The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-12-26

. shAN~h y 80 ANsS " AAA& &AAAD1
Amanda Parlow's love affair.
why didn't they get ~married-like
my papa and mammal" she asked.
"Oh, goodness knowsl" exclaimed
HRS. Gormley. "Some says twas his
fault and some says twas herr. And
mebbee twas a third party's that |
might mention at that" added Mrs.
Gormley, pursuing up her lips in a very
knowing way.
"One day." she said. growing conf.
Dental, sit was In camp-meetiag tine
on day somebody seen Joe Stage
drivin' out with another girl-Chan-
lotte Lenny, that was. She was mar
ried to Il man over In Springdale 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 amt
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
end a plain desire to implant a well
coming tongue on the mans cheek.
He succeeded in muddying Mr.. Stagg's
suit with his front paws, and almost
cast the angry man full length into a
mud puddle.
"Drat the beast" calculated Mr..
Stage. "Pd rather have an epileptic
fit loose around here than him. Now,
look at these ci0'esI 1 declare. Carr
Ign, you've jest got to tie that mongrel
up--and keep him tied!"
"All the time. Uncle JoeT whis-
pered the little girl.
"Yes, ma'am, all the tImel II I find
him loose again, I'll tie a 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 Stage place TO save
the hardware merchant from the con-
tinued yeign of those "trihing crea-
lures" of whom Mrs. Gormley had
spoken.
AS a bachelor Joseph Stagg had
been preyed upon by certain female
muLity. Some had families whom they
partly supported out of Mr.. Stages
laIder; some were widows who looked
u,ton the weli-to-do merchant as a
marrying proposition.
Aunty Rose Kennedy did not need
the position OF Mr.. Stages housekeep-
err and could not be accused of assum-
Ing 1t from mercenary motives. Over
her back fence she had seen the havoc
going on in the Stage homestead after
Hannah Stage 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
sunbonnet, came around by the road
to the front door of the Stagg house,
which she found open, and walked
through to the rear porch on which the
woman who then held the situation of
h~ouseseeper vas 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 unruffied as ever; the
retiring incumbent vent away wrath
fully, shaking the dust of the premises
from her garments as a 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 ravenous-
ly, II was a-going down to the mill
it no longer. If you'd stay here and
do for me, I'd feel like a new man."
"You ought to be made Owe into a
new man, Joseph Stage" the woman
said sternly. "A married man."
"No, 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 n%o-account
women"
II don't care" said Mr.. Stage 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. II Mr.. Stage ut FIRST
trembled for his bank balance. he was
made SO comfortable that he had not
the heart to murmur.
OF course, Carolyn May let Prince
run at large when she was sure Uncle
Joe vas well out Of sight Of the house,
MAJ che uroo uo~v noxofx,I <n chain him