The Bossier banner., 1891-08-27
FOR GOOD REASONS.
Why Sarah and Ira Were Never
Married.

The story of how nearly Sarah
Hochstetler came to marry Ira Tincher
in 1871 has grown to be part of the
history Of Oregon county, Mo. Ira is
ailla comparatively young man, and
Sarah is still well on the sunny side of
fitY but Jim Burnes, whom she did
marry, has been under the gravel and
rocks that cover his forty-acre farm for
these ten years or more. Sarah Burnes
still lives on the farm, but in spite of
she fact that she is husbandless and yet
under fifty, she will never become the
wife Of Ira Tincher, though for years
taese two loved and swore a devotion
that should have its ending even be-
yond the grave, if then.
Old Jim Burnes lived near Alton, in
The center of the county, and young
Ira worked for him. Burnes was fifty
iaree and Tincher was Twenty-Five.
They had been together a year, when
the Young man surprised his employer
b telling him that he was soon to
marry Sarah Hochsteler, who made her
home with ''the folks" a few miles
iron the Howell county line, on the
Vest Plains road.
Coin ter marry Saryl'' exclaimed
ad Bnrnes. why, Try, she's older'n
you be, an weddin's er that sort allus
turns out bad"
Ihe Old man looked severely at his
young hand" and Ira looked at the
ground Burnes was gray and bewhis-
sered but his form was as straight as
hickory sapling. His rough hands were
hcked under his trousers and he stood
WIN arms akimbo, eying the youth
VINO stood before him.
An besides, went on old Burnes,
I've been keepin' comp'ny with Sary
Mseh fer more'n two years, an she's
Ssflght fer er man like me- I've got
81 iarm, an I'm old ernuff, an--an' ter
sa ther truth, an not shock yer nerves
70 much, Try, kinder reckon she
likes me-" -
What exclaimed the young farm
asna 'you an my Sary!''
ne stopped and buried his face in his
hands. ~ - : =
Thar, boy resumed old Burnes,
.ol'ly' don't fuss. Ez said, Sary is
! sear oider'n you, an she's on'y been
'0oiin' Sary thinks you as only her
IVY an she KANT hep her lookin' up
= NE, yer know. My land an"
fa slipped away while the old man
I True enough, he thought to
ns salseu, ne was only a boy. He put
u Asnd to his face. There was no
I ss1u there-only little punches of
sa .s9s1 straggling hairs around his chin
~ toward his ears. He kept walk
4. II an hour, not thinking where he
as golng-only thinking of Sary and
Pretty ways-her clean, homespun
aeaaas ses ana her merry laugh. Then he
sne said she liked me an she said
marry me in ther summer, an
es.a aeser said nothin' erbout old Jim.
~ : er deacon in ther church. an
s.,.s sulun lie erbout it-an' Sary, she
j ,o.,s soe er 'hgion, an so she's been
H. aas a.. was Ira's way of looking at it.
IS ssaaied the whole situation over
no. hsosef that afternoon. In the even
easa : went back to the Burnes cabin
soas : i Z the valley, and after he had
49, IS chores he went to old Jim and
-sss IS. lor his money.
As ss sa;a er leetle comm, 1 reckon
Aikinsaw.s !" soih doWn inter
c,s'ol, Soln ter quit?" asked old Bunes.
Is ~ We'll, sorry yer KANT
noaev y, s. sher weddin', but hyars yer
ID s.iI n hope yer'll have luck"
ons' pala his hand in shin-plasters--
ssrs s owed him four dollars-wares
sgssba! bSa1h--and Ira put on his hat,
aslsss sassaer'ng up the few things he had
ID p'sue out OF the little cabin. He left
Y seated in front of tlse rough