The Forrest City times., 1914-08-07
CHAPTER Ili-Continued.

Now the Amazonian Mrs Homan. a widow for the third time, made sturdy retort:
 That's jest like yew old maids-al- ways a-blamin' the men. Yew kin jest bet I never would have let one of my husbands go ter the poorhouse It would have mortified me dretful. It must be purity poor sort of woman what cant take the care of one man and keep roof over his head. Why. my second, Oliver G.. used ter say"
 "Oh!" Miss Ellie wrung her hands, cant we do somethin'?"
 T could do a-plenty," mourned Miss Abigail, 'ef I only had been savin'. Here I git a salary O four dollars month, an not one penny laid away"
 'Yew iergit, spoke some one gently, that 1t takes consid able ter dress a matron proper"
 Aunt Nancy, who had been sneezing furiously at her own impotence. now found her speech again.
 We're nice set ter talk erbout dewin' somethin'-a passel O poor ole critters like us!" Her cackle of em- oittered laughter was interrupted by the low, cultivated voice of the belle Of the home. Butterfly Blossy"
 We've got to do something" said Blossy firmly.
 When Blossy spoke with such de ctsion every one of the sisters pricked up her ears. Blossy might be "a shal- Ier-pate;" she might arrange the golden-white hair of her head as be- fitted the crowning glory of young girl, with puffs and rolls and little curls, and-more than one sister sus- pected-with the aid of rats" she might gown herself elaborately In the mended finery of the long ago, the better years; she might dress her lovely big room-the only double bed chamber in the house, for which she had paid double entrance fee-in all sorts of gewgaws, little ornaments. hand painted plaques of her own pro- ducing. lace bedspreads, embroidered splashers and pillow shams; she might even permit herself suitor who came twice year more punctually than the linestorms. to ask her withered little hand in marriage-but her heart was an the right place. and on occasion she had proved herself a master hand at -'fixin' things"
 Yes" said she, rising to her feet and fiinging out her arms with an elo- Quent gesture. we've got to do some thing and thara'o ino at i, a. girls: take the captain right here here"-she brought her hands to the faces on her bosom-"to our hearts,"
 At first there was silence. with the ladies staring blankly at Blossy and then at one another. Had they heard alright? Then there came murmurs and exclamations, with Miss Abigails voice gasping above the others:
 What would the directors say?"
 What do they always say when we ask favor?" demanded Blossy. How much will it cost?' it won't cost cent"
 Wont. eh?" snapped Aunt Nancy. How on earth be yew goin' to vittle him? hain't had a second dish O peas this year.
 Some men eat more an some less remarked Sarah Jane. as ill-favored A spinster as ever the sun shone on. generally il means so much grub ter so much weight"
 Miss Abigail glanced up at the cell. ing. while Lazy Daisy, who had re. fused to tip the beam for ten years. surreptitiously hid an apple into which she had been biting.
 Les have 'em weighed" suggested widow, Ruby Lee. with A pretty. well-preserved little face and figure. "an' of tergether they don't come up to the heartiest one of us"
 Miss Abigail made hasty interrun- tion:
 Gals. hain't yew never noticed that the more yew need the more yew git7 Before Jenny Bell went to live with her darter didn't know what should dew. for the 'taters was gittin' booty low. Yew know she used ter eat twenty ter a meal, an then look hun gry at the platter An then of old Square Ely didn't come a-drivin' up one mornin' with ten bushel in the farm wagon! He'd been savin' 'em fer us all winter fer fear we might run short in the spring. Gals, thar's one thing yew kin depend on. the fore sightedness of the Lord. hain't afraid ter risk a-stretchin' the board an keep O thirty ter pervide ample fer