The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-07-13
MRS. TOONBS'
ANNUITY
tOriginal.1

Hatch, the notary, having sworn Mrs.
ioombs, signed his name to the docu--
ment. affixed his seal, picked up the
twenty-five cent piece she took out or
wooden mitten, and his work was
tone.
Very comfortable, Mrs. Toombs, to.
have this little amount coming in eyerv:.
three months. The government is very
kind to the widows of veterans"
THE government won't have to do I.
anything for me very long. I'm going,
downhill terrible FAST She gave %one. <
OF those bronchial coughs that sound
ike the low notes on trombone. When
she recovered from the strain she pro
ceeded. Whats $120 a year? l got
this house and some money in bank,
but I'm poor lone woman without
any business head and can't manage
my affairs. A year or two at most will
settle me. I'd rather go right off now.
/ wish some one would take my prop
eTty and give me SO much a year till
I'm gone. DR.. Burbank says one lungs
gone entirely, and Or. Woodruff says
my bronical tubes is all stopped up.
Don't neither of 'em expect me to finish
the year."
During this speech the notary was
pricking up his ears. The old woman
might be a good speculation. @
How much year would make you
comfortable, Mrs. Toombs?' he asked.
''Oh, don't need much. If had $50
or $50 month certain besides my pen
sion I'd get along first rate
What you got to put in for an an
nuity?"
well, got this house and grounds.
wo'th, mehbe, $4,000. I got eight acres
O. good land, wo'th from 500 to 5000 an
acre. got $500 in cash.
The notary figured that her property
was worth $500. He didn't believe
the widow would last six months If
not, the cash she would turn in on the
annuity scheme would pay for her keep
as long as she lived, and the realty
would be clear profit. He dickered
with her and finally closed deal by
which he agreed to take her property
and pay her $500 year, she to remain
In the homestead as long as she lived.
about it.
"One more year, Martha, in this
trap" he said, land We'll move into
our own property. Consumptives most
~ go out in the spring, and Mrs
Toombs won't git through another
change from winter to summer"
'1n that case I reckon we'd better
not do any repairin'."
Reckon not; nor git any new furni-
ture 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 to be so little.
chance for her passing the spring that
Mr.. and Mrs. Hatch, finding that their
newly acquired home needed painting
both for looks and utility, decided to-
paint it at once and have the work out
of the way before the widow was NOV
ed out Ito the cemetery and they NOV
ed In. They spent $500 on it.
One bright spring morning Hatch
passed by the place, curious to know
whether the old woman was likely to-
vacate. He found her digging in
vegetable garden. Concealing his
chagrin, he hailed her and asked how
she felt.
WAL" she replied, "if it hadn't
been for your tidying up the house I
think I'd "a give In. As it is, maybe,
I'm good till fall"
Hatch went home and told his wife
that they must give up their contem-
plated spring moving. A very discon-
tented couple sat down to supper that
evening, and they vowed not bit Of
improvement should go on to the prop
erty until Mrs Toombs was six feet
under ground.
That summer the out of door exer
else the pensioner got in her garden
seemed to do her world of good, and
IN the autumn she was quite robust.
Hatch doubted If he would get pos
session of his house even the next
spring. But he did, and in 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 disagreeabIe, but expensive to the.
Hfckses, and in the autumn the widow
returned, having gained twenty-five
pounds. The doctors looked her over,
and declared that, barring accidents.
she was good for twenty years.
Five years passed. About $4,000 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