Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-04-26
That Ten Acre
Lot
BY Donald Allen
Copyright. 1905. by X. A. Whitehead


Tor, was as well liked as any person
In the village Of Flint He was neigh
borly. kind hearted and always willing
to do for others.
Jed's good qualities were in a way
bis enemies. He was lazy. and, added
to his laZiness. he had mania for
trading. He would trade horses. dogs.
guns, watches, overcoat or anything
else, and 1t so happened that the other
fellow always got the best of the bar
gain.
He had been left quite a little for
tune by his grandmother, but in the
course Of five years he had sold at
loss or traded with sharpers until all
that was left to him was a 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 urtil 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 level
headed, economical widow behind him.
She was an old schoolmate of Jed's.
and he had seen her almost every day
or twenty-five 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 trife, but some
how 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 sakew she exclaimed
''That ID, II the woman l want will
have me-"
"Who is it?''
"You"
"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. 1t would
drive me crazy to have such hus-
band"
IL could and would reform. If had
any one to peck at me I'd go to work"
II haven't time to be poking up
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 han 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 s.
gallon to grease the feet Of babies
with.
II Jed had been In his normal condi-
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, l had dream about Jim
last night. l dreamed that | 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 tea?"
"Catnip tea? Great heavens! What
ails me is love, and If the Mississippi
river was composed OF catnip tea 1t
couldn't cure me. Martha, IL you won't
promise to have me can't live 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 1t, 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
q suburban electric line, and, hoping
this might work In his favor, he paid
another visit to the widow and told
her of II.
"Now that you see l am going to
work. can't you say yes?'' he asked in
conclusion.
"Jed, what do you come bothering
forY' she asked.
Because love you"
"Don't be silly. I'm making mlnce
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 a couple Of days without tell
lng any ope his business. He intro
duced himself and said that he thought
some Of establishing an orphan asylum
II he could find a site to suit. In this
way he brought the talk around to
Jed's meadow. The value Of the land
H. VrJ