It was nearly mornin when I heerd the patriotic sounds of the fish-horn.
I got up and looked out of the winder, and there was Jobe a comin up the lane, with his breadbasket stuck out and his head throwed back, blowin that fish-horn as though his life depended on it, and every now and then he would stop, take off his hat and holler for Bushnell, jist as loud as he could holler.
Well, he come in and acted the fool worse nor a drunk man, till he nearly wore my patience out.
He said the gold basis bizness had succeeded and now one dollar was jist as good as another, and asked me if I wasent ashamed that I was a Dimicrat, and all sich fool questions.
Well, he got to bed at last and went to sleep, and in the mornin dident want to git up; so I jist let him lay.
[Illustration: “IT WAS NEARLY MORNIN WHEN I HEERD THE PATRIOTIC SOUNDS OF THE FISH-HORN.”]
About 9 o’clock a feller rid up to our gate and hitched, come to the door and asked if this is where Mr. Gaskins lives. Says I:
He handed me a paper and told me to give it to Mr. Gaskins.
I took it in and waked Jobe up and got him his “specks.”
He unfolded the paper and read it over to hisself. I saw he was worked up. Says I:
“What is it, Jobe—an appintment from Bushnell?”
“No, Betsy, its a summons to court in the case of Vinting, the banker, agin Gaskins; he has begun foreclosin proceedins agin us, Betsy.”
I looked at him a minit. He dident look up.
Says I: “The official returns are comin in quite airly, haint they?”
I then went back to the door, and the court officer was gone.
Poor Jobe got up in a little bit, lookin worried.
When he come out in the kitchen I handed him his fish-horn and says, says I:
He dident offer to toot a toot. He jist looked hurt.
Well, from that day to this he has been tryin to raise the money to pay Vinting, the banker, his interest. After payin all them costs in the Billot lawsuit there was very little left out of that wheat and hay money, sich as it was.
He sold our cow, and nearly all our pertaters, and then sold old Tom, our only hoss, and borrowed $5.50 from Widder Baker, when she got her penshun money, and took that $63 down to Banker Vinting and handed it to him at his bank. Vinting pushed it back to Jobe and says, says he: