The daily Alaskan., 1905-08-23
MRS. TOON1BS'
 ANNUITY
toriginall

Toombs. signed his name to the docu- ment. affixed his seal, picked up the twenty-five cent piece she took out Of woolen mitten, and his work was done.
 'Very comfortable, Mrs. Toombs, to have this little amount coming in every three months, The government Is very kind to the widows Of veterans"
 "The government won't have to do anything for me very long I'm going downhll terrible fast" She gave one Of those bronchial coughs that sound like the low notes on a trombone. When she recovered from the strain she pro ceeded. "Whats S120 a yearf got thls house and some money In bank, but I'm a poor lone woman without any business head and can't manage my affairs. N year or two at most win settle me I'd rather @ right of now. | wish some one would take my prop erty and give me so much year till I'm gone. nr. Burbank says one lungs gone entirely, and Dr. Woodruff says my bronlcsl tubes Is all stopped up. Don't neither ot 'em expect me to finish the year"
 During this speech the notary was pricking up hls ears. The old woman might be a good speculation.
 How much a year would make you com fortahle, Mrs. ToombsT he asked.
 'Oh, | don't need much lf had $50 or 500 a month certain besides my pen sion I'd got along first rate"
 What you got to put In for an an. nu,tyT"
 "Weu, | got thlS house and grounds wo'th, mebbc. S6OOO. got eight acres O good land, wo'th from Sioo Co S2o' an acre. I got $500 in cash
 Inc notary figured that her property was worth S7.SOO. He didn't believe the widow would last six months. IT not. the cash she would turn In on the annuity scheme would pay for her keep as long as she lived, and the realty woald be a clear profit He dickercd wl;h h,r gnl 6nnlly closed a deal by whi,h he agreed to take her property and pay her $SlO a year, she to remain in the AJMcstcad as long as she lived. Tn n h. went home and told hts wlfe about lt
 "Onc more year, Martha, In this ron," ho said, and we'll moe Int our own p.o, o.ty. Con uup,,N2s m.Hi ly 70 out n tEr p.'n- 0ai N-. Toanbs won't Elt through another change ..oA winter to sHuue,."
 ".n UaSt C,.sy royaaI 1.s.a 5c,tc, not do any repoiriu,"
 Reckon not; nor glt any new fmn.- turc just now neither"
 Mrs. ToombS held her own better than was expected, but the next win ter she seemed to be failing rapidly Indeed, there appeared Co be so little chance for her passing the spring that Mir and Mrs. Hatch, finding that their
  both for looks and utility, decided to paint lt at once and have the work out of the way before the widow was nov ed out Cto the cemetery and they nov cd In. Tbcy spent $500 on lt.
 One bright spring morning Hatch passed by the place, curious to know whether the old woman was likely Co vacate. He found her digging In a vegetable garden. ConceaIlng his chagrin. he hailed her and asked how she felt
 "Waal," she repl!ed, If it hadn't been for your tidying up the house I think I'd "a give In. As lt Is, maybe I'm good tlll fall"
 Hatch went home and told his wife that they must give up their contom- plated spring moving. A very dlscon- ten. ed couple SsiT down to supper that evening. and they vowed not a bit of Improvement should go on to the prop erty until Mrs. Toomhs was SIX feet under ground.
 That summer the out of door excr- else the pcns.oner got In her garden seemed to do her a world of good. and in the autumn she was quite robust Eat,R doubted if he would get pos session of his house even the next spring. But be did, and in a way that did not please him. The doctors agreed that if Mrs. Toombs could spend the summer in the mountains she might get well. So she notified Hatch that she was going away and he had better look after his house. At great incon- venience he and Mrs. Hicks moved temporarily Into the more valuable premises and hired man and his wife to look after their ordinary abode This rendered the summer months not only disagreeable. but expensive to the Hickses, and in the autumn the widow returned, having gained twenty two pounds. The doctors looked her over and declared that barring accidents, she was good for twenty years.
 Five years passed. About S4,500 had been expended in the annuity and on the house, and Hatch and his wife were as far from the promised land as ever. Every now and again Mrs. Toombs would be reported ailing, and MT. Hatch would call, ostensibly to