around, which if they hadn't of been all worked up and talk ing all to oncet and all thinking of Hanks body hanging out there in the blacksmith shop they might of suspi- cioned something, for that Hopping kep' up steady and lot of splashing too. I mebby orter mentioned 1t soon CT it had been a dry summer, and they was only three or four feet of water in our cistern, and Hank wasn't in scarce Iy up to his big hairy chest. So when Elmira says the cistern is full of fish that woman opens the trap door and looks in. Hank thinks it's Elmira come to get him out He allows he'll rrYrf<,4 <TlAv.e. y,s7 is drowned and give her a good scare and make her sorry for him. But when the cistern door is opened he hears a lot of clacking tongues all of a sudden like they was hen convention on. He allows she has told some of the neigh bors, and he'll scare them too. So Hank, he laid low. And the woman as looks in sees nothing. for it's as dark down there as the insides of the whale what swallered Noah. But she leaves the door open and goes on a-making tea, and they ain't skeercly a sound from that cistern, only little, ripply noises like it might have been fish.
 Pretty soon a woman says:
 tIt has drawed, Elmira. Won't you have cupY
 EInnira she Hcked some more. but she took hern. And each woman took hern. And one woman, a-sipping of hern, she says:
 .sThe departed had his good pints. E1mira.'
 Which was the best thing had been said of Hank in that town fur years and years.
 Old Mis- Primrose, she always prided herself on being honest. no matter what come, and she ups and says:
 q don't believe in no hippercritics at time like this, no more'n no other time. The departed wasn't no good, and the hull town knowed 1t, and FL mira orter feel like it's good riddance of bad rubbish and them is my senti- ments and the sentiments of rightful- ness"
 All the other women sings out: '.w'y, Mis- Primrose! I neverY' And they seemed awful shocked: But down in underneath more of 'em agreed than let on. EImira she wiped her eyes and said:
 s'Hennerey and me has had our troubles. They ain't any use in deny ing that, Mis- Primrose. It has often been give and take between us and be twixt us. And the hull town knows he has lifted his hand agin me more'n oncet. But I always stood up to Hen
 
 fair and open. I give him as good as he sent on this here earth. and ain't the one to carry no annermosities be- yond the. grave forgive Hank all the orneriness he done me, and they was lot of 1t, as is becoming unto 8 church member, which he never was.''
 And all the women but Mis- Prim- Bose. they says:
 ''Elmira Appleton, you have got a Christian sperrit!' Which done her a heap5of good, and she cried consider able harder, leaking out tears as fast 1 as she poured tea in, Each one on 'em tries to find out something good to say about Hank. only they wasn't much 1 they could say. And Hank in that there cistern a-listening to every word of it.
 I Mis- Rogers, she says: "Afore he took to drinking like fish | Hank Walters was as likely looking a | young feller as ever see"
 Mis- White, she says:
 Well, Hank he never was stingy | man, nohow. Often and often White has told me about seeing Hank, after 1 he'd sold piece of land. treating the 1 hull town down in Nolan's barroom, l jest as come easy, go easy as if 1t wasn't money he'd orter paid his hon. est debts with.''
 By and by Tom Alexander come busting into the house, and his wife, l Mis- Alexander, was with him.
 What's the matter with all you folks ?'' he says. 'NThey ain't nobody hanging in that there blacksmith shop. broke the door down and went in. and it was empty
 Then they was a pretty howdy do, and they all sings out: -tWhere's the corpse?'' I thinks that Iamming is about due ] now. But whilst all eyes is turned on me and Elmtra they comes a voice l from that cistern. It is Hanks voice