The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-04-05
WbenCblnQS
Dunnrl1ed
BY Amy Harris
Copyright, 1906, by May McKeon

er Henderson was doing up the chores
at the barn.
what do you mean, JUDITH" was
asked.
Il mean several things. I mean that
l have never heard of a case like it.
Your Minnie has been old enough to
marry for these last three years, and
you've let a Teller dawdle around here
and make sleeps eyes at her and keep
all other felIers away and yet hasn't
asked her to be his and maybe three
more years doing it. l call it a mean
shame When 1 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-
Darrass Minnie?" pleaded the mother.
That's according. l guess the en-
barraSsment will all be on the other
side, however. Embarrassment is all
right in a 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 kill our
prospects of getting married. We knew
when our beaus had hung around long
enough. Has Minnie ever given this
chap jog"
Mercy, no."
"Iavc you or Elisha ever given him
jog?"
"Neverw
Then it remains for Judith Wellman
to do it, and she's right on deck, with
both elbows stuck out. 1t won't be a
week before We'll know whether Joel
Davis means business or is just sitting
around like bump on log"
But y1u wordsworth
81 don't know what I'll do, except to
decide the case one way or other, and
you needn't ask questions. 1 don't be-
lieve in folks getting married within a
week, and l don't believe in counting
for half n lifetime. A fellow either
wants a girl or he don't. If he does, let
him take her; If he don't, let him shy
off and give some one else chance"
Minnie Henderson was twenty years
old and a recognized belle for ten miles
around. Everybody was agreed that
she would make somebody q good wife.
She had been keeping company" with
Joel Davis for nearly three years. Joel
was a bachelor Of twenty-seven, living
on the next farm west. He was steady,
sober and Industrious, and everybody
said that he would make some girl a
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 tremhle in her presence. \
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 il
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 a word to
Minnie, but now she changed about
and opened fire with:
well, l am astonished! So that's
the Teller that has been hanging
around here for half his lifetime anG
will probably die of old age on your
fathers doorstep
81 don't know what you mean by
hanging around" retorted Minnie,
with blush and a toss of her head.
"Why, coming over here two or three
times a week to talk about grasshop
pers and later bugs. 1 am surprised
at you. What can you see in such a
Teller to encourage him? 1 suppose he
knows pumpkins from squashes, but
I'll bet big apple that if you asked
him when the pilgrim fathers landed
he'd fall off the veranda. Minnie Hen
derson, if you are the girl 1 take yoI
to be you will send that Teller packing
this very evening"
You misjudge him, aunty. He does
not push himself forward, but assure
you that
"'ve got eyes In my head" snapped
her aunt. at never takes me over five
minutes to size up man. Joel Davis
is an it, 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
and went off to her room to cry, and
Aunt Judith sauntered into the kitchen
to say to her sister:
There, now, I've got the thing start
ed, and you and Elisha have got tt
turn in and help me. Minnie will cry
and then get mad and then see Joel
and there'll be a wedding before you
know it. Don't you weaken when the
time comes"
Next day Joel came to the house t.
bring back n bushel basket he had Dor.
rowed. Minnie was upstairs and Aunt
Judith hiding behind the door, so i
was left for Minnies mother to say:
"Joel, I've been wanting to speak to
you for some time. don't think yor
ought to come here as often as you do"
"W-whatw gasped the lover as he
turned very red.
"Your coming here so often keeps
other young men away and does not
give Minnie a fair chance. Of course
she has no thought Of marrying you,
SO 1t isn't right to waste her time on
you"
Joel stared with open mouth, but to
save his neck he couldn't say word
in reply. After making several vain
attempts he walked off. On his way
home he turned aside and climbed the
fence to speak to Farmer Henderson,
working in his field. Minnie's father
had been posted and was waiting for
his opportunity. Joel had stammered
out that it was hot day and that corn
seemed to be looking up and that he
was afraid that one of his cows had
the hollow horn, when Elisha finished
Milling up a hill of corn and slowly
said:
Joel, they say that there's going to
be heap of windmill and wire fence
men along here this fall, and if any
of 'em want to board with me for
week or two l shall take 'em in"
"W-why?" asked Joel.
"Well, there's Minnie, you know.
It's time she was thinking of getting
married. Some of those windmill fell
lers are smarter than chain lightning
and we'll off to boot. I've always kind
err thought I'd like one of them for
son-in-law."
"Mr. Henderson, began poor Joel,
but he had to halt at that The change
I'm tho attitude of the farmer and his