The Washington herald., 1907-06-13


"Shoo. ma. how you talk"
And you've got 10 help me"
The cows had been MIXED, the hogs fed,
and Jabez Strong. farmer. had taken his
seat beside his wife on the veranda. He
didn't ask what II was she would not
stand. for the matter had been the subject
of numerous conversations before. He had
always assumed a neutral position and
argued that things would come out all
right if left 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
famed away the mosquitoes with n folded
paper. but she hasn't one. She's only got
father, and he's the biggest old poke in
six counties. jest the last thing Melvina
Williams said to me on her dying bed was
TO be a mother 10 Emeline, and now I'm
going to be or know the reason why. I'm
going to call her over here tomorrow for
a talk, and I'm going to have a talk with
Zebediah. Il hain't right and you can't
make it right"
1T allus makes things wuss TO mix IN,
z
1T might if Emeline had a mother. but
she haint got. I've let IL go on and on,
thinking mebbe l hadn't better say moth
ing. but l shant let il 90 another day.
may want you % help me. II | 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
liams 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 paper for half an hour
he wound up the clock and went TO bed.
When his wife had died she left daugh-
ter, 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 q hired man. Zeb
was tweuty-three years old and well
thought Of but he was slow and con-
servative by nature. SoRe hired men
would have fallen IN love with Emeline
inside Of a week, for she was a bright, at
tractiye country maiden, but Deb waited
three months It came to be a case Of
love on both sides. and three months later
he proposed and was accepted. II stopped
short at that. so far as Zeb was con
cerned. He meant 20 marry some day,
but that day was indefinite. Farmer Will
Jams came to know Of the engagement
but he had no opinion 10 express. He
went on with his blowing and eating
boiled dinners. and left matters 70 fate.
II was this state Of affairs that had pro-
v0Red tie indignation of Mrs Strong
She didn't think it right on the part of
Zebediah to keep EmeliHe "on the hooks. %
as she expressed if. While all other
young men were driven away by kuovl-
edge Of the engagement. Zebediah con-
tiuued 10 poke around as II he had
fifty years 20 get married in. On one or
two occasions, when he had come over to
borrow a hoe or 10 sit on the yeyaUda and
discuss crops with her husband, she had
spoken her mind pretty plainly. She had
hinted that she knew Of farmers sons
who We're looking about for wives, and
that there We're more windmill and wire
fence men coming along than she could
shake a stick at but Zebediah was un-
moved. She had made Emeline own up to
the engagement. and she had advised her
not 10 make q long engagement Of II. 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 or the yeranda.
Mrs. Strong's brother came on a visit
from Illinois. He was a jovial. husting
young man. If he hadn't had a sweet
heart back home. he would have fallen in
love with Emeline Williams. 1t was while
he was praising her that Mrs Strong got
her plan II was as simple rs sliding
down a cellar door She crowed and
giggIed over II for half an hour. and was
still Growing and giggling when the girl
from across the road came over 10 borrow
a drawing Of tea. Mrs. Strong brought
out the tea and then motioned her pretty
neighbor to take chair and began:
"Emeline Williams. you have no
mother"
"No?"
"Your mother asked me to be a mother
to YOU after she was gone
'T know il, and you've been awful good
10 me-"
"Emellne. it's a dreadful thing for
Girl 10 be in love and have no mother and
an cid poke Of father. and I can't stand
It any longer. I've got to be your mother
and advise with YOU"
But father is kind and good, and Zeb
isis
"Zeb is what? Been engaged for year
and a half and he hain't asked you to set
the day yet. He may 60 another year
and a half. He may 60 five years. You
can't tell nothing about such a critter.
He'll keep poking along till he's bit by
rattlesnake or falls off the roof of a barn.
I'm going to talk to you jest as if you
were my daughter. Something S got to be
done"
Il can't do anything" stammered
the girl. as she turned her face away to
hide the color.
But you can. and you're going to.
That's where you need mother. That's
where "A mothers plans come in. If l
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 hitching around
and listen to me"
And inside of ten minutes she had de-
veloped her plan and guaranteed It's sue
cessful working. There were objections.
but she overTUled them There were pro-
testations. but she silenced them. Half
an hour after the girl had run back home
with her tea. the plan had been COM
muniCated to Bert. Mrs StrOngs brother.
and entered upon in the heartiest manner
He had been introduced to the Williams
household and. following out the plan. he
crossed the road and spent four hours
talking to Emeline on the veranda. Zebe-
diah saw them from the cornfeld Dur
ing the first hour he was easy in his mind.
During the second he wondered a bit.
Before the third was ended. he was feel
ing the gnawing pangs. He came up to
supper sullen and morose, and.now and
then during the evening he flung out
something about that squirt from Iln-
nois.
Bert came the next day and the next.
He also came In the evenins He almost