Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-11-04
PoorMrs. Dolby
By Nj. QUAD
Cartwright. 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate
By Nj. QUAD

knee and Mrs. Dolby was singing
Rock of Ages" and clearing away the
supper table. He had been reading lof
a quarter of an hour when she quietly
entered and sat down aud said:
Samuel. | don't want to disturb you
nor make you feel bad. but leei
obliged to ask you d few questions.
Last night at midnight Mrs watkins
saw Il light moyin around IN our pach
ward. 1t was light which boDDed UP
and bobbed down and lodged this way
and that and when it finally went out
gave u great wink and spiutter IL
was what they cal! ghost lantern
Samuel, and it meant that there would
be death in this house within Il week.
It'll be my death. of course. I've got
twenty-seven different ailments. with
heart disease throWed in. while you
are as heaIthful as a cornheid. les:
it'll be me. but I'm not Weepln over
it. I'm sittin' right here AS calm AZ
| 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. lie
| had found an article which said that ii
| spider could be boiled in water for
! four hours and then come out with MS
ambition undaunted
| Il shall 20 to heaven when ! die. OF
course" continued Mrs. Dolby, az her
voice broke Il little Il Orter go there.
| Any woman who has whiiewaShed the
cellar every spring for twenty seven
years. besides maxim soft soap. cuttin
carpet rags. dyein' over old clothes
and maxim one skirt last her for thir-
teen years. will 20 TO heaven. What
| bothers me. however. is how I'm goin
| to act arter | git there fou know
how company alluS illustrates me. Ii
three or four Of the neighbours come In
I'm almost sure 10 fail off my cheer or
knock over sunthin. How's ii goin' T."
be when git up there and meet hull
pasture full of angels? There'ii he
millions of 'eul. Samuel
She paused to wipe the tears from
|
but as she had asked no direct queS
ton Mr. Dolby finished the hug article
and turned to one on the care of
clOtheSlines
~ don't want to be looked at an
p'inted out and made fun of up there.
said Mrs. Dolby. as she sat with her
eyes on the carpet.
Il may git up to heaven In the night,
when all the angels are asleep. and 40
I'll slip in all right. ! hope thatll be
the way, because it'll give me chance
to kind o. git used TO the place before
daylight Do you think they have any
breakfast up there? Mrs. Watkins
says they don't, hut | don't really see
how they git along without it"
Mr.. Dolby heaved a long Sigh and
seemed about to speak but no words
came. He had finished with The clothes
lines and struck an article about the
reasoning powers Of the COW. and the
most direct question from Mrs Dolby
would have passed UNDECIDED He,
tears fell for two or three minutes. and
then she asked:
And bow about the beds M there
You know we've slept on Il feather bee
ever since we We're married and ",
allus bin particular to smooth it dow
from head to foot I've got used Il
feathers. and if | changed off Id les
lay there and kick around all nigh
long. Do they hey beds. Samuel, or d,
they keep on dyin' around all nigh
long and singin'? Seems TO me thu
dyin' and singin' all day would b,
enough unless feel stronger than
do now You orter tell ME SO I'll know
i what to depend on. IL one of nv hpad
T aches comes on unexpectedly | wan
to know that | kin hey a Gun of teu
l Mrs, Watkins says they don't drjn,
: tea In heaven. but | don't see how sh
kin know
Mr. Dolby was not directly appeale,
to. and as he was reading that Gov
: had been known TO feign death T,
! avoid having Il crowhar thrown at he
+ he made no sign
= Wall I've made up nv mind to
: few things" said Mrs. Dolby AS RI
: silence grew painful I'm soiu' I'M +
} heaven to do the best | kin. III h
nayhuriy with all the angels I meg
and let EN- understand that I don
d want no more'n my share of harms an
I wings and things. If don't find an,
4 thing to eat ar any beds to sleep on
! shant raise no fuss nor 60 into hrs
4 terics. Yes. I'll put up with things y
k | hnd EN- and make the best of il an
y | won't be Jealous If faw of 'em no
4 better clothes on or kin sing better
d ME That's how III act. Samuel AN
q then If they pick ON the thev'li Git y
e COOL as they give. | kin be sassa
: and picked on jest so fur. bur arte
that they want to look ont. Would
o put you ont any. Samuel. If 1 died y
y night instead nf in the daytimef As
- said. If | died at night could slim in,
II heaven without any fuss. bu, if j,
o -oin to make any extra trouble J.
h perish by daylight What viii, he III
raost convenient hour fur you?"
There WAS deep silence Mrs IN
-. oy's tears made no thud as they 70
- upon the carpet. and MIR Dolby W.
=, reading with bated breath that An q