The Brinkley argus., 1916-10-27
WAS PLAYING SAFE
REASON FOR MIR. GUNNEY'S VISIT
 TO OLD FRIEND.
Horrible Threat as Continuation of Real Tale of Woe Caused Him to Make Himself Scarce
 flor a Spell"

Caleb Peaslee was sprouting seed po- tatoes when Obed Gunney, his usually placid face wearing a hunted look, sank upon the bench beside him and began sprouting mechanically without a word. After a moment Caleb spoke
 "Wal," he observed, ''out with it! Whats pesterin' you now?' i MT. Gunney spent some time in pro- found thought before he replied.
 q d'know,' he said at length, which could be reckoned the most whif1e- minded-a hen or a duck or women folks. Prob'bly there ain't any gre't diff'rence."
 Mir. Peaslee grinned and Obed took little heart.
 "F'r three weeks he went on, my wife's been tryin' to break a hen and duck firm settin'. She wore her pa- tience bout out, and she wore the hen and the duck down so they didn't enjoy Twin. She hung 'em up by the laig and left 'em squallin', so was worried that the Cruel Society Animals would get after her, and she put thistles in their nests, and throwed water on 'em-she tried bout every way she ever heard of, and never budged either one of lem. >
 "Now, my wife is what might>call notional-that is,," he went on hastily, 'I might call her so to you, but l wouldn't want it to get to her ears. You won't let on that said that-yili you, Kellup?
 'Wal, when she didn't want them fowls to set, she didn't want lem to, and there want any whoa to her. But after she'd gin about three weeks to the job, without any success whatever, she f1opped over and made up her mind she'd set lem.
 "She didn't have any ducks eggs that she wanted to set, so she decided to drive over to Dedham Mills and get some from a woman she knew over there, and while she was gone she wanted me to mend up the coops where the hen and the duck was settin'.
 T took the hen fust, and so's she couldn't get out while was workin' on the coop, I slid the door shut before I started in to hammer. Then I fitted on strip of board over crack and nailed it on, and the fust lick I fetched at nail, the hen sot up cacklin' that you could hear all over the place. I jest kep' right on hammerin' and let her squall.
 "She was still carryin' on at the top of her voice when I finished up with her coop, and she didn't stop, either. And when got to work on the ducks coop she added what she could to the gen'ral uproar.
 q fin'ly got lem boarded in tight, but they kep' up such a racket that I be- gun to be scared I'd done 'em some in- jury; so I kicked open the door of the hens coop, and she come through it like an arrow, with no two feathers p'intin' the same way and her eyes as big as cranberries, and put off down tords the brook.
 "After I'd watched her out of sight went over to the ducks coop and kicked open the door, and, Kellup, b'lieve it or not, that duck stood up on her hind legs and fit me like a man, and I had to fend her off pretty spry to keep from gettin' nipped.
 "When my wife got home, she start ed to set them eggs she'd been after, and when she got to the coOps and found 'em empty, and when she found out how I'd managed to break up them two fowls from settin', after she'd got her mind all shifted over to agree with 'em, she said-weil," Obed spoke dejectedly, lon the whole, I guess I won't go into what she said
 But when she got to maxim threats" he asserted firmly. q thought twas no more'n good judgment for me to come over here a spell"
 What did she threaten?" demanded Mir. Peaslee promptly, and Obed per mitted himself another feeble grin.
 "Only that she'd good mind to shet me up in one of them GOODS and put both settin's of eggs under me and make me set on 'em till I matched 'em out" he explained sheepishly, 'and she was so mad that I didn't know but she'd try it. Now that I'm here, and safe, les you and me N.sit spell and be comf'table. e."-Youth's Companion.