The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-11-15
FARMER DALF'S MISTAKE
forlrlnall

prised Co see no woman about all the work being done by the owner of tho place, Ezra Dale. After supper light ed a pipe and sat on the porch smok- Ing. Dale came and sat beside me.
 "You have finished your evening chores carly" said "When my wifo Is without a servant. she never gets the dishes washed before o o'clock"
 "Waal. ye sec. don't do it that away. | wash dishes oncet a week. Then | put 'em an on ter the wagon, | drive 'em inter the creek, take a mop, an when I 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 I got needles an thread an buttons. There's my kit" And he handed me a case con talnlng the articles mentioned and no more.
 'where's your thimbleY' l asked
 Don't need no thimble tried one oncet an couldn't use it It's handler to git the head of the needle ag'ln the wall an drive it through that away
 "Did you never have love anairF
 "Yes, oncct. It was when was a young feller-very young an very green. I used to look on a gal as heathen would look on a sacred im- age. There was a little one Twin across the creek. Farmer Owens daughter Daisy. Purty? Ne bet an gentle as a kitten. she tuk a shine Co me. | was a fair lookin' young tcller then. straight an slim an light on my feet. One evculn I was a-pgSsin' Farmer owens, and Daisy come run min out with her finger a-blccdiu' am asked me ter tle it 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 an at the same time. While I was a-doin' Of It her hair got ag'in my cheek. an'-waal l lost my head an, turnln'. put an arm around her an kissed her.
 "Do ye know, stranger, I've since made up my mind she done it an a-pur- pose. b'licve she cut her finger on- tentlonally. tell ye. women folks is tricky"
 "I think that was a very nice fem mine way Of catching your attention" I remarked "Go on."
 That's jist what did do. l went on from day ter day. week ter week, t.ll it seemed ter me if anything happened between me an that gal I'd collapse. Somethin' did happen. Farmer Owens tuk a farm han fur Che hayiu, 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 house a.purposc ter show h.u ou ter me. l tell yc. stranger, she bad thc wickedeSt eye iu her ye ever see.
 Another feminine trait" ! observed. Miss Daisy was evidently woman.
 "She was a woman. stranger. uu' Che worst kind of a one. Dale went on lugubrlously. "She broke me ul up. ! fist rented this flrm am went away. 1 didn't come back Cur ten years. Then I made up my mind that women folks wasn't wuth worryin about, am | tuS my farm ug'in an began ter work it. The fust time l went by Farmer Owens Daisy come out-shc had grown ter be a fine lookiu' young woman of twenty-slx-an' what do ye suppose she did"
 CT can't imaciac.'
 Asked me lf ! wouldn't tie up cut finger. She had the same wicked look In her eye she had when she drove that lopslded farm han by my house ten years aforc. Women is Che persistent est critters ever see. jist squared oH an said: 'Ye don't git me that away agin. Ye done it oncet an that's enough But. do ye know. stran- ger. she was SO slick about it that in Ave minutes had my arm about her an she was a-restin' her head on my shoulder. She was a-cryin'. too cryn crockerdile tears. no doubt
 "waal. we was engaged, but it didn't las long. The question come up as ter whether we'd be married by a jus tics or a parson. | don't like parsons myself. an wanted a justice. Daisy wanted a parson, an she was SO blame set about it that l rockoncd it she was as obstinate about a small matter like | that she'd be wantiu' ter run the farm. SO I called the thing oif am I've been ! Twin alone here ever siuce.'
 'NIr. Dale" l said, "you have mis- taken natural feminine traits for gen eral cussedness.'
 That's what they Is. tell yc. stran- ger. "Ye don't understand
 'You have declined Co give up that which to a woman is great deoL while to you it Is nothing Miss Owens was right Co Insist on being married by a parson. and you were ungcuerous Co refuse her. Now. let me give you a bit of advice. Miss Owens Is stiil singleG Yes. Well. go to her and tell her that when you first met her you were a blundering Idiot and that later you were an obstinate brute. Say that it she will overlook your past errors you will spend your life in doing penance
 Why, stranger, if I was ter do that I'd never have my own way about anything afterward"
 Tt is the only way to have your own way about ery'hing with a wo- man. Toss lt all into her hands, and she'll toss it right back to you. More l tb,, thof ehe'U cvDnct vou to lead.