The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-05
THE EVENING STORY
Hustiing zebeiiiah.
(By Lucv Stewart

L
stand this thing another day!'
Shoo, ma, how you talk
And you've got to help me-.
Ihe 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 it was
she would not stand, for the matter
had been the subject of numerous con-
versations before. He had always as
sumed neutral position and argued
that things would come out all right il
left alone, but now he realized that a
crisis had arrived.
IF she had a mother 1t would be diff
ferent, continued the good wife, as
a folded paper, tbut 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 moth
er to Emeline, and now I'm going to
be or know the reason why. I'm going
to call her over here tomorrow for
talk, and I'm going to have talk with
zebediah. It hain't right and you can't
make it right"
in,' answered her husband after
minute.
'tIt might if Emeline had a mother,
but she hain't got. I've let is go on
and on, thinking mebbe l hadn't bet
ter say nothing, but l shant let i go
another day. 1 may want you to 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
nefghbors for fifteen years. Farmer
Williams was a good man, but 1t was
also true that he was poke" That
is, he worked from morning till night,
and then after reading his county pa
per 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 Hen
derson had been taken on as a hired
man. Zeb was twenty-three years old
and well thought of, but he was slow
and conservative by nature Some
hired men would have fallen in love
with Emeline inside of a week, for she
was a bright, attractive country maid
en-, but Zeb waited three months. It
came to be a case of love on both sides,
and three months later he proposed
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 engagement, but
on with his blowing and eating boiled |
dinners and left matters to fate.
1t was this state of affairs that had
provoked the indignation of Mrs. |
the part of zebediah to keep Eme1ine
ION the hooks" as she expressed it.
While all other young men were |
driven away by knowledge of the en- |
Zebediah continued to |
poke around" as if he had fifty years |
to get married in. On one or two oc-
casions, when he had come over to |
borrow a hoe or to sit on the veranda |
and discuss crops with her husband, |
she had spoken her mind pretty plain |
l1o1 Il sr7fa hot oh, In Of
farmers sons who were looking about |
for wives, and that there were more |
windmill and wire-fence men coming |
along than she could shake stick at. |
put Zebediah was unmoved. She had |
made Emeline own up to the engage
nent, and she had advised her not to
make a long engagement of it, but
when the girl had blushingly asked
ler 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
we'll as the brave. Two or three days
after her talk with her husband on
he Veranda, Mrs. Strong's brother
came on a visit from Illinois. He was
jovial, busting young man. If he
hadn't had a sweetheart back home,
lie would have fallen in love with
1meline Williams. 1t was while he
vas praising her that Mrs. Strong got
Ter plan. 1t was as simple as sliding |
Town a cellar door. She crowed and
,iggled over it for half an hour, and
vas still growing and giggling when
he girl from across the road came
'ver to borrow a drawing of tea. Mrs.
strong brought out the tea and then
her pretty neighbor to take
chair and began:
'Emeline Williams, you have no
nother.''
MOP"
your mother asked me to be
mother to you after she was gone"
81 know it, and you've been awful
God to me-
"Emeline, it's dreadful thing for a !
irI to be in love and have no mother
nd an old poke of a father, and ]
ant stand it any longer. I've got to |
e your mother and advise with you"
But father is kind and good, and
,eb isis
"Zeb is what? Been engaged for a
ear and a half and he hain't asked
gu to set the day yet. He may go an !
Their year and a half. He may go 1--WE
ears. You can't tell nothing about !
long till he's bit by rattlesnake or ,
alls off the roof of barn. I'm going
} talk to you jest as if you were. my
aughter. Something's got to be
one"
II can't do anything" stammered {
ne girl, as he turned her face away to {
ide the color.
'sBut you can, and you're going to. I
hats where you need a mother. S
hats where a mothers plans come
/. If had-fve daughters I'll bet I'd ,
larry the last one of 'em off in two !
ears Now, Eneline Williams, stop
Eiddling your thumbs and blushing
nd hitching around and listen to me-" {
And inside of ten minutes she had t
eveloped her plain and guaranteed its a
1ccessful working. There were OBJ
.ctions but she overruled them. r
here were protestations, but she ST. v
need them Half an hour after the r
ri had run back home with her tea,
he plan had been communicated to I;
ert Mrs. Strong's brother and entered i
pom the heartiest manner. He had .
trc,da,ced- the XZilIia hn11sa= Y