The evening Republican., 1902-09-26
WISDOM OF
"A GOOSE.
A Story By Martha McCulloch.
Williams.


properly or not at all.
The widow was jolly and comely
and well fixed besides. She had
house and land, stock and plenish-
ings, not to name money in the bank
and expectations of more whenever
the Lord called Uncle Marmadnke
up higher. She had married to
please him. The late William Mar
tin had been Uncle Marmaduke's
chum. Uncle Marmaduke was still
masterful regarding the widow at
35 as a slip of a thing in nowise to
be trusting in the choosing of q
buggy, horse or even a husband.
She stood in need of both, the old
gentleman admitted. AS to how the
needs were to be supplied he was
by no means so clear.
Widow Martin herself had no sort
of doubt. Her mind was set upon
the bay Almont (trotting mare and
Joe Cople, who was bachelor, own
ed the beast, just the widows age,
who since he was 20 bad given all
his spare time to the comfort and
pleasure of an Invalid mother. No W
that she was dead, he was lost and
lonesome beyond words.
Widow Martins heart-a mother
ly, tender one -ached for him when
she looked at him across the church.
Since he was her .close neighbor
she almost dragged him home with
her to dine and spend Sunday after
moons. Naturally he fell head over
ears in love. Quite as naturally he
lacked the courage to tell her SO. In
stead of speaking out manfnlly, he
faltered and drew back in very
shame, the widow was forced to
hout him.
So he stayed at home and began
gropingly to cast about as to whom
he might marry. A wife he must
have. Now that the mother was
gone no decent, stirring single
woman would be justified in living
in his house and attending to his
concerns. He could not bear to
think Of taking married couple.
He did not want to feel himself an
himself an alien outsider in the
place where he was born.
Thus presently it happened that
the bay Almont was often seen
standing before the Parker gate.
.Parker's girls had been full-grown
a good many years. All three were
fair-looking in sort Of shrill and
angular fashion. Somehow Joe
shrank from the touch of their thin,
clutching fingers. Widow Martins
fingers were as softly dimpled as a
babys. He could never quite bring
himself to court any Of the Parkers
outright.
Almra Parker, the youngest and
shrewdest, grew impatient and re-
solved TO bring things to head. She
saw far enough to understand tha t
the Widow Martin was what stood in
in her way.
lnevitablyshe invited herself to
spend the day with that lady. In
the course Of the visit she rugged her
hostess 50 numerically over Joe and
his dumb devotion that Mrs. Martin
grew angry with her, angrler with
herself, angrlcst of all with poor Joe.
She broke out, at first hoty, then
with sort Of contempt: "What you
talkin' about, Almiry? That old
fowl court any body! Why, he
wouldn't have the sense ter hunt wa.
ter eff he'd been hatched a goose.
Almira had what she came for. In
side an hour she was home again.
Joe was due that evening. What
with suberb biscuit and the thing she
had to tell him, there was little
dtu)t Il at he would 60 home engaged
to her,
1t fell out as she had planned.
Somehow she led Joe to believe the
widow had from the beginning
made Il mock OF him, aud then some
how else she soothed his hurt with
the palm of her own eager adulatlon
aud before Joe fairly knew it, the
thing was done.
"'We'll be married before Thanks.
givlng,' Almira planned. "Poor
Josey! l CANT bear ter think of
leav1n' you lonesome that day.
I've 4 great mind ter ask Nanny
Martin ter dinner, only know she
wouldn t come. She'd make out she
couldn't leave Uucle Duke
Joe did not sleep that night. He
got up with a gray, resolved face.
Out in the barny ard there was u We.
ry prince Of cocks-a crested pleas.
ant in all the glory OF gold lace.
His two WifeS were as meek as he
himself was gorgeous. Joe had rear
ed them from some famous high.
priced eggs. They were. meant for
Mrs. Martins Cbristmas gift. She
loved chickens, but nothing in her
years could compare with these.
He had told her about them--how
they were to be hers at full prime.
He would keep his promise. tho ugh
it was more bitter than death to
thrust himself upon ber notice now
that he knew she had laughed at
him.
He would take them to her at
once. 1t would be manifestly i'm
proper after Almira came. At his
call the cock ran to him, growing
three times on the way. One ofthe
pullets flew upon his arm and be.
gan pecking food from the pan in
his haa1. The Martin house was
in sight, half mile Off. 1t would
not be hard to tole the chickens
there. So cluckSng, grooming, dol.
ing out niggard handfuls, Joe set
out, walking backward along the
field path. '''' ''
1t took him the best part of an
hour to reach Mrs. Martins poultry
Il Nv