Smyrna times., 1907-09-04

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81 ~|AJGS1AA0.
Ey LUCY STEWART.
Copyrighted, 1907. by E. c. PARCELS

N''u Dcell MIXED, the hogs
Ied' and Jabez Strong, farmer. had
taken his seat beside his wife on the
Verahda: lie didn't ask what it was
she would not stand, for the matter
had been the subject of numerous CON
Nersatlons before. He had always as
Sumed a neutral position and argued
that things would come out all right
Il Ieft alone, but now he realized that
a crisis had arrived.
IL she had a mother it would he
ullIerent,' continued the good wife as
she tanned away the mosquitoes with
IOIdeu paper, but she hasn't one.
shes only got a father, and he's the
biggest old poke in six counties. lest
the last thing Melvina Williams said to
me on her dying bed was to be moth
er 10 ElneHne, and now I'm going to
De or know the reason why, I'm going
TO call her over here tomorrow for a
talk, and I'm going to have talk with
Zebediah. 1t hain't right, and YOU
can't make it right"
1T allus makes things wuss to mix
in" answered her husband after a
minute.
1T might if Emeline had a mother.
but she hain't got I've let it 90 on
and on, thinking mebbe l hadn't better
say nothing, but / shant let it 90 an
other day. l may want you to help
me. If l do, you've got to pitch right
in"
Across the highway from Farmer
Strong's was the farmhouse of Farmer
Williams. The two families had been
neighbors for fifteen years Farmer
Williams was a good man, but it was
also true that he was a poke" That
is, he worked from morning till night.
and then after reading his county pa
per for half an hour he wound up the
| clock and went to bed. When his wife
had died, she left a daughter Emeline,
eighteen years old. That was two
years before the opening of this story.
| Just about that time Zebediah Hender-
son had been taken on as Il hired man.
Zeb was twenty-three years cid and
well thought of, but he was slow and
conservative by nature.
Some hired men would have fallen
in love with Emeline inside of a week.
| for she was bright, attractive cOun-
| try maiden, but Zeb waited three
months. 1t came to be case of love
on both sides, and three months later
| he proposed and was accepted. 1t
stopped short ut that, so far as Zeb
was concerned He meant to marry
some day, but that day was indefinite.
| Farmer Williams came to know of the
| engagement, but he had no opinion to
| express. He went on with his plowing
and eating boiled dinners and left mat
| ters to fate.
1t was this state of affairs that had
| provoked the Indignation of Mrs.
Strong She didn't think it right on
the part of Zebediah to keep Emeline
'On the hooks" as she expressed it.
While all other young men were driv-
! en- away by knowledge of the engage
! ment. Zebe1iah continued to poke
| around" as if he had fifty years to get
| married in. On one or two occasions.
| when he had come over to borrow a
| hoe or sit on the veranda and discuss
! crops with her husband. she had spOk
! en- her mind pretty plainly. She had
limited that she knew of farmers sons
who were looking about for wives auG
that there were more windmill and
| wire fence men coming along than
she could shake n stick at but Zebe-
! diah was unmOved She had made
Emeline own. up to the engagement
and she had advised her not to make a
long engagement of it, but when the
| girl blUshingly asked her what she
could do Mrs. Strong had no plan at
hand and didn't know where she was
to get one
Fortune favOrs the cOnspiratOr as
well as the brave. Two or three DAYS
after her talk with her husband on the
veranda Mrs. Strongs brother came on
visit from Illinois. He was a iovial.
hustling young man. If he hadn't had
sweetheart back home he would
have fallen in love with Emeline VIII
liams 1t was while he was praisiDg
her that Mrs. Strong got her plan. 1t
was as simple as sliding down a cellar
door. She crowed and gggled over il
for half an hour and was still growing
and giggling when the girl from across
/
| ing oe to9. Mrs.. Strong brought out
the tea All thep motioIcd her pretty
neighLor to take a chair and began:
"Eln6line Williams, you have no
mother"
'.No?"
"YoW mother asked me to be Il
mother TO you after she was gone"
Il know it. and you've been awful
good to me-"
"Emeline it's Il dreadful thing for
girl TO be in love and have no moth
CT and an Old poke Of a father, and
can't stand it am longer. I've got TO
be your mother a.d advise with you"
Put father is kind and good, and
Zeb isis
"Zeb is what? Been engaged for a
year ana a half. and he hain't asked
you to set the day yet. He may go
another year and a half. He may go