The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-06-05
RUSHING ZEBEDIAH.
By Lucy Stewart.

this thing another day!
 "Shoo. ma, how you talk
 And you've got to help me
 The cows has been milked, the hogs fed. and Jabez Strong. farmer, had taken his seat beside his wife on the yeranda. He didn't ask what 1t was she would not stand, for. the matter hao been the subject of numerous cohVer sations before. He had always assumed a neutral position and argued lha. things would come out all right II iet' alone, but now he realized that crisis had arrived. ,
 If she had a mother it would be diff ferent" continued the good wife, as she farmer away the miosquitoes with fold ed paper, put she hasn't one. She's only got a father. and he's the biggest old poke in six counties. Jest the last thing Melvina Williams said to me OH her bying bed was to be a mother to Emeline, 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 Ze- bediah. It hain't right and you cant make 1t right"
 Tt allus makes things wuss to mix in," answered her husband after nin- ute.
 It might if Emeline had mother. but she hain't got. I've let it go on and on, thinking mebbe hadn't better say nothing. but I shan't let 1t go another day. I may want you to help me. If I 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. Former, Williams was a good man. but it was also true that he was poke" That is, he worked from morning till night, and then after reading his county paper 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 Henderson had been taken on as hired man, Feb was twenty-three years old and well thought of. but he was slow and con- servative by nature. Some hired men would have fallen In love with Eneline inside week. for she was a bright at tractive country maiden, but Zeb wait ed three months. It came to be a case of love on both sides. and three months later he proposed and was accepted It stopped short at 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 
 express. He went on with his blowing and eating boiled dinners and left mat ters to fate.
 It wasseMs state of affairs that had provoked the indignation of Mrs. Strong. She didn't think 1t right on the part of Zebediah to keep Emeline "on the hooks" as she expressed 1t. While all other young men were driven away by knowledge of the engagement, Zebed- iah 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 hoe or to sit on the veranda and discuss crops with her husband, She had spoken her mind pretty plainly. She had hinted that she knew of farmers sons who were look ing about for wives. and that there were more windmill and wire-fence men coming along than she could shake a stick at, but Zebediah 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 had 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. Strong's brother came on A visit from Illinois. He was jovial, hustling young man. If he hadn't had A sweetheart back home. he would have fallen in love with Emeline Williams. It was while he was praising her that Mrs. Strong got her plan. It was as simple as sliding down cellar door She crowed and gfggled over It Tor an half hour. and was still growing ana eiegling when the girl from across the road came over to borrow a drawing of tea. Mrs. strong brought out the tea and then motioned her pretty neighbor to take a chair and began:
 "Emeline Williams, you nave no mother"
 "No?"
 "Your mother asked me to be a mother to you after she was gone"
 q know 1t, and you've been awful good to me" girl to be in love and have no mother and an old poke of father. and can't stand it any longer. I've got to be your mother and advise with you"
 But father is kind and good and Feb is-is--
 "Zeb is what? Been engaged for wear and a half and he hain't asked you to set the day yet. He may go another year and a half. He may go five years You can't tell nothing about such critter. He'll keep poking along till he's bit by a rattlesnake or falls ofr the roof of a barn. I'm going to talk to you jest as if you were my daughter. Some things got to be done
 1T can't do anything" stammered the girl. as she turned her face away to hide to color.
 But you can, and you're going to- That's where you need mother. That's where a mothers plans come in. If had five daughters I'll bet I'd marry the last one of 'em off in two years. Now. Emeline Williams. stop twiddling your thumbs and blushing and hitch ing around and listen to me"
 And inside of ten minutes she had developed her plan and guaranteed US successful working. There were objec lions, but she overruled them. There were protestations. but she silenced them. Half an hour after the girl had run back home with her tea. the plan had been communicated to Bert, Mrs. Strong's brother and entered upon the heartiest manner. He had been intro duced to the Williams household and, following out the plan, he crossed the road and spent four hours talking to Emeline on the veranda. Zebadiah saw them from the cornfield. During the first hour he was easy in mind, During the second he wondered a bit. Before the third was ended he was feeling the gnawing bangs. He came up to
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