Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-08-16

thing ourselves and bear the conse
quences My wife and ! have done
everything we could think Of We've
been down TO call. one on one side. the
other on the other side, at the same
time. thinking that while we We're there
they'd stop at any rate"
II could have told you better than
that" grlnned Bolton. Tried II myself
Both old women deaf too. Don't won
der either. They've stood this for some
years now. they tell me. Stuck us out
the curtains. No doors even. Went al
II like Sam Hill and let us screech at
! the old women
1 We'll, let's get 'em married" insisted
Adams why not? Then they can
( fight IL out In piece or in pieces. They'll
I have to move. because this place won't
hold both OF the old women and them
too. Just so they get out of this neigh
borhood don't care where they CO.
They smoked a minute and then Boil
/ ton said:
How do you propose 10 get 'em mar
ried?''
II don't propose to do IT alone l can
tell you that. You've got to help me-
! II you do it's easy enough" He waved
bis cigar in the air while he mapped
out his campaign.
It'll take some time, OF course. First
We get so neighborly we won't know
ourselves. We go down and ask em
70 perform for our especial benefit
yes, we do, Bolton" he insisted as the
other showed signs Of mutiny.
"Well, go on"
"We invite 'em both up here and tell
each Of 'em the nice things the other
Is supposed to have said. We let the
old women brag and no kicks coming.
Do you seer
YES" said Bolton, II see. / suppose
must sacrifice myself to the cause.
So be IT,"
They set themselves to work, to-
gether with their wives. The two men
became so engrossed In their efforts
with the young people that they hard
ly paid any attention to the noise that
still went on. They noticed, though.
that after time there were intervals
of total silence The two young peo-
pie occasionally left the house togeth-
er. On rare occasions the young man
carried box of flowers into the
house, and the girl was heard to play
over and over with much feeling the
love song of Paderewski At such
times the two old gentlemen adjourned
to the back piazza and regarded each
other with a deep and solemn Joy.
They felt that their plans were sue
ceedlng, but how well neither of them
guessed until the climax was sudden
~ upon them-the elimination of all
their dreams.
One evening one of the old women
tapped at the doors of both flats and
Invited the two families downstairs
rather mysteriously. The girl was
dressed In white and was blushing
and the tenor. visibly nervous. seemed
to be waiting for the bell to ring.
When 1t did ring. in few moments
ne ushered In the minister of a near
by church, where he sang On Sundays.
Then he and the girl stood up. and be-
fore the old gentlemen knew what was
happening the two were one, a musical
unity. The joy of the two old men was
deep-very deep. They shook hands
with every one and then with each 9th
er. And then
Where are you going to liveY' In
CURED Mr.. Adams. you must let us
make little contribution toward your
housekeeping"
"Oh, that's the best part of itr' cried
bride, groom and both old women at
once. "The agent Is going to get the
landlord to take out the partition be-
tween our fats and make one big one,
and we are all going to live here and
we can have the same rooms for stu
dos, so we can 60 right on with our
work. Aren't you glad7 1t was you
who brought US together. and now we
can stay right here with you.r
Somehow the two old gentlemen got
mp their own flight Of stairs when the
awful evening was done. Silently they
stood In the hall and looked at each
other while their wives laughed heart
lessly. Then without one word they
opened the'doors and disappeared with
n their own apartments.