Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-06-19
TWO CANDIDATES.

piacn cotton gloves 70 wear 10 MS ut
parted pardner's" funeral. He did moi
mourn to the extent of weed, as the
old hat he had worn so long. through
storm and shine. would hardly support
such dignity. But it was necessary tc
draw the line somewhere, and he drew
j; Il; gloves.
His horn-like hands looked unused to
such pomps and vanities OF life. but he
considered them respectful to the mem
ory of his wife. and so went into the
extravaganza. If he could have fore
cast matters, he might have bought all
three pairs at once, at a reduced rate;
and no doubt he wonld. as he was saw
ing man. But there are limits to ev-
eryone's ability to make and save.
The neighbors. sitting about the
store, asked the customary mortuary
questions. partly from sympathy, but
much more from the curiosity always
felt in such details.
Mss Hackett had been ailing quite
a SPELL" he said. "but she wasn't
thought in the least dangerous. Maybe
she was weaker than anybody knew of.
for she dropped a whole trimming pan
of new milk, one night, when she went
to set it on the buttry shelf. | thought
likely she had stumbled over that
plaguy old cat of hers, and said as
much. l often have to kick that cat
ont of my way: but my wife set such
store by it, thought 1 wouldn't have it
drownded. But as l was saving. the
cat wasn't about. and like as not. Miss
Hackett was feeling poorly before she
began to complain. But she did her
own washing on Monday. and now she
is gone! 1t is such sudden. mysteri-
Gus dispensation to mer' And he took
out his yellow bandanna with much emo
ton.
1t certainly was sudden for him.
Number one, who had shaved her six
teen hours day for fifteen wears. had
brought up at the insane asylum for
five years longer. Number two soon
broke down, and was long helpless
and unwelcome burden. Uncle
Stephen" as people called him. had
seen trouble, and his wives had not been
exempt.
Stephen feelingly remarked that he
"would rather have lost the best cow
he had;'' and neighbor replied that
/" he hadn't doubt of it."
Stephen drove around to see the man
who dug graves. and asked his price. He
was a new hand. and Stephen felt that
his charge was eXorbitant, rs the
ground was in such a good condition for
digging. He told what he had ALWAYS
been in the habit Of paying, and finally
they compromised. The funeral made
the customary decorous stir in the rural
community, where there is little to
break in upon the even tenor of ones
way, and then the world settled back
into its old grooves again.
But poor Stephen could not settle. 1t
seemed quite the other way with him
as long as Miranda Jones was to be the
head of his house. Miranda was an
old maid. of very uncertain age, who
wore spectacles, sported the most as
tOnishing caps, and talked of the "wick-
edness of men" continually. But she
was the only housekeeper that could be
had for money. And that grim, wiry
woman must have white sugar in her
tea three times day. and plenty of it!
Stephen could not perceive that it
sweetened her any, but dim vision of
the poOr-hOuse doomed up before him,
and not in the far perspective either.
There was one sure remedy
for his ills; he could marry again.
He smiled grimly as he thought
Of Miranda's surprise at seeing
. new head of the house walk in, when
she doubtless expected that she had
life tenure as housekeeper. and might
even be looking forward to becoming
his fourth wife. Who the favored
woman would be. he had not yet de-
cided. But after a delay of passable
respectability, Stephen brushed up.
drew on his funeral gloves, and went
candidating. so to speak. .l
Squire Tucker said "he was the