The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-05-22
That Ten Acre
Lot
BY Donald Allen
Copyright, 1908. by K. A. Whitehead

that was left to him was ten acre lot
lying just outside the village limits
1t was as fine a meadow as could be
found In the county, and Jed was hang
ing on to that until some lightning rod
man should come along and trade him
a farm on top the Rocky mountains
when he fell In love.
Jim Thomas, the carpenter, had died
three years before and left q level
headed, economical widow behind him.
She was an old schoolmate Of Jed's.
and he had seen her almost every day
for twenty-f years, and until the
spirit of love dubbed up he had SIM
ply regarded her as he looked upon all
other women.
He was sitting on the grocery steps
one day whiting when his knife slip
ped and cut his finger. The Widow
Thomas was just entering the store for
half dozen eggs when the accident
occurred, and she pulled out her hand.
kerchief and bound up the bleeding
finger. 1t was only tribe, but some.
how it touched the heart of the old
bachelor, and three days later he called
on the widow.
Martha" he began, I've got tired
Of sloshing around alone and am going
to get married"
"For the lands sakep' she exclaimed.
THAT is, If the woman 1 want will
have me-"
"Who is itT'
"You."
"Now, Jed, don't come around here
with any of your nonsense" she said.
You are good natured man, but you
are lazy. You think you've got brains,
but everybody beats you. 1t would
drive me crazy to have such bus
band"
Il 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 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 5000
acres of desert land In Arizona for his
meadow and explained that he could
raise 10000 rattlesnakes to the acre on
the sandy soil and sell the oil for So a
gallon to grease the feet of babies
with
ton he would have closed with the Of
fer at once, but as he was In the throes
of hopeless love he astonished the
town by turning the windmill man
down. Two days later he went back
to the widow and said:
Martha, had a dream about Jim
last night. l dreamed that l met him
in front of the blacksmith shop and
that we shook hands and he said he
hoped I'd marry you"
''Oh, you've come about that, have
your she asked.
II have. I'm a miserable man."
"Have you tried catnip tear
"Catnip tea? Great heavens! What
ais me Is love, and If the Mississippi
river was composed of catnip tea 1t
couldn't cure me. Martha, If you won't
promise to have me can't live a week
longer
Nonsense. I'm busy with my iron-
ing, and you run along"
Jed was now so broken up that ev.
erybody 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 to get out thousand ties for
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 l am going to
work, can't you say yesT' he asked In
conclusion
"Jed, what do you come bothering
for?" she asked.
Because love you"
Don't be silly. I'm making mince
pies today and haven't time to argue"
Jed went away, determined to throw
himself into the mill pond, but when he
reached the bank he met a stranger
who had been poking around the vii
lage for couple Of days without tell
ing any one his business He intro
duced himself and said that he thought
some of establishing an orphan asylum
If he could find site to suit In this
way he brought the talk around to
Jed's meadow. The value OF the land
as 1t lay was 800 an acre, though Jed
had never had cash offer for it
The stranger didn't exhibit too great
interest In the matter. He said he'd
think the matter over and perhaps
make an offer He had no mountains
in Idaho and no lakes In Europe to
trade, but would be prepared to pay
cash. A day later, while still saunter-
ing around, he met Jed and said that
he could have $1,000 for the land as
soon as the deed was made out The
lovelorn bachelor had started for the
Office of the village lawyer to have the
deed made out when he met the Wild
ow Thomas. She noticed his excite
ment 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 business"
How do you meanY
You're an orphan yourself, and you
don't want to let any other orphan get
the better Of you. Can you get horse
and buggy anywhere for an hourT
'Of course"
"Then let's drive out to your land
and see what kind OF 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.
Come now" interrupted the widow,
this is straight business and you keep
quiet"
When the meadow, which lay abong
the highway. was reached the widow
insisted on walking across it from
north to south. The ground looked as
level as floor, but near the center was
a sort Of sink hole. In rainy weather
considerable water stood there, but the
earth was now dry.
"UmF' said the widow as she halted
and shifted.
do you mean that smellH"
Eyes. Ever notice it beforeT'
'Once or twice. Smells as IL some
body had been breaking rotten eggs
around here"
"Get a pole and thrust It into the
ground as far as you can"
Here's one right here, and seme-