The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-11-30

WIN an assumption Oh nOnCnalance
that he was far from feeling.
"Bbut at your age!'
Never too late to mend" observed
Daniel blithely.
Il don't know II mend is the right
word for it," Nathan shook his head
obviously, "and II 1t is 1t seems TO me
that II I'd got along to the ripe old
age of sixty-three unmended I'd sort
a felt 30 natural that way that would
not bothered about the repairs"
Il amt but sixty.two," objected his
friend.
when your birthday is by reckonin'
from mine. Don't you remember, had
to lie about my age SOS we could en-.
list in the same company"
well, then, have it your own way
then, do. Sixty-three amt old"
I'm not SO sure. Now am great
grandpa at that age an you Just
startin' in, but who's to be the happy
Mrs. Freeman"
Daniel blushed until his mottled
face resembled variegated pincush-
ion. There's two of them I'm a hest
tatin' between" he answered, looking
vaguely at a flaming sumach bush on
the opposite shore.
Well" prompted Nathan.
Two Of EN-" repeated Daniel,
bring his index finger down upon the
board with a thwack and staring hard
at IL; "one is-one is"-he shifted his
gaze to a thistle close at hand, and
picking up a switch, threshed it vigor-
ously. Nathan whitfield away without
the least appearance of interest.
"One is Abby Bell"
Nathan nodded his head in corro-
boration, somewhat disappointed at a
revelation that was no revelation, be-
cause M1lville had been daily expect
ing their marriage for thirty years.
And the other is-confound that
bee, he's agoin' to sting me yet"
well, for heavens sake" calculated
Nathan, SAY it-say it's who?"
Ann Elizabeth Tompkins," Daniel
blinked his eyes, inflated his cheeks,
until they resembled a bellows, and
blew out the name as IL it were plug.
THE mischief" gasped Nathan.
Now. what have you got against
Ann Elizabeth" demanded Daniel,
with an injured air.
"A widow an a gossip, an equal suf.
fragist an a social purityite, soul.
feeder an a sanctified person, an to
marry you! Lord! Lord! The saint and
the sinner, the hawk an the dove, the
sheep an the goat-yah, yah!" The
old man grasped his knees in his
hands and rocked to and fro in an
ecstacy of mirth.
60 on!" cried Daniel. pile 1t up.
Insult your best friend If you will, but
don't drag her in; don't you say moth
ing about her until she's present to de-
fend herself"
Il wouldn't dare to then" said Ma
than, earnestly. why, Dan1, she's a
match for any two men in Millville,
an you know It. Six feet tall an two
hundred-if a pound. Who-ee! Don't
you sit there an admit that you're con-
siderin' her. Back track, Back track!
Climb a tree; swim stream. Any
way to spike the scent, my boy. |
hope 1t amt too late, comrade. hope
you haven't gone and committed your.
self beyond recall"
An acorn ratified from bough to
bough in a neighboring tree and
struck the ground with a thud. Dan
iel lodged with a quick duck of the
head and glanced apprehensively over
his shoulder.
1T amt went that fur" he admitted.
I'm only a-figurin', as fellow says"
"All right, but don't you figger too
close. Looky here, Dan1, / amt got a
thing against you marryin', but after
having been so uncommon deliberate
let's not get in an ALFRED hurry all
at once. It's mighty easy to get mar.
ried. It's as easy as it is for a rat
to get into one of them patent traps
and marriage has got its bars, too, as
well as its bait Now, to continue the
argument, we will say, my boy, you're
a-marryin' to better your condition
for the purpose of becomin more com
Portable; an judge that's all bach
elor thinks of when he's marryin'. II
such be the case, an | think know
you pretty well, don't you make the
mistake of marryin' a widow of strong
convictions and mature age. My
brother married widow. He was
about your age when he did it, too, an
out of consideration for his feelin's
an in the hope Of havin' life of ease
the rest Of his days he selected wha
he thought was rich widow. Well
they hadn't hardly ct their first mea
together until he realized he was tiet
up to whited sepulchre. Yes, sir. fol
a fact She took all her money anC
put 1t into a costly monument to hel
first husband. an George w. had to Gu
right out an dig for a livin'.
He tells me it is a mighty handsom,
stone. with two angels carved ON il
clasping hands. an right below tn,
words. Till we meet again Many
the night, says George W., that Nv
laid awake calculatin' just where In
supposed to be whilst they are a-meet
| IN 81 .t.,t. 4,