so--"
He paused here, and a new light came into his eyes, and then they
filled with tears. "Why, Maria honey, _of co'se it's so_! I know when
I found 'em! But I was so full o' the thought thet _ef I jest had
my sight_ I could _look for 'em_ thet I slipped 'em on my nose an'
continued the search. Feel my pulse, honey; I've no doubt you're right.
I'm a-goin' to have a spell o' sickness."

"Yes, dearie, I'm 'feered you are."

The good woman drew him over to the lounge and carefully adjusted a
pillow to his head. "Now take a little nap, an' I'll send word over to
Elder Jones's thet you ain't feelin' well an' can't come to
prayer-meetin' to-night. What you need is rest, an' a change o' subject.
I jest been over to May Bennett's, an' she's give out thet she an' Pete
Sanders has broke off their engagement--an' Joe Legget, why his leg's
amputated clean off--an' Susan Tucker's baby had seven spasms an'--"

"That so? I'm glad to hear it, wife. But ef you send word over to him
thet I ain't well, don't send tell the last minute, please. Ef you was
to, he'd come by here, shore--an' they'd be questions ast, an' I
couldn't stand it. Jest send word when the second bell starts a-ringin'
thet I ain't well. _An' I ain't_, Maria."

"I'm convinced o' that, Ephraim--or I wouldn't send the message--an' you
know it. We ain't so hard pressed for excuses thet we're goin' to lie
about it. I knowed you wasn't well ez soon ez I see that piece o' pie."

Bradley coughed a little. "Appearances is sometimes deceitful, Maria. I
hadn't wrastled with that pie ez unsuccessful ez I seemed. That was the
second slice I'd et sence you left. No, the truth is, I lost my glasses,
an' I got erritated an' flew into a temper an' said things. An' the
Lord, He punished me. He took my reason away. He gimme the glasses an'
denied me the knowledge of 'em. But I'm thankful to Him for lettin' me
have 'em--anyhow. Ef I was fo'ordained to search for 'em, it was mighty
merciful in Him to loan 'em to me to do it with."

THE SECOND MRS. SLIMM

Ezra Slimm was a widower of nearly a year, and, as a consequence, was in
a state of mind not unusual in like circumstances.

True, the said state of mind had not in his case manifested itself in
the toilet bloomings, friskiness of demeanor, and protestations of youth
renewed which had characterized the first signs of the same in the usual
run of Simpkinsville widowers up to date. If he had for several months
been mentally