Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-10-27
CHAPTER discontinued.


retort:
That's jest like yew old maids-al-
ways a-blamin' the men. Yew kin jest
bet never would have let one of my
husbands go ter the poorhouse. 1t
would have mortified me dretful. 1t
must be purity poor sort of woman
what can't take the care of enc man
and keep roof over his head. Why,
my second. Oliver G., used ter say"
"Oh!" Miss Ellie wrung her hands,
cant we do sometime"
Il could do a-plenty," mourned Miss
Abigail. "ef l only had been savin'.
Here l git salary o. four dollars
month, an not one penny laid away"
"Yew tergit," spoke some one gently,
that it takes consid'abl ter dress
matron proper"
Aunt Nancy, who had been sneezing
furiously at her own impotence, now
found her speech again.
Were a nice set ter talk erbout
dewin' somethin'-a passed. o. poor ole
critters like us!" Her cackle of en-
FILTERED 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-
cision every one of the sisters pricked
up her ears. Blossy might be "a shall
ler-pate;" she might arrange the
golden-white hair of her head as be-
fitted the browning 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 deliberately 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 a 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 a sutton who came
twice year more punctually than the
line-storms, to ask her withered little
hand in marriage-but her heart was
in the right place, and on occasion she
had proved herself a master hand ut
"fixin' things"
Yes" said she. rising to her feet
and flinging out her arms with an elo-
quent gesture, we've got to do some
thing, and there's just one thing to do,
girls: take the captain right here
harau- sba hrCuobt barf boDdc 80 en-
laces 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 ordinations, with Miss Abigail's
voice gasping above the others:
What would the directors say?"
What do they always say when we
ask a favor?" demanded Blosey.
How much will it cost? 1t won't
cost a cent"
Wont, eh?" snapped Aunt Nancy.
How on earth be yew goin' to vittle
him? l 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 1t 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
a widow, Ruby Lee, with a pretty,
well-preserved little face and figure,
"an' eff tergether they don't come up
to the heartiest one Of US"
Miss Abigail made hasty Interrupt
ton:
Gals, hain't yew never noticed that
the more yew need the more yew git?
Before Jenny Bell went to live with
her darter didn't know what should
dew, for the 'taters was gittin' pooty
low. Yew know she used ter eat
twenty ter meal, an then look hun
CRY at the platter. An then ef old
Square Ely didn't come a-drivin' up
one mornin' with ten bushel In the
farm wagoni He'd been savin' 'em
fer us all winter fer fear We might run
short in tie spring. Gals, thar's one
thing yAw 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
thirty-one. Naow. haow many OF yew
is willin' ter try it,"
Every head nodded. II am" every
eye was wet with the dew OF merciful
kindness; and Mrs. Holman and Sarah
Jane. who had flung plates at each
other only that morning. were OBJ
served to be holding hands.
But haow on arth be we a-goin' ter
sleep him?" proceeded the matron I'M
essily. Thar haint a extry corner In
the hull place. Putin tew people in
No. 80 is out Of the Question-tt's Jest
erbout the size OF Cinderella shoe
box. anyhow. an the garnet Leaks"
She paused, for Blossy was pulling
at her sleeve, the real Blossy, warm
hearted. generous. self-deprecating.
Il think No. so is just the contest
little place for one! Do let me take IT.
Miss Abigail. end give the couple my
great big barn of room."
Aunt Nancy eyed her suspiciously.
"Yew amt s-gwine ter make a fool o.
yerself. an jump over the broomstick
ag'in9" For Blossy's old sutton. Sam
uel Darby. had made one of his semi
annual visits only that morning.