The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-21
TIE EVENING STORY
That Ten-Acre Lot.
TBv Donald Allen.l

the village of Flint He was neigh
borly. kind-hearted and always willing
to do for others.
Jed's good qualities were in way
his enemies. He was lazy. and added
to his laziness he had a mania for
trading. He would trade horses, dogs,
guns, watches. overcoats, or anything
else, and it so happened that the other
fellow always got the best of the bar
gain.
He had been left a little fortune by
MS grandmother, but in the course OF
nVe years he had sold at loss or
Traded with sharpers until all that was
lett 10 him was a ten-acre lot lying
Just outside the village limits It was
as me meadow as could be found |
IN the county, and Jed was hanging on
should come along and trade him a
farm on top of the Rocky mountains
when he fell in love.
Jim Thomas, the carpenter. had
died three years before and left
level-headed, economical widow be-
hind him. She was an old school
mate of Jed's, and he had seen her
almost every day for twenty-five years,
and until the spirit of love dubbed up
ne mad simply regarded her as he
looked upon all other women.
He was sitting on the grocery steps
one day whiting when his knife
slipped and cut his finer. The widow
Thomas was just entering the store
for half a dozen eggs when the acci-
dent occurred, and she pulled outaher
handkerchief and bound UP the bleed
ing finger. It was only a trifle, but
somehow it touched the heart of the
old bachelor. and three days later he
called on the widow
Martha he began, 1--WE got tired
OF sloshing around alone and am going
to get married.
For the lands sake!'' she ex-
That is, if the woman I want will
Who is it?''
Now, Jed, don't come around here
with any of your nonsense" she said.
You are a good-natured man, but you
are lazy. You think you've got brains,
but everybody beats you. It would
drive me crazy to have such a hus-
band
''I could and would reform. If had
any one to peck at me I'd go to work
Il haven't time to be poking up a
husband. It's hard to teach old dogs
new tricks. Thank We for the honor.
Jed, but I guess we won't do any mar
rying.
Jed was crushed for three days, dur
ing which time a windmill man came
along and offered to trade him five
thousand acres of desert land in Ari-
IONA for his meadow, and explained
that he could raise ten thousand rattle
snakes to the acre on the sandy soil
and sell the oil for IS gallon to
grease the feet of babies with.
If Jed had been in his normal con-
dition he would have closed with the
offer at once. but as he was in the
the town by turning the windmill man
down. Two days later he went back to
the widow and said:
Martha, I had dream about Jim
] H. -E-11- T --~+r :
in front of the Blacksmith shop. and
that we shook hands and he said he
hoped I'd marry you
ooh you've come about that have
you?' she asked.
Il have I'm miserable man.
Have you tried catnip tea?"
"Catnip tea2 Great heavens! What
ails me is love, and if the Mississippi
river was composed Of catn1p tea Il
/ couldn't cure me. Martha. il you won't
promise to have me I can't live week
/ longer
Nonsense. I'm busy with my iron
! ing and you rim along.
Jed was now so broken up that every
/ body began to notice and comment on
it. but when questioned he simply shook
his head and intimated that he was not
/ long for this sinful world. He got up
/ energy enough, however, to contract 10
get out a thousand ties for a suburban
| electric line, and hoping this might
work in his favor, he paid another visit
to the widow and told her of It.
Now that you see I am gong 70
work. can't you say yes?" he asked, In
@Jed. what do you come bothering
/ for2' she asked
because I love you"
Don't be silly. I'm making mince
pies today and haven't time to argue.
led went away, determined 10 throw
! himself into the mill pond, but Wheh
4 he reached the bank he met a stranger
4 Who had been pol1ing around the village
I for a couple of days without teihng any
! one his business He introduced him
/ eelf and said that he tEOught some Oh
! asta blishine an orphan asylum II ne
/ oo,71d find a site to suit. In this way
| he brought the talk around 10 sea
4 ennadow. The value of the land as Il
/ law was 800 an acre, though JED hao
/ never had a cash offer for It.
/ The stranger didn't EXHIBIT TOO gfeaL
interest in the matter. He said ne
think the matter over. ana perhaps
make an offer. He had no mountains
/ in Idaho and no lakes IN europe 70
I trade. but would be prepared to pay
cash A dav later while still saunter-
/ ing around he met Jed and said that
he could have $1,000 for the lana as
/ soon as the deed was made out. the
| love-Iorn bachelor had started Tor
/ the office of the village lawyer to have
/ the deed made out when he met the
widow Thomas. She noticed his ex-
element and asked the cause, and
when he had told her she said:
Look here, Jed. don't You take
! too much stock in the orphan busi-
| ness"
How do you mean ~
you're an orphan yourself and
you don't want to let any other or
phan get the better Of you. Can you
/ get a horse and buggy anywhere for
an hour %
| "Of course
s'Then let's drive out to your land
and see what kind Of a place. it would
make for the poor orphans
on the way out Jed REQUIRED to the
old subject, saying that he was on his
way to drown himself when he met
/ the stranger.
sCome. now interrupted the
widow, this is straight business, and
you keep quiet"