Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-10-21


on the rejuvenated Darby:
"Hain't a-goin' ter git up. heb! Yew
| old mollycoddle, Yew baby! Old
Lady 81. Kitty calf, But | hain't
a-blamin' yew; eff had lived in this
here place a year an a half, I'd be
stark. starin' mad! Leetle tootsie
wootsie! Git up"
Abe had opened his eyes and was
once more staring at the other. his
mind slowly coming to the light OF the
realization that Samuel might be more
| sane than himself
That's what | told Angy all along"
he ventured. Il told her. says. says
|. 'Humbug, Foolishness, Yere A.
maxim regular baby of me. Why,
says, what's the difference between
me an these here women-folks except
that / wear a beard an smoke pipe?"
Then why don't yew git up?" de.
manded the inexorable Samuel Cit
up an fool EN-; or. gosh all hemlock!
they'll be measurin' yew fer yer coffin
next week. When / come inter the
hall. what dew yew think these here
sisters o yourn was a-discussin'? They
was a-arguin' the pint as to whether
they'd bury yew in n shroud or yer
Sunday suit"
Abraham put one foot out OF bed.
Samuel took hold OF his arm and with
this assistance the old man managed
to get up entirely and stand, though
shaking as if with the palsy. upon the
| floor
Feel poorly good. don't yew?" de-
manded Samuel, but with less sever
| ity.
"A leetle soft, a leetle soft" NUT
| tered the other. Gimme my cane,
| Thar. eff one o. them women comes in
the door Ill-Ill-" Abraham raised
his stick and shook it at the innocent
air. "Whar's my pipe? Mis- Homan
she went an hid it last week"
! After some searching. Samuel found
the pipe in Abes hatbox underneath
| the old mans beaver, and produced
from his own pocket a package of to-
bacco, whereupon the two sat down
| for quiet smoke Samuel chuckllng
to himself every now and again, Abe
modestly seeking from time to time to
cover his bare legs with the skirt Of
|
| to reach for a blanket lest Samuel
should call him names again. With
the very first puff of his pipe. the light
had come back into the invalids eyes;
with the second, the ashen hue com.
pletely left his cheek; and when he
had pulled the tenth time on the pipe.
Abe was ready to laugh at the sisters,
the whole world. and even himself.
"Hy-guy. but it's splendid to feel
like a man ag'in!"
The witch of Hawthorne's story
never gazed more fondly at her
"Feathertop" than Samuel now gazed
at Abraham pulling away on his pipe;
but he determined that Abraham's
fate should not be as poor Feather
tops" Abe must remain a man
"Naow look a-here, Abe" he began
after while, laying his hand on the
others knee. dew yew knaow that
yew come put nigh gittin' swamped in
the big breakers? Ef | hadn't come
| along an throwed out the lifeline,
yew-"
"Saml," interrupted the new Abra-
ham, not without touch of asperity,
| A-leavin' me ter die OF apron strings
an doctors! OF course | didn't 'spect
nuthin O. yew when yew was jist a
! bachelor. an we'd sort o. lost sight er
each other fer many a year but arter
yew got connected with the Hum by
marriage sorter-"
Connected with the Hum by mar
riage," broke in Samuel with snort
of indignant protest Me" Words
failed him. He stared at Abe with
burning eyes. but Abe only insisted
! sullenly:
"Whar yew an Blossy been all this
time?"
Dew yew mean ter tell me, Abe
Rose. that yew didn't know that Aunt
Nancy forbid Blossy the house cause
she didn't go an ask her permission
ter git spliced? Oh, / forgot" ne
added. "Yew'd gone upstairs ter take
nap that day we come back from
the minister's"
CrO BE CONTINUED