Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1902-10-11
FARMER DALE'S MISTAKE


WAS on a wheeling tour and stop
ned for supper and all night at a
- forlorn-looking farmhouse. l was
surprised to see no woman about all
the work being done by the owner of
the place, Ezra Dale. After supper l
lighted a pipe and sat on the porch
smoking. Dale came and sat beside
me-
"You have finished your evening
chores early" l said. when my wife
is without a servant she never gets
the dishes washed before 8 o'clock"
"Waal, We see, l don't do 1t that
away. l 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 a wife would be
handy? She could do your mending."
Don't need no wife. l got needles
an thread an buttons. There's my
kit" And he handed me a case con-
tanning the articles mentioned and no
more.
"Where's your thimble?" I asked.
"Don't need no thimble. l tried one
oncet an couldn't use It It's handler
tn git the head of the needle agin the
wall and drive 1t tnroush cA4trc % ---~---s-.--
"Did you never have love AFFAIR."?
ayes. oncet. 1t was when I was a
young feller-very young an very
green. used to look on gal as
heather would look on sacred I'M
age. There was a little one hVln
across the creek, Farmer Owens
daughter Daisy. Purty2 Ye bet, an
gentle as a kitten. She took SHINE 10
me. | was a fair-lookin' young teller
then, straight an slim an light on my
feet One evenln' was a-passln
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. Whlf
was a-doin' Of It her hair got ag'h
my cheek, an'-waal, l lost my heu
an, turnin', put an arm around her III
kissed her.
do We know, stranger, I've 'hce
made up my mind she done 1t all fpur-
pose. b'leve she cut her hngr On
tentionally. l tell ye, women flks Is
tricky"
81 think that was very ME 1emi,
nine way of catching your a'en'ion'
remarked. go on"
That's jist what did do. went Oh
from day ter day, week ter 'eeh' III! II
seemed ter me If anything fppehed De
tween me an that gal u collapse'
Somethin' did happen. prlher owens
TUX a farm han fur fe nayih' III
what did Daisy do but Ike MN out III
her huoqv tint bar finer bought fur
her at Christmas nm i've right by that
house a-purpose term" nm oil Ter
me- fell ve str,ger, she had the
wickedest eye In h we ever see
"Another femine trait" observed
@'Miss Daisv wa evidently a woman"
"She was a wan, stranger, an the
worst kind of ohe' Dale went Oh
luguhriousIv She broke me all up.
list rented TN farm an went away.
didn't coma eek fur ten years. Then
| made up mihu that women IoiKs
wasn't wut worryin' about, an | TUX
nv farm In an began ter work 1t.
The fust re went by Farmer Owens
Daisy CO.. out-she had grown ter be
a flne-loin young woman of 26-an'
what de suppose she did,"
"I ct imagine"
"AsA me II l wouln't tie up cut
finee She had the same wicked look
In heye she had when she drove thar
ioped farm ham by my house ter
ye afore. Women is the persistence
1ers ever see. Jist squared off q
4: 'Ye don't git me that away agi.
done 1t oncet. an that's enout.'
NJ do We know, stranger she waso
"Sk about 1t that in five minutes Iad