The Topeka state journal., 1906-03-06
TIE EVENING STOR r
A Sensible Lover.

.
70 England. 1t was the last OF February,
ana there was snow on the ground.
1he next farm to Aunt James was
the Rosslter place, and hIrs. R0ssiter
was also a widow. A hired man named
jim Williams plowed. planted and reap
ed Tor her. When Jim heard that q city
glrt was stopping with Aunt Jane he
went over to see her for himself He
didn't stop to put on q clean shirt nor
TO grease and lampblack his shoes He
entered the house in that familiar way
farmers have among themselves, and
When introduced to the visitor he held
out hand as big as a washboard and
snook her small one vigorously
How are ye? Nice winter weather
We6e having, he said.
The young lady of wealth and social
drew up his chair and spoke of spring
calves and kicking cows in q way meant
TO be highly entertaining. He refused
to be snubbed, and he wouldn't take
hint.
When the subject of music was re-
ferred to be volunteered to sing a ballad ]
or two, and when 10 o'clock came ne
took his hat, held out his hand again,
and departed after saying:
We'll. Minnie, I don't know Wnen
I've spent a more interesting evening,
and it's all owing to you. I'm not one
Of these stuck-up chaps IN just pla1n
Jim Williams, and you'll ind me q yard
wide and all wool every time. II run
in quite frequently and cheer YOU up
Miss Minnie had many criticisms TO
make after the caller had left, and as
serted if he came again he would ger
a setback to last him all his life.
Aunt Jane tried to soothe her. Oh
you mustn't mind our ways out here In
the country. AS Jim has fallen IN love
with you at first sight he will
.'W-h-a-t!'' exclaimed the horrihed
sswhy.. couldn't you tell that he had
fallen in love with you %
"Of course not! How dare he 90
such a thingi''
fuss over it. If you don't want 10
marry him you can say so when ne
asks you"
When jim had retired that night he
got to thinking things over. N jim
Williams" he sOliloquized. L m as
stout as a bull and have an appetite
like a horse. / m tWenty-seVen years
old and have six hundred dollars IN the
bank. There amt no flies on me, and
I'm a good 'nuff match for any gal that
lives. I'm in love with Minnie stacy.
I don't know what sort or a LaIfIleI
wife she'd make, but m Wiling 20
take my chances. Wen take N
Niagara Falls on our wedding trip, ana
if she wants candy at fifty cents poA
she shall have it. III give her a week
to sort O. get acquainted, and then III
pop the question.
he turned over and went to sleep, ana
he saw no clouds on the horizon as ne
aWoke in the morning Thereafter Iof
nine or ten nights he was q regular
caller at Aunt James house. If he saw
Minnie he tried to interest nef III
snakes mud turtles, frogs and other
novelties of farm life, and gave her IN
teresting statistics Of how much nay
cow would consume in the winter
When Minnie stuck to her room and
refused to come down he had greening
apples and other messages for her, and
continued to grow more deeply in love.
About the first of March the maple
fs9qpa7 season opened. The making of
the sugar was part of Jim spring
work and from the first run OF sap ne
sent the city girl some maple wax on
a clean white maple chip.
The snow disappeared, the spring
birds began to appear and the ground
was getting dry under foot, when Min
ME started olt one afternoon Ior q
walk She wandered over a field and
into piece of woods, hoping 70 ma
the first spring flower, and of q sudden
she felt chills sweep over her and the
a atn1osUhere drew dark. A blizzard had
stolen upon the country as softly as
thief in the night. In her sudden alarm
the girl became turned around 5he
was hurrying through the woods when
the wind rose. the air filled with snow
and she clutched the branch OF a busn
and shrieked her alarm.
She kept up her shrieks for half an
hour and then sank down in collapse.
She did not realize what was happening
when Jim Williams came feeNng his
way through the Storm, took her IN
his arms and carried her to the sugar
bush shanty, forty rods away
It was a blizzard long to be renneTn-
bered. The thermometer went down to
zero and a foot or more Of snow 1ell,
and for two or three days the farmers
were imprisoned in their houses. The
girs recovered her senkes soon after
reaching the sugar camp, but there
was no going further. jim happened
to have plenty to eat and plenty OF
blankets. H. gave uD the shanty to
her for the night and dug out place
for himself before the fire. She might
have slept, but he had to keep the hre
going to prevent his freezing TO dealn-
He had plenty Of time to think. The
wind howled, the STOW few and the
cold made the trees pop like musketry,
and JiTn's great fear was that the girl
would freeze to death before morning
It was a glad relief to him when ne
heard her voice calling him soon after
daylight.
The sky had lighted up, but the
blizzard was still booming away. jim
made coffee and fried bacon and warm
ed I'D the frozen bread and invited MISS
stacy to breakfast She had passed the
worst night Of her life and lost her
appetite What she wanted was TO
reach for Aunt James in the quickest
time possible. Jim listened to her re-
quest. and then shook his head.
we've got to wait awhile for this
blizzard to let up" he replied. I'VE
couldn't go ten rods without being
lost, and being lost would mean being
dead. Lemme tell you how bull
throwed me over the fence two years
ago, and chirk you up a bit"
The girl refused to be chirked. She
sat swathed in horse blankets like a
mummy, and her tears formed tcicles
on her cheeks. Noon came, and the
blizzard was still with them. Jim tried
to make her take a hopeful view Of
things by asserting that he was born
and reared in that locality, and had
never known a blizzard to last over
four DAYS. but she wept instead of
smiled. FINALLY. at O'Clock IN the
afternoon, she made an announcement
..I am going. I won't stay here an
-4t.o-- ,.ns,,,1ta Il 1to11 consf mani to