The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-07-03
MRS. DOLBY'S DEED
Pickle Banel Suicide Threat Leaves
Her Husband Unmoved.
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1914. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

After supper, Wnen Deacon DOlDy
took the kerosene can and started for
the store. he left Mrs. DOlby singing
the hymn that she had a home over
there. She hadn't been 80 cheerful in
many weeks.
When the deacon returned an hour
later there was no singing. The lamp
on the kitchen table was turned low
down, and the house seemed to he de.
serted.
"Gone over to Browns" said the dea-
con to himself as he turned mp the
wick.
Then his eye caught sight Of a note.
and he half groaned.
The note was brief and concise. 1t
read:
l have heard all about you and the bull
calf, and you will find my body IN
the pickle barrel dow cellar.
mice pickle she'll make" grunted
the deacon as he proceeded to the sit
ting room aud turned up the lamp
there. He had brought with him four
big apples.
1t was rather foolish Of Mrs. Dolby
to choose the pickle route to that bet.
ter land when there were so many bet
ter ones, he thought.
He had finished his first apple and
begun peeliny the second when Mrs.
Dolby appeared in the kitchen door
and in a hollow voice exclaimed:
Samuel Dolby, the dead speaks to
your
Samuel didn't jump out OF his chair.
He didn't even give a start Of surprise
Samuel, one day last fall. when you
were pulling the carrots. a man came
along the road with a bull calf. DO
you remember it,"
The deacon remembered, but he didn't
admit that he did.
"After a little talk with him you
started off downtown with the two. |
called and called you. but you never
even looked back"
1t was true, but the deacon wasn't
going to Il SO. He wasn't going to
say anything at all.
"When you got back home you had a
skinned nose and was breathing hard.
All you would say about it was that
you fell down. Samuel Dolby. you
lied to your cOnfiding wife!
"While you were downtown this
evening Mrs. White came in and told
me all about it. 1t seems that the man
was taking the bull calf to sell to the
butcher. When he got there there was
a dispute about the calf's weight. That
was where you butted in. You never
owned a bull calf in your life, but you
had to butt in and offer to bet So to 81
that you could lift him."
The deacon grinned. but the grin was
hidden from Mrs. Dolby.
"The man bet with you and you lost.
You could no more lift that calf than
you could lift a barn. You heaved and
grunted and tugged. And when you
claimed you had lifted it when you
hadn't and you refused to hand over
the bet both men called you a liar
and the owner of the calf skinned
your nose and chased you a quarter Of
a mile"
The deacon cringed. but chewed Wig
orously to hide it. He honestly be-
lieved that he had lifted the calf. but
the others were against him.
There is the case. Samuel, and do
you blame me for jumping head first
into the pickle barrel!"
The deacon had finished his third
apple and he was full. He therefore
shut and pocketed his jackknife and
gave a sort Of gulp to signify that he
was full.
II thought l could die and not say
anything about it," continued Mrs.
Dolby, "but l just had to back out of
that barrel and let you know that your
perfidy was discovered.
II have done my duty. Samuel, and
l go back to my pickle barrel. I don't
want the angels to say l was too hard
on you. and so l will admit that I have
heard Of cases where men were half
crazy about bull calves. That may
have been what allied you that day. II
you think 1t was, why-why"-
The deacon may have thought 80,
and he may have repudiated the sug-
gestiOn with scOrn, but he had q wise
old head on his shoulders and main
tanned silence except for q yawn or two.
III you were bull calf crazy then I
might forgive you il you got down on
your knees"
"Humph!' said the deacon to him
self.
samuel. you needn't mind about a
large funeral for me. l deserve one.
but I don't want to put you to needless
expense. Being as drowned myself in
the pickle bari, why not use that as
my coffin""
The deacon may have thought it a
good idea. but he didn't say so. There
was a long minute of silence. and then:
81 don't know but what it is my duty
to stay here on earth. Samuel. When a
husband gets to running after bull
calves. who should watch out for him
but his wife? If you would only get
down on your knees"-
The deacon made no move to rest on
his marrOWbOneS.