The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1918-11-29
trffiin' critters there at the Stage pia :.
before she took hold"


Carolyn May looked at Mrs. CORN
ley e~ncouragingly. She was very much
interested in Uncle. Joe and Miss
Amanda Parlow's love affair.
"Why didn't they get marrled-like
my papa and mamma 2" she asked.
"Oh, goodness knows! I" exclaimed
Mrs. Gormley. "Some says twas his
fault and some says twas hern. And
mebbee twas a third party,s that l
might mention at that" added Mrs
Gormley, pursuing up her lips in a very
knowing way. -,
Zone day." she said, growing conf.
Dental, ut was in camp-meeting time
one day somebody seen Joe Stage
drivin' out with another girl-Char-
lotte Lenny. that was. She was mar
ried to a man over in S~pringdaIe long
ago. Mr.. Stagg took Charlotte to
Faith camp meeting. &.
Then, the very next week. Mandy.
went with Evan Peckham to a, barn
dance at Crockett's, and nobody afn't
ever seen your uncle and Mandy Par
low speak since, much less ever walk
together" =.
One particularly muddy day Prince
met the returning hardware merchant
at the gate with vociferous barkings
and a plain desire to implant q wei.
coming tongue OF the mans cheek.
He succeeded in %muddying Mr.. Stages
suit with his front paws, and almost
cast the angry man full length into a
mud puddle. e. -,
"Drat the beast!" calculated Mr..
Stage. I'D rather have an epileptc
fit loose around here than him. Now.
look at these clO'es!S i declare, Car
lyn, you've jest got to tie that mongrel
up-and keep him tiedl"
"All. the time. Uncle Joe?" whis-
pered the little girl.
Eyes, ma''am, all the time! II I find
him loose again, En- tie Q bag Of rocks
to his neck and drop him, in. the deep
est hole In the brook"
After this awful threat Prince lived
a %precarious existence, and his mis-
tress was much worried for him.
Aunty Rose said nothing, but she
saw that both the little girl and her
canine friend were very unhappy
Mrs. Kennedy, however, had watch
ed Mr.. Joseph Stagg for years. In
deed, she had known him as a boy,
long before she had closed up her own
little cottage around on the other road
and come to the Stagg place to save
the hardware merchant from the con-
finINn1 rninp 80 %hAra 4 II - a. z-~z
lures" Of whom Mrs. Gormley had
spoken. -.
IS a bachelor Joseph .Stagg had
been preyed upon by certain female
harpies so prevalent in a country COM
munity. Some had families whom they
partly Supported out of Mr.. Stages
larder; some were widows who looked
upon. the well-to-do merchant as a
marrying proposition.
%Aunty Rose Kennedy. did not need
the position Of Mr.. Stages housekeep-
er and could not be accused Of assum-
ing 1t from m~ercenary motives. Over
her back fence she had seen, the havoc
going on in the Stage homestead after
Hannah Stagg went to the city and
Joseph Stages final female relative
had died and left him alone In the big
house.
One day the old Quaker-like woman
could stand no more. She put on her
s%unbonnet, came around by the road
to the front door of the Stage house,
which she found open, and walked
through to the rear porch on which the
-woman who then held the situation of
h~ousekeeper was wrapping up the best
feather bed and pillows In a pair Of
the best homespun sheets, preparatory
to their removal.
The neighbors enjoyed what followed.
Aunty Rose came through the ordeal
as dignified and unrufled as ever; the
retiring incumbent went away wrath
fully, shaking the dust Of the premises
from her garments as q testimony
against "any SIGH actions"
When Mr.. Stagg came home at sup.
per time he found Aunty Rose at the
helm and already a different air about
the place.
Goodness me, Aunty Rose" he
said, biting into her biscuit
ly, II was a-going down to the mill
hands hotel to board. I couldn't stand
it no longer. If you'd stay here and
do for me, I'd feel like a new man."
"You ought to be made over into q
new man, Joseph Stage" the woman
said sternly. "A married man."
mo, mol Never that !" gasped the
hardware dealer.
IF I came here, Joseph Stagg. 1t
would cost you more money than
you've been paying these no-account
women"
81 don't care" said Mr.. Stagg reck-
lessly. go ahead. Do what you
please. Say what you want I'm
game"
Thereby he had put himself into
Aunty Roses power. She had reno
waited the old kitchen and some Of the
other rooms. If Mr.. Stagg at first