The Oakes times., 1907-03-21
MF,enbltlQs
bu111t11ed
?, I"z Her,'s
Y Harris
Copyright. 1905. by May MoKeon

II
''Now, then, Hannah, things are go
Ing to hum!' s5,as
It was Aunt Judith Wellman who
spoke. She had arrived from Indiana
for visit with her sister in Michigan,
and the pair had been talking for the
last hour on the veranda, while Farm
er Henderson was doing up the chores
ut the barn.
"what do you mean, Judith?' was
asked. i.
II mean several things. I mean that
I have never heard of case like 1t.
Your Minnie has been old enough to
marry for these last. three years, and
you've let q Teller dawdle around here
and make sleeps eyes at her and keep
Ill other fellers away and yet hasn't
asked her to be his. and maybe three
more years doing 1t. I call it a mean
shame. When say that things are
going to hum I mean that somebody
has got to toe the mark mighty soon
or get out. You and Elisha ought to
have put your foot down long ago."
''You wouldn't do anything to en-
barrass Minnie" pleaded the mother.
"That's according. guess the en-
barrassment will all be on the other
side, however. Embarrassment is all
tight in girl, Hannah, but it shouldn't
be carried too far. Both Of us were
embarrassed when we were girls, but
we weren't SO much SO as to XIII our
prospects of getting married. We knew
when our beaus had hung around long
enough. Has Minnie ever given this
chap jog?"
mercy, no!' gs
"Havc you or Elisha ever given him
I jog?''
'.'Never!'
'''Then It remains for Judith Wellman
to do 1t, and she's right ON deck, with
both elbows stuck out. It won't be
week before well know whether Joel
Davis means business or is just sitting
around like bump on log."
stBut you won't-won't"- d, a 5ss
II don't know what I'll do. except to
decide the case one way or other, and
You needn't ask questions. don't be-
lieye in folks getting married within a
week, and I don't believe in courting
for half lifetime. A fellow either
wants girl OF he don't. II he does, let
him take her; IL he don't, let him shy
Oh and give some one else chance"
Minnie Henderson was twenty years
old and recognized belle for ten miles
around. Everybody was agreed that
she would make somebody good wife.
She had been 4. keeping company" with
Joel Davis for nearly three years. Joel
was bachelor Of twenty living
on the next farm west. He was steady,
sober and Industrious, and everybody
said that he would make some girl 4
good, husband. But Joel was also bash
full and retiring. He was In love with
Minnie, to be sure, but that very fact
made him tremble in her presence. A
hundred times over in the last two
years he had resolved to propose. but
on each and every occasion his courage
had oozed out of his fingers ends. He
felt that the time must and would
come, but whether it would take an
earthquake or cyclone to bring It
about he wasn't sure.
1t was three days before Aunt Ju-
dith saw Joel. She liked his looks, and
that changed her plans somewhat. She
hadn't been going to say q word to
Minnie, but now she changed about
and opened fire with:
"Well, am astonished! So that's
the fcller that has been hanging
around here for half his lifetime and
will probably die Of old age on your
fathers doorstepv'
II don't know what you mean by
hanging around" retorted Minnie,
with q blush and toss Of her head.
"Why, coming over here two or three
+ times week to talk about grasshop-
pers and tater bugs. !, am surprised
at you. What can you see in such a
Teller to encourage him? suppose he
knows pumpkins from squashes, but
I'll bet a big apple that II you asked
him when the pilgrim fathers landed
he'd fall of the veranda. Minnie Hen
derson,,i If you are the girl take you
to be you will send that feller packing
this very evening"
You misjudge him, aunty. He does
not push himself forward, but assure
you that
'I've got eyes in my head" snapped
her aunt. at never takes me over five
minutes to size up "a man. Joel Davis
Is an .ity He'll always be ten days be-
hind the Fourth Of July. It's wonder
your father and mother have allowed
It."
Minnie choked down sharp answer
md went of. to her room to cry, and
Aunt Judith sauntered into the kitchen
10 say to her sister: & nh i;ss
s'There, now, I've got the thing start
"a, and you and Elisha havs got to
turn in and help me. Minnie will cry
pnd then get mad and then see Joel,
ana there'll be a wedding before You
know It, Don't you weaken when the
time comes = ~
Next day Joel came to the house to
bring back a bushel basket he had bor-
rowed. Minnie was upstairs and Aunt