The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-06-14
Neighb0rs

Mr.. Haynes eye us he came up the
road, and Mr.. Peaslee, who watched
him approach, felt vaguely uneasy.
Now that Hayne had reached the gate
and dropped his lean six feet of frame
over the top, Caleb felt convinced that
his friend intended to "thorn" him.
"What's Sarilla Coggins goin' round
the town for sayin' that you'n Mis-
Peaslee amt ncighborly?" Mr.. Hyne
demanded in one breath.
Mr.. Peaslees ruddy face beamed
even ruddier.
cts 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 Sarilla's
quite as strong bliever in signs as
she was"
"Signs?" repeated Mr.. Hyne, CROP
ing for 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 60
to warnin' any neighbor out of our
house, less'n 1t seems the only way to
do; and in this case we couldn't see no
other way. When come down with
the grippe spell ago and couldn't get
out 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 it 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
time she want up tinkerin' round me.
But at last she got so pale and dragged
out that 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 to
ketch 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 nap-and you
know what Sarilla's clack isl"
"Ruther have the grippe than Saril-
10 any day." agreed Mr.. Hyne.
"Well, we had 'em both," remarked
Caleb. eve stood it 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 sign: please keep out,
Mrs. Peaslee is trying to Sleep and
then my wife went out and tackled it
on the back door.
"Well sir. Hyne," declared Mr..
Peaslee, "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!
"'I see you stickin' up that sign,' she
says, all eager, 'and run over to see
what it said. Then remembered l
didn't see you stick one up on the
front porch, and thought that was
where 'twould do the most good-no
one ever uses the back door but me,
anyway. So I shifted it for you,' she
says, to save you the trouble. And
then I thought longs 1 was over I'd
run in for a spell and try to cheer
you both up a mite, and down she
planked herself in chair!
"My wife was all wore out, or she'd
have held herself more in hand; but
as twas, her temper snapped like a
string. She sot up on that .sofy as
straight as q drum major, and she
says, 'Sarilla Coggins, put that sign
up where wanted it to be! It's the
back door that's been breakin' me Of
what rest could have got. Now I'm
goin' out and shift it back again
where it was! And don't want you
should NEEDLE with it again.
It'll say this for Sarilla," aid Mr..
Peaslee in tribute; "she amt slow to
understand the spoken word. She
bounced out of that chair so mad that
her voice fairly shook!
"'Well.' she snapped, 4 must say,
comm from a neighbor-' But my
wife sort of herded her out through
the door and shut it, and in less'n no
time we heard her door slam 'nough
to take it off'n the hinges, most.
"And I shouldn't WONDER" speculat-
ed Caleb slowly, IF mebbe that was
what started Sarilla spreadin' talk