The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-20
JOHN MlCARTEN.

letters. l have patent right 10 my land ana
receipt for taxes to show, Call at "a Third
avenue; ring bell. / can be interviewed for
six days at said address.
OF course good looking young woman
reporter of The World answered the ad-
vertisement. That's q way the New York
women reporters have. This is her story;
John McCarten Is not bad looking, de-
spite his SO years. His clear blue eyes and
erect carriage show that he is man Of
good habits and unabated energy. Tho
painting landlord Of "a Third avenue
showed me up numberless steps to Johns
room. In answer to my knock he said,
Come in," and / walked in and walked
right out again. 1t was a hall bedroom,
containing q bed, q washstand and one
chair.
81 was jist goin out to eat" said John
McCarten, coming into the hall, where l
stood, but III wait a little while, though
I'm powerful hungry"
That, of course, impressed me most fav-
orably. Here was man who would not
long postpone his dinner to gain wife.
"Mr. McCarten," l began, and l could
feel that was blushing, II saw your adj
vertisement for wife. viii do2 am
q good hardworlling girl. Will l fill all
the requirementsS'
"Woll, dunno" he answered musing-
ly, while he looked me over from head to
toe, Il think you might do. Only, you
see, we will have to talk about it first.
Ca-ca-can you milk q cow"
He was plainly nervous. He seemed to
fear that l would take him out and marry
him forthwith.
"Why did you advertise for wifeP" l
asked. "Aro there not enough girls out
where you live without coming to New
York for a wife?"
"Well, there's plenty of girls out there"
he said, ''but they're shiftless The one I
did want to marry was a-waitin for me,
but when went away to earn some money
she went and married some one else, and
that's it. Can you feed hogs?"
"Why, Mr.. McCarten, do you require
that the woman you marry shall have
$1OOH
well, you see," he answered, leering
"there's many things to buy when we 90
to Nebraska. There's team, pigs and
many little things. Maybe you can't
cook2"
Eyes. am good cook"
"Sure, I'm mighty glad O. that. I'm
thinkin of havin me sister and her hus-
band live with us. Would you mind that"
"Oh, no."
Good fer you. Me sister is delicate,
but L would build them house Ike ours
and rent half me land to him. There is no
fince around the house, but q fine well
and chicken house How many chickens
have you iver killed."
what kind of house do you live in'"
I asked question for question.
ITS built o. sods, but the inside is ce-
mented. After you dig nine feet out there,
the soil is as white as any cement and
that's on the inside of me house. One of
the neighbors wrote me letter and told
me there was q leak in the house and
asked me whether he hadn't better take
the furniture out and keep it in his house.
| wrote him no, that / would soon be
home meself and tend to things"
Where do you live, missS" he asked
suddenly
"In West Fourteenth street. l am o.
typewriter and work in down town Of
fee"
There would be no trouble about the
money!" he asked, after a minutes ST.
lenCe, during which he looked at me again
from top to toe. You could get the $100
all right?"
"Oh, yesP' answered. II havs more
than that But tell me what work do you
expect your wife to do on the faIm? l am
strong but 1 am not used to very hard
work.
"Only cook for us two to cat, F" he an
swcred, IAN keep the house clean and
feed the chickens an tend the hogs an
milk the COW. That's not hard work for
strappin woman like you. Tiut you haven't
told me whether you have over fed hogs or
milked cow"
II have not, But mi ght learn even
that"
"Io be sure you could I'd learn you. l."
"Well, then" said, everything being
seemingly settled to his satisfaction, "I'll
go home and think it over, and tomorrow
If you are of the same mind''---
"Oh, rcame near forgettin" he inter-
rupted. What religion are your"
II am Catholic" Unanswered unthink-
ingly.
"You won't do" he said, with great
positieness. "You won't do at all, at all.
1 want peace in the hopl Sc.
Mr.. McCarten, l should have said, came
from the north of Trnlahd