The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-04-19
! On theFeIlCe
By DONALD ALLEN
Copyright, 1906. by E. c. PARCELS

All the farming population for five
miles around said that it was good
match, that between Burt Adams. son
of Deacon Adams, and Eunice Taylor,
daughter of the Widow Taylor. The
young folk had known each other as
children. The parents approved the en-
gagement, and the deacon went as far
as to take his son by the hand and say:
My son. she is a fine girl, and you
will make no mistake in marryin' her.
shall feel toward her as my own
daughter
The engagement was announced and
the wedding day set. Everything went
we'll until the deacon's brother out In
Wisconsin died and left him legacy
Of $4,000 in cash. The deacon. who
had lived without any of the luxuries
of life. was stunned for time by the
size Of the legacy. He felt that it made
him one of the millionaires of earth.
The money would have made some lit
tie difference TO any man, no matter
how level headed.
1--WE are on different plane now"
he said to his old wife, land we must
conform to the new circumstances.
You won't wear calico any more and
shall have hired girl. and ! shall do
no more work except boss the hired
man"
And what about Burt?" was asked.
"He must go to college and become
q lawyer or doctor"
But he and Eunice are to be mar
ried, you know. and | don't believe
he'll want TO put 1t Off"
Look here, ma" said the deacon aft
err thinking for awhile, I'VE can't let
Burt throw himself away on no such
girl 1t might have done passably we'll
when we were poor. but now we caa
buy out the whole county and have
money left. He can't afford to tie him
self to any such wife. To begin with
she don't look aristocratic"
"But dc WEI"
"Of course we do. Any one would
know to look at us that we had blood
and money. In the second place, she
has no style about her,"
"And have we got?"
Heaps of t. In the third place, she
hain't got no eddication."
"But you and me never went to any
thing better'n district school," protest
ed the wife, while Eunice attended
seminary for two whole years.
thought she knew moren all Of us put
together
But she don't At the seminary she
jest ehawed gum and played the pi-
amer. We hain't been braggin' around
any. because that amt the way of the
Adamses, but we've got eddication
huff to pass in any crowd. When
talked with the governor at the county
fair two years ago | felt perfectly to
home. | must have talk with Burt"
81 don't believe he will give her up.
You know how obstinate he is about
some things If Eunice would give him
up
by thunder" interrupted the deacon
as he brought his fist down on the
Kitchen ia BILE with a bang
"What is it,"
"I've got an idea, ma-one of the
brightest ideas I ever had Keep mum.
Don't say word I'll tell you all
about it tomOrrer or next day Don't
say single word to Burt. and don't go
around lookin' as if you had somethn
on your mind
"You-you hain't' goin to do any
thing desperate?" stammered the wife
"Of course not. I'm simply goin' to
work out my idea, and when get
ready to tell you you'll! say l am about
as sharp as they make 'em. S-s-sh'
Keep num-
The above conversation took place
one evening, and at 8 o'clock the next
morning the deacon was knocking at
the door of Widow Taylor's farm
house. Eunice had driven to the vii
lage to do some trading" and the fat
and motherly widow was just finish
ing up the last of her mornings work
why, deacon, is this you?" she
asked as she answered the knock and
held out-her hand. 81 hope none Of the
folks are sick? 2"
mo. The folks are all WE'LL"
"None of the cows ailing?'
Nope"
swell, you ought to be thankful for
that. Won't you come in and sit down p
mo, l guess not. The fact is, wild
der, I've come over to say somethin
to you"
SWELL, say on
Its about Burt and Eunice. You
know l am rich now. Got $4,000 ID
cold cash-$14,OO0. I'm the richest man
in Plum county"
"WellY
"Waal, I want to say that | want
Burt to go to college and become
great lawyer or doctor. don't want
him to marry for three or four years
yet. and when he does I'd like the wo-
man to be-to be-
ITO be somebody better than Eunice
Taylor" finished the widow as the
deacon hung fire.
II hain't sayin' that exactly, but you
know that the eagle and the crow
can't mate"