Evening journal., 1905-05-24
Mrs. TOON1BS'
ANNUITY
fOririnal1

Toombs, signed his name 70 the docu-
ment affixed his seal, picked up the
twenty-five cent piece she took out Of
a 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"
'srhe government won't have to do
anything for me very long. I'm going
downhin terrible fast" She gave one
Of those bronchial coughs that sound
like the low notes on n trombone. When
she recovered from the strain she pro-
ceeded. whats S12O a year? 1 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. Id rather go right off now.
l wish some one would take my prop
erty and give me so much a year till
I'm gone. Or. Burbank says one lungs
gone entirely, and Dr. 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 a year would make you
comfortable. Mrs. Toombs?" he asked.
Il Z 4
or SGD 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. mebbe, $1,000. 1 got eight acres
o coed land, wo'th from S1O0 to 5000 an
acre. I got $500 in cash"
The notary figured that her property
was worth S7.5OO. lie didn't believe
the widow would last six months. If
not. the cash she would turn in on the
annT.ty scheme would pay for her keep
as long as she lived. and the realty
would lie a clear profit He dickercd
with her and finally closed deal by
which lie agreed to take her property
and pay her $500 year. she to remain
IN the homestead as long as she lived
Then he went home and told his wife
about IT,
"Cne more year. Martha. in this
trap" be said. "and wen move into
our own property Consumptives most
" g out in the spring. and Mrs
Toorbs won't sit through another
change from winter to summer"
In that case l reckon we'd better
not 60 any rcpaiTin'."
Reckon not; nor git any new furni
tlire Irst now neither"
Mrs Toonbs 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 Ter passing the spring thai
Mr.. and Mrs. Hatch, finding that theil
newly acquitted home needed painting
both for looks and utility. decided tC
paint it at once and have the work ouf
Of the way bcto-e tie widow was NOV
ed out go tbs ceacteryl and they NOV
ed iD. They spent $500 Oh it,
One briglt spring morning Hatcl
passed by the place. curious to know
whetAc- IRE Oh woman was likely t
vacatc lie found her digging in &
vegetable ga.Ten. Conceallng his
chag-in. he hailel her and asked how
she felt
"Waal." she replied, "if it hadn'
been fOr yo-r tlGying up the house
think ia a give In. AS it is, maybe
In good till fall
Tfufs.ft r--ortf Ior4,o ,-T t,f,4 I.t-
that they must give up their contem
plated spring moving A very discon
tented couple sat down to supper tha
evening, and they vowed not a bit o.
improvement should so on to the prop
erty until Mrs. Toombs was six fee
under ground.
That summer the out Of door exer
else the pensioner got in her gardel
seemed TO do her a world of good. ans
in the autumn she was quite robust
Hatch doubted If he would get pos
session Of his house even the mex
spring. But he did. and In way tha
did not please him. The doctors agree,
that II Mrs. Toombs could spend th
summer in the mountains she nigh
get we'll So she notified Hatch tha
she was going away aud he had bette
look after his house. At great incon
venience he and Mrs. Hicks moves
temporarily into the more valuabi
premises and hired a man and hi
wife to look after their ordinary abode
This rendered the summer months no
only disagreeable, but expensive TO tn
Hickses, and in the autumn the widoN
returned, having gained twenty-tw
pounds. The doctors looked her owe
and declared that, barring accidents
she was good for twenty years.
Five years passed. About S4,5OO hai
been expended in the annuity and o.
the house. and Hatch and his wifi
were as far from the promised land a
ever. Every now and again Mrs
Toombs would be reported ailing. an
Mr.. Hatch would call, ostensibly I
sympathize with her. but really to fin
out If there was a chance OF releas
from the heavy burden he was carry
ing. But the widow lived on, and tn
Hatches suffered.
One day fifteen years after the cor
s tract had passed between Hatch an
81 n Mrs. Toombs the Hatches, hearing tha
4H Mrs ToOmbs was very III, went
:'<E cond0le with her. A thunderstorr
81 came up, and after a vivid fash tn
f neighbors noticed that the chimney &
<'X A., rroo.,,I,o k1er,,.rt,.1 t...... 4,