Gilpin observer., 1917-04-05
"BOrrerin''

long seat in front Of the village post
Office. Mr.. Nudd noticed the grunt
and mentioned it.
''If felt half as mean as you look
and sound, Kellup." he observed dis
passionately, "Td shut myself up some
where's till 1 got over it. You act
bout as sociable as hedgehog.
What's happened to stir you up so2'
"Borrerin' neighbors," responded Mr..
Peaslee with briefness that testified
tc disturbed mind.
"Jake Winship, mebbe?" hazarded
Mr.. Nudd, and Caleb nodded ruefully
in confirmation.
"Mebbe you've suffered some your
self, Nudd," he began with an air Of
settled patience. "but I don't b'lieve
you'd scurcely credit what I've had to
put up with from that Winship gang
sence they moved onto that hill. It's
bOrrer, borrer, bOrrer, day in and night
out with 'em, till hardly know wheth-
er I'm goin' to find my hat If want to
go outdoors a SPELL"
"They're bout as aggravatin' as
anything I've ever had to put up with"
Mr.. Nudd conceded feelingly, "and the
wust part of it, fur's 1t ,thOrns me, Is
that they never have any idea of
bringin' back anything they borrer.
Amt they ben that way with your"
Mr.. Peaslee grinned weakly and
shuffied his feet uneasily. as a mat
ter Of fact, Nudd," he explained, Jake
Winshp's bringin' back something he
borrered is Jest what's wrought me
up to such heat this very day. He's
'nough to mad a saint, seems II, and
yet can't help laughin' over 1t, too.
i've always shoveled my paths in
the winter" Caleb began, with any
shovel had at the time-sometimes a
spade-sOmetimes a round-pOinted
shovel-whatever came handiest, that's
what I'd use. d'know's ever made
any greet complaint over not havin'
snow shovel; anyway, don't remem.
ber it If l did. But something or
mother put 1t into my wife's mind to
get me one, and so she did-fetched 1t
home one day last full. much's two
months fore we had flake Of snow
or was likely to. thanked her fort
and stood it up in the shed and let the
whole thing go out Of my mind COM
plete.
II d'know's I've thought of that
shovel sence the day stood In there
till today, for, If you remember. we
didn't have much snow last winter that
needed shOvelin'-two-three little flirts
that hardly made sleddin' and didn't
drift any to speak of round my place.
Come to that, what little fell mostly
blowed out Of the way; so you might
say I didn't do any shovelin' at all,
and I never even thought of my new
snow shovel.
'Today, though" Caleb went on, "r
had 1t fetched to- my mind by some
thing else l wanted. There was some
grass round the back door that my
wife wanted I should cut and 1 went
out to the shed to get the scythe I've
always KEEP hangin' there. but 1
Nouhhe hhd sieu VI ~ uhy WhSISs
done the same thing that every other
man does when he can't find anything.
1 went to my wife bout 1t and wanted
to know where it had gone to.
"'Well,' sshe, 4 d'know's en- tell
You for certain, but I've got my
! s'picions. I saw that shlf'less Jake
| Winship comm round the corner of
the shed an hour or so ago with some
thin that looked like that snow shovel
l bought for you on his shoulder, and
mebbe two minutes after that
ketched glimpse Of him putin oil
cross lots with something on his arm
that looked like n scythe and snath.
If you was to press me to give guess
she says, I'd say prob'bly he'd brought
back the shovel he borrered last win.
ter and took the lend of your scythe
for SPELL
"And," Caleb finished resignedly, T
found out she was right bout it-as
she commonly Is. And I guess that
answers the question bout whether
Jake Winship ever brings back any
thing he borrers-he docs. but there
amt any great help in havin' him bor-
rer n snow shovel in the winter and
not bring It home till long in July
some time.
II spose," said Caleb with sigh,
that the best can hope for Is that
he'll get the scythe back some time
durin' the first of the winter, when he