第57章 VISITS TO NOTABLE PLACES(6)

I see he wavered and I pressed the charge home.Sez I, "That bolster is thin cloth, Josiah Allen, and you'll probably have to pay now for draggin' it all over the floor.If anybody should see you with it there, that bolster would be charged in your bill.And how would it look to the neighbors to have a bolster charged in your bill? And I should treasure it, Josiah Allen, as bein' the last bill you made before you broke your neck !""Oh, wall," sez he, "I s'pose I can put the bolster back." But he wuz snappish, and he kep' snappish all day.

He wuzn't quelled.Though he had gin in for the time bein' I see he wuzn't quelled down.He acted dissatisfied and highheaded, and I felt worried in my mind, not knowin' what his next move would be.

Oh! the tribulations it makes a woman to take care of a man.But then it pays.After all, in the deepest of my tribulations Ifeel, I do the most of the time feel, that it pays.When he is good he is dretful good.

Wall, I went over to see Polly Pixley the next night, and when Igot back to my room, there stood Josiah Allen with both of his feet sort a bandaged and tied down onto sumthin', which I didn't at first recognize.It waz big and sort a egg shaped, and open worked, and both his feet wuz strapped down tight onto it, and he wuz a pushin' himself round the room with his umberell.

And I sez, "What is the matter now, Josiah Allen; what are you a doin' now?""Oh I am a walkin' on snow-shoes, Samantha! But I don't see,"sez he a stoppin' to rest, for he seemed tuckered out, "I don't see how the savages got round as they did and performed such journeys.You put 'em on, Samantha," sez he, "and see if you can get on any faster in 'em."Sez I, coldly, "The savages probable did'nt have both feet on one shoe, Josiah Allen, as you have.I shall put on no snowshoes in the middle of July; but if I did, I should put 'em on accordin'

to a little mite of sense.I should try to use as much sense as a savage any way.""Why, how it would look to have one foot on that great big snow-shoe.I always did like a good close fit in my shoes.And you see I have room enough and to spare for both on 'em on this.

Why it wouldn't look dressy at all, Samantha, to put 'em on as you say."Sez I very coldly, "I don't see anything over and above dressy in your looks now, Josiah Allen, with both of your feet tied down onto that one shoe, and you a tryin' to move off when you can't.

I can't see anything over and above ornamental in it, Josiah Allen.""Oh! you are never willin' to give in that I look dressy, Samantha.But I s'pose I can put my feet where you say.You are so sot, but they are too big for me -- I shall look like a fool."I looked at him calmly over my specks, and sez I, "I guess Isha'n't notice the difference or realize the change.I wonder,"sez I, in middlin' cold axents, "how you think you are a lookin'

now, Josiah Allen."

"Oh! keep a naggin' at me!" sez he.But I see he wuz a gittin'

kinder sick of the idee.

"What you mean by puttin' 'em on at all is more than I can say,"sez I, "a tryin to walk on snowshoes right in dog-days.""I put 'em on," Samantha, sez he, a beginnin' to unstrap 'em, "Iput 'em on because I wanted to feel like a savage.""Wall," sez I, "I have seen you at times durin' the last 20 years, when I thought you realized how they felt without snow-shoes on, either."(These little interchanges of confidence will take place in every-day life.) But at that very minute Ardelia Tutt rapped at the door, and Josiah hustled them snow-shoes into the closet, and that wuz the last trial I had with him about 'em.He had borrowed 'em.

Wall, Ardelia wuz dretful pensive, and soft actin' that night, she seemed real tickled to see us, and to get where we wuz.She haint over and above suited with the boardin' place where she is, I think.I don't believe they have very good food, though she won't complain, bein' as they are relations on her own side.And then she is sech a good little creeter anyway.But I had my suspicions.She didn't seem very happy.She said she had been down to the park that afternoon, she and the young chap that has been a payin' her so much attention lately, Bial Flamburg.She said they had sot down there by the deer park most all the afternoon a watchin' the deer.She spoke dretful well of the deer.And they are likely deer for anything I know.But she seemed sort a pensive and low spirited.Mebby she is a beginnin'

to find Bial Flamburg out.Mebby she is a beginnin' to not like his ways.He drinks and smokes, that I know, and I've mistrusted worse things on him.