Smyrna times., 1907-06-19
No. 7 F.:
By GRANT LESTER.
BY GRANT LESTER.
Copyright, 1907. by Mary McKeon.

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For a good many years people had
said that Farmer Johnsons wife was
mead of his house and that he was q
great incumbrance to her. They had y
Iarm just outside thriving town. and
hau II been left to the wife there were
many promising speculations she would
have entered into. She was allowed tn
boss things around the farm, but when
1t came to outside matters the hus-
band would take no risks. When his
death finally took place people looked
to see Aunt Betty, as she was called
though only forty years old. carry out
some of her IDEAS and make things
hum. They were not disaDpOinted
She went into Strawberries and made
money; she went into the dairy busi-
ness and made money; she went into
poultry and made money. 1t was said
that there were not half dozen men
in the county who had her business
sense.
Aunt Betty had daughter nineteen
years old, by name Prue. Prue did not
run to business. She was simply
sweet tempered and lOvable girl who
attended school in town in the winter
and helped about the houseworl in
summer. Up to the time of the fin
Tiers death the mother had not "suf.
tered aspirations" regarding Prue's fu-
ture. 1t was tacitly understood that
she would marry some young farmer
GnffIn 70 hn
But after the mother had become
business woman there were other plans
for the girl. She was to be educated
ein music and other arts and madc
lady of.
Just how Prue Johnson and Darius
Livingstone first met is of no great
consequence. He was twenty-five and
had graduated as a lawyer and settled
IN the town. He was a slab sided
young man, tall and angular and un-
calmly. There were a few people who
said that he might know more than he
showed. but the majority were of the
opinion that he didn't know whether
potatoes grew in the ground or on
trees. If Prue held with the majority.
it was rather singular that the young
lawyer should have come driving out
to the farm one June day to inquire
for her. She was upstairs ut the
time, and it was her mother who re-
ceived him. At the first glance she
thought him the hOmeliest young man
she had ever seen. After the second
she tool. him for some peddler of mu-
sic ana went upstairs and said to
Prue:
There's bean pole down stairs ask
ing for you. never saw such a gawk.
He says his name is Livingstone. He's
enough to scare a setting hen off the
nest. Did you ever hear of any such
feller?"
why, ma, he's a lawyer in town,
and we have met three or four times"
replied Prue as her face flushed scar
let.
"a lawyer-humph! n you was to
put a club in his hand he wouldn't
know enough to pound sand. What's
he here fOrY'
''Why-why. he said he might call
some day. don't see why you call
him homely. I've heard lots of folks
say that he reminded them Of Abraham
Lincoln"
The mother shifted her contempt and
turned away. Prue went down and re-
ceived her caller, and, though Mrs.
Johnson was rather busy around the
house and yard, she saw and heard
enough to satisfy her that the young
4
for an hour or so and then left, and
while his back was yet in sight Prue
was properly warned.
II shall have to have a son-in-law
some day." added the mother, "but
want one whose looks won't sour all
the milk and who knows q cabbage
head from an old gander. Lawyer!
Lawyer! Why. the poorest lawyer
we've got in town would make your
young man look like a bobtailed wood
chuck if they had case in court"
Prue ran away without talking back,
and things quieted down for a week
Then the mother came home from
town one afternoon to blurt out:
do you know what heard this aft
told me that you and that scarecrow
young lawyer were in love-"
"Oh, mammal
you needn't oh, mammal me. If
you've fallen in love with any such
man, I'm ashamed of you. Why. that
red headed. cross eyed Sue Williams
wouldn't look at him."
1--WE are not in love-" stoutly pro-
tested Prue.
''Then what are you looking so red
for?"
"Because-because we are simply
friends That is, he's awfully smart
when you come to talk with him. I've
been reading the life of Lincoln, and
it's wonderful how much alike they
are"
"Wonderful bosh! Abe Lincoln was
smarter'n whip as a lawyer"
"But Darius is going to be If he ever
| gets case"
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