Wallowa chieftain. [volume] (Joseph, Union County, Or.) 1884-1909, 1902-10-23
FARMER DALE'S MISTAKE

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oWAS on wheeling tour and stop
ped for supper and all night at a
. forlorn-l looking farmhouse. | was
surprised to see no woman about, all
he work being done by the owner Of
the place, Ezra Dale. After supper
Hghted a pipe and sat on the porch
|smoking. Dale came and sat beside
|ne
You have finished your evening
.hores early" | said. when my wife
Is without a servant, she never gets
the dishes washed before 8 o'clock"
"Waal, We see, don't do 1t that
|s.way | wash dishes oncet a week.
Then put 'em all on ter the wagon
drive em inter the creek, take mop,
an when l get through they shine like
pewter"
Don't you think wife would be
handy She could do your mendlng."
Don't need no wife. | got needles
lam thread an buttons. There's my
kit" And he handed me case con
tanning the articles mentioned and no
more
where's your thimble?" / asked.
Don't need no thimble. l tried one
Oncet an couldn't use 1t. It's handler
| 10 git the head of the needle ag'in the
wall and drive 1t through that Away"
did YOU never have a love AFFAIR.""
"Yes, oncet. 1t was when | was Il
young feller-very young an very
green. used to look on a gal as a
heathen would look on sacred i'm
/ age. There was a little one livin
across the creek, Farmer Owens
daughter Daisy. Purity? Ye bet, an
gentle as a kitten. She took shine to
me. | was fair-lookin' young feller
then, straight an slim an light on my
feet One evenin' l was a-passin'
Farmer Owens, and Daisy come run
MIN out with her finger a-bleedin' an
asked me ter tie 1t up fur her. l had
ter git her arm under mine somehow,
an hold on ter her hand an wrap the
linen strip an wind the string an lot
Of things all at the same time. While
| was a-doin' of it her hair got ag'in
my cheek, an'-waal, l lost my head
an, turnin', put an arm around her an
kissed her.
DO ye know, stranger. I've since
made up my mind she done it all a-pur-
pose, | b'lieve she cut her finger on
tentionally. l tell ye, women folks is
tricky"
Il think that was a very nice femi-
nine way of catching your attention, y
remarked. go on"
That's iist what did do. went on
from day ter day, week ter week, till it
seemed ter me IL anything happened be-
tween me an that gal I'd collapse
.somethin' did happen. Farmer Owens
TUX a farm ham fur the haydn, an
what did Daisy do but take him out in
her buggy that her father bought fur
her at Christmas an drive right by that
mouse purpose ter show him off ter
me tell We, stranger, she had the
wlckedest eye in her ye ever see"
Another feminine trait" | observed.
Miss Daisy was evidently woman"
She was a,woman, stranger, an the
worst kind OF a one" Dale went on
lugubriOusly "She broke ME all up. L
Jlst rented this farm ap' went away. l
qldnt come back fur ten years. Then
l made up my mind that women folks
wasn't wuth worryin' about, an | TUX
my farm ag'in an began ter work it.
Inc fust time went by Farmer Owens
Daisy come out-she had grown ter be
a fine-loolsin' young woman of 26-an'
what do We suppose she did?
/ can't imagine"
Asked me if 1 wouln't tie up a cut
nhger. She had the same wicked look
In her eye she had when she drove that
iopsided farm han by my house ten
years afore. Women is the persistenest
N'NlerS ever see. Jlst squareu OIL al
said; 'Ye don't git me that away agin.
lie done it oncet, an that's enough.
nut, do We know stranger, she was so
SICK about it that in five minutes had
my arm about her an she was a-restin
ner head on my shoulder. She was
d'cryin', too-cryin' crockerdile tears,
no doubt
wal, we was engaged, but 1t didn't
'as long. The question come up as ter
whether we'd be married by justice
Vt a parson. l don't like parsons my
seif, an l wanted justice. Daisy
wanted parson, an she was so blame
set about it that l reckoned If she was
as obstinate about a small matter ike
'nat she'd be wantin' ter run the farm