The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-01-20
lhe Judgment of Nathan;
Or, the Story of How He Selected
the Right Woman For Wife.

protest against the interruption. The
school bell rang for recess and the
shouts of the playing children came
loud and soft by turns with the ebb
and flow of the gentle breeze. The 10.
cal freight arrived and stopped at the
dripping water tank.
Nathan" said Daniel, solemnly.
I'm a-going to get married"
His companions jaw dropped as sud.
denly as If some concealed spring had
snapped. "Why-why, you can't mean
1t, Daniel" he suffered
most certainly do" replied Daniel.
with an assumption of nonchalance
that he was far from feeling.
"B-but at your age!"
Never too late to mend" observed
Daniel blithely.
Il don't know if mend is the right
word for it," Nathan shook his head
obviously, "and if it is it seems to me
that If I'd got along to the ripe old
age OF sixty-three unmended I'd a sort
felt so natural that way that l would
not a bothered about the repairs"
Il amt but sixty-two," objected his
friend.
"As good as sixty-three. know
when your birthday is by reckonin'
from mine. Don't you remember, l had
to lie about my age SOS we could en-
list in the same company"
We'll, then, have 1t your own way
then, do. Sixty-three amt old"
I'm not so sure Now | am a great
grandpa at that age an you just a
startin' in, but who's to be the happy
Mrs. Freeman"
Daniel blushed until his notified
face. resembled a variegated pincush-
ion. There's two of them I'm hest
tatin' between" he answered, looking
vaguely at flaming sumach bush on
the opposite shore
We'll, prompted Nathan.
Two OF 'em," repeated Daniel,
bring his index finger down upon the
board with thwack and staring hard
at it; zone 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.
Zone is Abby Bell"
Nathan nodded his head in corro-
boration. somewhat disappointed at
revelation that was no revelation, be-
cause Millville had been daily expect
ing their marriage for thirty years.
And the other is-confound that
bee, he's agoin to sting me yet"
We'll, 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 if it were plug.
THE mischief" gasped Nathan.
Now, what have you got against
Ann Elizabeth" demanded Daniel,
with an injured air.
"A widow an gossip, an equal suf-
fragist an social purityite, soul
feeder an a sanctifed 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.
go on" cried Daniel pile it 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 a stream Any
way to spike the scent, my boy [
hope it amt too late, comrade. hope
you haven't gone and committed your
self beyond recall"
An acorn ratified from bough to
bough in 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, Danl, | 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 rat
to get into one of them patent traps,
and marriage has got it's 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