The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-02-14

When Mr.. Dolby sat down for the even
ing, he had his newspaper on his knee
and Mrs. Dolby was singing Rock or
Ages" and clearing away the supper
table. He had been reading for Guar
ter OF an hour. when she quietly entered
and sat down and said:
Samuel. l don't want to disturb you
nor make you feel bad. but l feel obliged
to ask you a, few questions. Last night
at midnight. Mrs. Watkins saw a light
moving around in our back yard. 1t was
a light which bobbed up and bobbed down
and lodged this way and that. and when
it finally went out gave a great wink and
a splutter. 1t wGs what they call a ghost
lantern, Samuel. and 1t meant that there
would be death in this house within a
week. TIN be my death, OF course. I've
got twenty-seven different ailments. with
heart disease throwed in. while you are
as healthful as a cornfield. Yes; it'll be
me. but I'M not wcepin' over it. I'm
sittin' right here as calm as catnip. but
| want to know some few things"
Mr.. Dolby must have known of her
presence, but he was too deeply inter
ested in his paper to recognize it. He
had found an article which said that a
bedbug could be boiled in water for four
hours and then come out with his am
bition undaunted.
Il shall go to heaven when 1 die, of
COURSE" continued Mrs. Dolby. as her
voice broke a little. Il orter so there.
ANY woman who has whitewashed the
cellar every spring for twenty-seven
years. besides maxim soft soap, cutting
4
maxim one corset last her for thirteen
years. will go to heaven on the jump.
What bothers me. however. is how I'm
going to act artcr I git there. You know
how company anus illustrates me. II
three or four of the neighbOrs come in,
] m almost sure to fall of my cheer or
knock over sunthin'. HOw's il goin' to
be when ! git up there and meet a huh
pasture full of angels? Thcre'lI be mil
lions of en-. Samuel and they'H all be
loOkin. at me and wOnderin' who l am.
and I'll he so upset that Ill fall over my
own feet"
She paused to wipe the tears from her
eyes with the palm of her hand. but as
she had asked no direct question NJ. Dol
by finished the bug article and turned to
one on the care Of clotheslines.
don't want to be looked at an p'intcd
ont and made fun OF up there, said Mrs.
Dolby as she sat with her eyes on the
carpet ''NI night long last night I
couldn't sleep for thinkin that some of
the angels would turn up their noses at
me and want to know what on airth ]
was dom there. You remember Sarah
Jan" BiXby. who died TWO years ago?
Sarah was snippy and sassy. II she went
TO heaven, it would Jest be her way to
want to know why I'd come flynn up
there. with my rheumatic and backaches.
I'd have to sass her back, and then what
would happen? Angels do sass each
other sometimes. don't they. Samuel?''
If Mr.. Dolby had ever given the mat
ter thought he was too busy to discuss
it. The statement was right before his
eyes that l.OOO.OOO miles OF clothesline
went TO destruction every year for want
of being hung up in the woodshed when
not in use. and he was rejecting on the
cRrelessness of humanity in general
y may git up to heaven IN the night.
when all the angels are asleep. and so I'll
slip in all right. I hope thatll be the
way. because it'll give me chance to
kind O. git used to the place before day
light Do you think they have any break
fast up there? Mrs. Watkins says they
don't, but ! don't really see how they
git along without it. 7 know l should
feel a goneness all day without breakfast.
And ] want you to look at me, Samuel
and see If I'm the humblyest woman ever
are changed as in the twinklin' OF an eye.
! hope it's so. II il amt. then I can't eX-
pect no good time up there. Them angels
will be p'intin' out my lOp-shoulder, my
big feet and my wabbly knees and whis-
perrin to each other that I'd better stayed
down on airth among the Cabbages. No
body as knows me can call me obstinate
or sot, but I'll be summed IL / propose
to die and become an angel to be made