Says I, in still more tender tones, “You need a change, Josiah; you ort to go off on a short tower, you and your pardner, Samantha.”
“A tower!”
Oh! never, never did I, durin’ my life, ever see a tower snapped out as that tower wus. He acted scornful, and overbearin’, and almost haughty about the idee. And some wimmen would have been completely skirt out by his mean, it wus so cold, and threatenin’, and offish. Not so Samantha. No! though his demeaner wus such that I almost despaired of success, still I felt that I would do all that wemen could do, and then if I must give it up, I could have a clear conscience. So inspired, and held up by this resolve, I laid to, and got a breakfast, that exceeded anything that had been seen for months in Jenesville, in the line of breakfes’ses. It affected the widder Doodle dreadfully; she shed tears, she said it was “so beautiful, and reminded her so of Doodle.”
And it was perfectly delicious, and I could see as Josiah partook of it, that his mean wus a gradually mellerin’ down, and growin’ softer, and more yieldin’ and sweet. And finally when he had got about half through his meal, and he could see that as good as the vittles had been precedin’, better was to come, then I tackled him, and then I got the victory. He consented.
The widder Doodle seemed more’n willin’ to stay and keep house for us, and suffice it to say, that the next afternoon saw us a settin’ out on our tower. Aunt Samantha Ann was perfectly delighted to see us, and we spent the most of the time with her, though we made aunt Sophrenia a good, honorable visit; she, too, was glad to see us, very. We staid to Dover town just a week to a day, attended to the fair, which was very interestin’ and aggreable, both to myself and to Josiah.
The last day of the fair, we laid out to attend only half a day, and start for home about noon, so as to reach home in good season. We had told widder Doodle we would be there certainly that day before nightfall.
It was, probably, about half-past ten A. M., in the forenoon. I was a standin’ in the Hall devoted to picters, and flowers, and piller cases, and tatten and embroidery, and so forth, and I wus just examinin’ a lamp mat, which was perfectly beautiful, when a good lookin’ wemen came up to me, and says she, a lookin’ up above my head:
“Have you seen the phantom leave?” or sunthin to that effect.