Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1917-08-16
NeighbOrS

There had been nelghbOrly malice In
Mr.. Haynes eye as he came up the
road, and Mr.. Peaslee, who WatchS1
him approach, felt vaguely uneasy.
Now that Hayne had reached the gase
and dropped his lean six feet OF frame
49, the top, Caleb felt convinced that
ms friend intended to "thorD' hun.
'What's Sarilla Coggins g0in' round
the town for sayln' that you'n Mis-
Peaslee amt neighbOrly" Mr.. Hyne
demanded in one breath.
Mr.. Peaslee's rudy face beamed
even ruddier.
ats on account of sign we hung
up" he replied. his sunny humor COM
ing to the surface in spite of his en-
barrassment. II don't believe Sarllla's
quite as strong n blleveZ in signs as
she was"
"Signs?" repeated Mr.. Hync, 5Ese>-
ing for a reason in the remark.
Caleb nodded reassuringly.
II want you to understand, to start
WITH" he began, "that I'm the last man
in the world, and SOS my wife, to 20
to wnrnin any neighbor out of our
house, less'n it seems the only way to
do and in this case we couldn't see no
ather way. When come down with
the grippe a spell ago and couldn't go
sut of doors to do a nameable thing
and / couldn't find man In town to
come and do for me, nUther, the work
was all throwed onto my wife-the
teamwork and the hOusework, and
then, on top of that, 'tendin' out
on me, and, as you en- imagine, the
upshot of 1t was, the woman was bout
wore out.
"She wouldn't leave me except to
rush through what few things jest
had to be done round the barn. Shed
dragged in sofy that used to
stand IN the front entry, and nights
she slept on that, or tried to, what
Hme she want up tinkerin' round me,
But at last she got so pale and dragged
out that l was scared, and that didn't
help me to get we'll, mebbe.
"She lost so much Sleep" Mr.. Peas
lee went on, "that fin'ly she begun te
ketch q wink now and then through
the day, and that's where the trouble
started Sarilla' Coggins' house is
backed right up to ourn, and she was
always p'sessed to run in at the back
door jest the minute my wife would
get laid down for q nap-and you
know what Sarilla's clack isl"
"Ruther have the grippe than Sarll-
la any day. agreed Mr.. Hyne.
"Well, we had 'em BOTH" remarked |
Caleb. 1--WE stood 1t Jest as long as
we could, and then we agreed some
thing had got to be done. So my
wife hunted up big card and / made
out to print a sign: please keep out,
Mrs. Peaslee is trying to sleep and
then my wife went out and tackled 1t
on the back door.
"Well sir, Hyne," declared Mr..
Peaslec, that sign hadn't been there
ten minutes, and my wife hadn't but
Jest fell off to sleep, when we heard
some one open the front door, and in
come Sarilla!
at see you stickin' up that sign sh.
says, all eager, and run over to see
what it said. Then / remembered /
didn't see you stick one up on the
front porch, and l thought that was
where 'twould do the most gOOd-no
one ever uses the back door but me,
anyway. So l shifted it for you she
says, to save you the trouble. And
then I thought longs / was over I'd
run in for a spell and try to cheer
you both up mite, and down she
Dlanked herself in a chair!
my wife was all wore out, or she'd
have held herself more in hand; but
ls twas, her temper snapped like
string. She sot up or that sofy as
straight as a drum major, and she
1ays, 'Sarllla Coggins, I put that sign
lp where l wanted it to be! It's the
,ack door that's been breakin' me of
what rest could have got. Now I'm
,oln' out and shift 1t back again
where 1t was! And I don't want you
hould NEEDLE with 1t again.
"Tll say this for Sarllla," MD Mr..
'easlee in tribute; "she amt slow to
understand the spoken word. She
'ounced out of that chair so mad that
Ter voice fairly shook!
"Well,' she snapped, 4 must shy,
omln' from a neighbor-' But my
,ife sort of herdcd her out through
he door and shut 1t, and in less'n no
ime we heard her door slam 'nough I
D take 1t off'n the hinges, most.
, Ia