The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-05-08


pearance, and walked solemnly toward
the two men.
Mr.. Lasier proceeded to punch her
ribs in . scientific manner. ssHow many
quarts does she give, nowr' he inquired.
"Not much % : mixer, Ijudge. Is A.
derneys never are, )" he added, With the
scornful air of Indifference which be-
comes the experienced buyer.
"She's first-class mixer, sir" said
Mr.. Jones. Eight quarts . day, or
you may have her for nothing. Then,
you know, an Attorneys milk is half
cream, anyway; 80 Il you want her
for butter-making she'll be worth more
to you than one that gives more that
isn't SO rich. Why, We never put any
carrots in her butter in the winter
Just as yellow in January a. June. Why,
sir, her butter took the prize at the cat
tie show.'
$50, Mrs. Selchow said,' rejoined
Mr.. Lazier, whose mind had slightly
wandered.
"Mrs. Selchow!'' repeated Mr.. Jones,
in some surprise, for he was conscious
that his last statement had been fabri-
Gated for the occasion. "What does
she know about the cowp''
"Cow?-oh, no! I meant-that is,
must have been thinking of something
else," blundered Mr.. Lazier, looking
uneasily at the bantam, which
"s si .ss ;: ssss. ns :s lit .gs,pe,
the barn-yard gate.
"Now, sir, you know what she is
worth. She is worth more than the
value of the money, you can see your
self. You can't do any better than to
take her. Of course it don't make any
difference to me, but if you know .
good chance when you see it, if you
know what's for your own interest,
you'll take her. and she'll never disap-
point you"
IF she want 80 humbly," muttered
MIR. Lazier, absently, for, by this time,
"his eyes were with his heart, and
that was far away"
"Hey what are you talking aboutp''
asked Jones.
Ke-tu-rah - cried voice over
head, in imitation of the bantam. exc
tsI-rah Kiddle!"
There was no possibility of mistake
this time, it was Keturah Riddle and
nothing else, and it certainly was not
the bantam. The shipwrecked adven-
turers in the enchanted Island of Pros
pero were not more distraught by the
strange noises of that isle than was Mr..
Lazier by this aerial voice. He dashed
wildly out of the barn-yard, with Mr..
Jones' dog Tower in hot pursuit.
Hezekiah," said Mrs. Lazier, at
supper, I'D as ieves you'd 60 down
to the corners and get me some mo-
lasses and q Goldfish tonight
"Wa'al" said Mr.. Lazier; and half
an hour later his green chariot and
one-eyed horse drew up before that in
stitution known as "the store" The
chronic group of loungers which were
forming a sort of fence around Corne-
Illus Jones, Jr., could not have drawn
ON more funereal countenances when
Mr.. Lazier entered if he had been q
sarcophagus; and the silence was un-
broken until he asked for his molasses.
Young Jones sauntered carelessly up
to q keg of butter which stood upon
the counter.
ok. K Whose butter is this?''
he asked.
"That butter" said the store-keep-
er, coughing. "was made by Miss
Kiddle."
"Kiddle? What! the one that lives
on the crossroads, over our wayP'' in
quired Cornelius, gravely.
Mr.. Lazier began to regard string
of button molds with deep interest.
"Well, now" resumed Cornelius,
"I heard somebody say that she got
more for her butter than anybody else
in town, and her cows are not Alder
ney either. By-the-way." addressing
the audience in q general way, "they
do say Miss Riddles father left her
about two thousand dollars. If was
a marrying man. now, I don't know
but what I'd try my luck. Don't know
but what shall as it is. l want q wife
that is smart enough to support me,
and Keturah could make handsome
living if she was tied up in q meal
bag. When was moving our west
lot used to 60 by her house every
morning about five o'clock, and I de-
clare if she wasn't out wedding in the
garden, with all her milk-pans drying.
l believe she makes her bed before she
gets up, and washes her dishes before
breakfast.
Mr.. Lazier never thought of the cod
fish till he was half way home. Asthe
horse turned into the door-yard and
stopped in front of the dilapidated
barn, his masters meditation came to
q sudden end, and he exclaimed, give
got itr' Scrambling out of the buggy,
without stopping to unharness, he
rushed toward the barn, umbrella in
hand. IF it falls over toward the
calves stable, I'll do it," he said, plac-
ing the green cotton oracle tip down.
ward upon the floor. He let 90 of it
with q trembling hand. It toppled
over and fell with q decisive thud upon
the very threshold of the calves stable.
Pm a-going down to the store to-
night to get your Goldfish, marm,"
said Hezekiah, on the following even
ing. "rn get my fish on the way"
he thought, "so's to make sure of it."
While Mr.. Lazier was haggling over
the price of his fish, for, like Mrs. Gil
pin, although on pleasure bent" he
chad frugal mind" he heard re-
mark which arrested his attention.
A young Atlas who was supporting
the doorway asked, in an unnecessa-
rily loud voice: "Do you calkerlate
that Jones junior and Keturah Riddle
win conclude tomake q match on'tp''
"Wa'al, it sounded that way, from
what Jones said here the other night.
Pretty good haul for him." responded
one Of . couple of caryatides who were
holding up the posts Of the piazza.
Mr.. Lazier pricked Qp his ears like a
war-horse. He grasped his umbrella,
and the touch of that oracle Of his des-
tiny seemed to inspire him.
I can tell you as much about it, I
s'pose, as any man." he said, "and 1
can tell you they c;n't a-going to make
. match ont, nor nothing like. I cal
kerlate to marry her myself. She amt
30 handsome as some, but can over
look such things. You tell young
Jones there's many . slip ,twixt the
cup and the lip;'" and the prospective