Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1898-08-26

r ACKSON SMITH had hobby.
He would stand at the foot of his
- table, carving knife in hand while
he enlarged upon the "soulless demo
cratic times" emphasizing his SEN
fences by brandishing the carver in air.
His next aversion to q Democrat was
an old maid. Indeed. the old maid was
even more odious to him. The Demo
crat he could forgive as being a fool, but
grounds And yet, as in very mockery
of his pet antipathy, his only child.
Sarah, had developed into the hated OBJ
ject, right in his own household.
Sarah was tall and angular, like her
Father, but her face was pleasing, and
her disposition mild and amiable. She
had never revolted against anything in
der life-not even against the injustice
OF spending her youth in making pre-
serves, apple butter or piecing quilts,
while other girls were making merry.
Sometimes Sarah wondered where her
youth had gone, but, while she was 80,
she could not recall having been young.
One day Jackson Smith received a
hurt, and when DR.. Brown was called
In he told Jackson his days were num-
bered. Then It was that his hatred for
old maids proved itself.
"I'll never leave this place to a wom-
an that can't get husband" he said
fiercely.
"But, father, Sarah's never had no
chance-we've always kept her down."
demonstrated his weeping wife,
He waved his hand to silence her.
woman, no old maid shall inherit my
place. I've sent by the doctor for Law
yer Clarke, and he'll come tomorrow.
There's money enough in bank for you,
but I'll fix 1t so that at your death 1t
will go with the farm. Jackson Cog
gan, my namesake, shall get it ALL"
Tearfully Mrs. Smith impaired the
facts to Sarah.
"Mother, would he turn you out of
the old place just because he hates
meT And Sarah looked incredulous.
The elder woman nodded; then Sarah
Kissed the round. sunburnt face and
said: Mother, I never have revolted
against father, but I'm going to save
the place for you'll wouldn't mind so
much, but you shall never leave your
bone. I'm going out now to think 1t
over" And putting on her pink sun
bonnet she went out the back door
When some distance from the house
she sat down In the shade of tree, and
while her heart beat loudly over her
fathers contemplated injustice, she re-
solved to outwit him
there's Josh Mullin; he might-but I
can't bear Josh: he chews tobacco, and
bis mouth always looks dirty. Henry
Hodge Is home, but he drinks so that
there's no dependence to be put in him."
She cast her eyes over the landscape,
and on the next farm she saw the figure
of man In the field. Yes, there's John
howard, but and her face grew
pink-"I hate somehow to ask 1t Of
him. Then the tear-stained face Of her
mother passed before her mental vision,
and giving jerk to her sunbonnet she
started down the path across the
meadow.
John Howard was hoeing corn. When
be saw Sarah approaching he stopped
and leaned on his hoe, look of concern
In his face.
"Ts the old man worse, SarahY" he
asked.
~Yes; DR.. Brown says he can't live
more'n two or three days, and-Oh,
John, It's awful the way he Is"
Yes, but you have been good, sac
rtf}cing daughter, Sarah, and you can't
blame yourself for anything, you"
'-Oh, you don't understand. John; he's
going to leave everything toto Jack
son Goggan. and mother'll have to
leave the place" she half sobbed.
you can't mean 1t. Sarah? Why
why, that would be outrageous. What
makes him talk OF such thingr
"Because-because = am an old
maid; he hates old maids" And her
face grew pinker than the sunbonnet.
John Howard shifted the hoe TO the
other arm and looked down. et.,.
"John, I've come to ask you-Oh,
John, don't think me brazen; it's for
mothers sake. can't stand to see her
turned out and for my fault, and II
yon will only help me and-and-come