Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-10-16
Mr.. Lockwoods orievance,

Pacific railroad noticed that after
we left Omaha the man in the seat in
front Of me appeared to have some-
thing on his mind. He would scowl
dreadfully for moment, then he
would gaze with far-away look out
Of his window. Then he would draw
. huge bowie knife from his coat
pocket, and, after strapping it upon
his boot, he would run his thumb
along the edge. After scowling a
few moments longer he would take
out revolver, examine the chambers
to see If they were loaded, mutter a
few vigorous sentences, and then put
1t away again.
watched him day or two, and
ct last he saw me looking at him.
He said:
II reckon you think I'm excited
about something? Well, lam! am
going up to Salt Lake to kill mar" !"
"Indeed, how terrible! What is the
matter 2"
"Well, you see-by the way, do you
know Jim Stephensi"
"No, no, I think not"
"Well, this is the way that.it came
about: Twelve years ago Jim and I
were friends, and when got married
Jim made ne present Of the most
splendid silver cake basket you ever
saw in your life."
xii miiThhfHta lin, not what YOU arc -sg,@s =
"Of course not! And l fel. so
grateful that took him by the hand
and said: Jim, I'll get you cake
basket a. handsome as that whenever
you get married, as sure as my name
10 Jonathan Lockwood Made him
. solemn pledge, you know"
"Did he marry subsequently p
"Marryf O, thunder! Let me tell
you about it; About year after that
he went to Utah and became Nor
mon. Within a month he sent me
cards Cor his wedding with Hannah
Watson. So went out and bought
q sublime cake basket, and forwarded
1t by express. Two weeks later he
wrote to say that Hannah's sister,
Ethelberta, had been sealed to him,
and he asked me out to The we'd
ding"
"Did you go"
"No; but l sent him another cake
basket. But hardly had q fortnight
elapsed when Stephens telegraphed
to me that as old Mrs. Watson, Han
nah and Ethelbert's mother, seemed
so lonely now that the girls were
gone, he had concluded to annex her,
also. He promised to send me full
particulars by mail. That night .
third resplendent cake-basket went
west in charge of the express COM
pAny."
"You have paid him three to on,
them"
"Three? Wait till l get DONE
Well heard nothing more Of him for
. year or more, when ono day cards
came for his marriage with Louisa G..
Carboy. Twas pretty poor about that
time, and hardly able to make pres
ents to anybody, but I had pledged
my word; 80 out went another i'm
posing cake basket"
"Did he get it?"
ale wrote and said his darling
Louisa thought it was beautiful, and,
he added Q postscript, in which he
mentioned that he had arranged for
| . further consolidation on the FOLLOW
ing Thursday, with Helen Bilker-
sham, relict Of old Bilkersham, the
popular hAtter."
"Did you respond ?"
~ did; borrowed money from q
friend and forwarded the most stu
pendous cake basket I could find. At
the same time wrote him and asked
him if he didn't think It was most
time to knock of. He replied and
said he was sorry I had such narrow
views about matrimony, particularly
- he had everything ready for an
other marriage on the following
Tuesday, with Mary Jane Wilber-
force. . charming girl of property"
"You didn't send one to her did
you"
"Of course! Couldn't break my
word She got the most impressive
cake basket / could lay my hands on.
Well, Stephens didn't stop there
That was two years ago. He has
m&rried eight times since, and have
come to time promptly with the cake
baskets. Three days ago / received
notice that he was going to marry
again.
aAgiin 2"
eyes, again That, you know, lets
him out What does the man mean
Does he suppose that I own . cake
basket factory, where they turn 'em
t0ut with crank2 Does he suppose
I have . mine where We excavate
baskets by the bushel9 Has he got
an idea that cake baskets grow on .
tree, and that all I've got to do is to
knock 'em down with . pole when
they are ripe? Why, he's An unmiti-
gated ass I And % he won't let me
of from my promise, Pm going out to
massacre him. You understand In
less than three days ther'll be dozen
or soSof widows In Salt Lake City GO
ing 70 geo : man named Stephens
buried"
Then Mr.. Lockwood turned gloom
lily away, sharpening his knife again
on his boot, and relapsed into silence.
II was little hard on him, / think
myself.-N0n Aaler.