The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1915-08-13
PoorMrs. Dolby
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.
By M. QUAD

When Mr. Dolby sat down for the
evening he had his newspaper Oh his
knee and Mrs. Dolby was singing
Rock of Ages" and clearing away the
supper table. He had been reading for
a quarter of an hour when she quietly
entered and sat down and said:
samuel, don't want to disturb you
nor make you feel bad. but / feel
obliged to ask you a few questions.
Last night at midnight Mrs. Watkins
saw a light movin' 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 great wink and splitter. 1t
was what they call ghost lantern,
Samuel. and it meant that there would
be death In this house within a week.
It'll be my death, of course. I've got
twenty-seven different ailments, with
heart disease throwed in, while you
are as healthful as a cornield. Yes;
It'll be me, but I'm not weepin' 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. lie
had found an article which said that a
spider could be boiled in water for
four hours and then come out with his
ambition undaunted
81 shall go to heaven when ! die, of
course" continued Mrs. Dolby, as her
voice broke little. 81 orter go there.
ANY woman who has whitewashed 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 go to heaven. What
bothers me- however. is how I'm goin
| to act arter ] git there. You know
how company allus illustrates me. IL
three or four of the neighbors come in
I'm almost sure to fall off my cheer or
knock over sunthin. How's 1t goin to
be when git up there and meet hull
pasture full of angels? There'D be
millions of 'em, Samuel"
She paused to wipe the tears from
her eyes with the palm of her hand,
but as she had asked no direct ques-
ton Mr. Dolby finished the bug 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.
II may git up to heaven in the night,
when all the angels are asleep. and so
I'll slip in all right. | hope that'n 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, but l 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 unheeded. Her
tears fell for two or three minutes. and
then she asked:
"And how about the beds up there?
You know we've slept on feather bed
ever since we were married, and I've
allus bin particular to smooth it down
from head to foot I've got used to
feathers, and If changed off I'd jest
lay there and kick around all night
| long Do they hev beds, Samuel or do
they keep ON fyin' around all night
long and singin'? Seems to me that
flynn and singin' all day would be
enough unless | feel stronger than
do now You orter tell me so I'll know
what to depend on. If one of my head
aches comes on unexpectedly | want
to know that | kin hev a cup of tea.
Mrs. Watkins says they don't drink
tea in heaven. but don't see how she
kin know"
Mr.. Dolby was not directly appealed
to, and as he was reading that a COW
had been known to feign death to
avoid having crowbar thrown at her
he made no sign.
"Waal, I've made up my mind to
few things" said Mrs. Dolby as the
silence grew painful I'm goin' up to
heaven to do the best | kin. I'll be
nayburly with all the angels / meet
and let 'em understand that l don't
want no more'n my share of harps and
wings and things. If don't find any.
thing to eat or any beds to sleep on
shan't raise no fuss nor go into hys-
terics. Yes, I'll put up with things as
find 'em and make the best of it, and
won't be Jealous If a few of 'em hev
better clothes on or kin sing better'n
me. That's how I'll act, Samuel. and
then If they pick on me they'll git as
good as they give. | kin be sassed
and picked on jest so fur, but arter
that they want to look out. Would 1t
put you out any, Samuel. If l died at
night instead of in the daytime? AS
said, If died at night could slip into
heaven without any fuss. but If it's
goin' to make any extra trouble I'll
perish by daylight. What will be the
most convenient hour fur your"
There was deep silence. Mrs. Dol
| bys tears made no thud as they fell
uDon the Garnet and Mr. Dolby was