The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1907-08-30
Hustlin6
Zebediah.
By LUCY STEWART.
Copyrighted, 1907. by E. C. PARCELS.

"JabeZ Strong, I'm not going to stand
this thing another day"
"Shoo, ma, how you talk"
"And you've got to help me-"
The cows had been MIXED. the hogs
fed, and JabeZ Strong, farmer, had
taken his seat beside his wife on the
vcranda He didn't ask what 1t was
she would not stand, for the matter
had been the subject of numerous con-
versations before. He had always as
sumed Il neutral position and argued
that things would come out all right
If left alone, but now he realized that
n crisis had arrived.
"If she had a mother it would be
different" continued the good wife as
she famed away the mosquitoes with
folded paper, "but she hasn't one.
She's only got Il father, and he's the
biggest old poke in six counties. Jest
the last thing Melvina Williams said to
Inc 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 Il
talk, and I'm going to have talk with
Zebediah 1t hain't right, and you
can't make it right"
1T allus makes things wuss to mix
in" answered her husband after a
minute.
1T 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 shan't let 1t so an
other day. l may want you to help
me If do. you've got to pitch right
in"
Across the highway from Farmer
Strung's was the farmhouse Of Farmer
Williams The two families had been
neighbors for fifteen years. Farmer
Williams was Il good man, but 1t was
also true that he was Il 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 daughter Emeline,
eighteen years old That was two
years before the opening of this story.
Just about that time Zebediah Hender-
son had been taken on as Il hired man.
Zeb was twenty-three years old and
we'll thought of, but he was slow and
conservative by nature.
Some hired men would have fallen
in love with Emeline inside of week.
for she was bright, attractive coun-
try maiden, but Zeb waited three
months. 1t came to be case Of love
on both sides, and three months later
he proposed and was accepted. 1t
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
engagement, but he had no opinion to
express. He went Oh with his blowing
and eating boiled dinners and left mat
tiers to fate.
1t was this state of affairs that had
provoked the Indignation of Mrs.
Strong She didn't think it right on
the part of Zebediah to keep Emelne
ION the hooks" as she expressed it.
While all other young men were driv-
en- away by knowledge of the engage
ment. Zebediah 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 Il
hoe or sit on the vcranda and discuss
crops with her husband, she had Spok-
en- her mind pretty plainly. She had
limited that she knew 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 Il stick at, but Zebe-
diah was unmoved She had made
Emclinc own up to the engagement,
and she had advised her not to make
long engagement of 1t, but when the
girl blpshingly asked her what she
could do Mrs Strong had no plan ut
hand and didn't know where she was
to get one.
Fortune favors the conSpirator us
we'll rs the brave. Two or three days
after her talk with her husband on the
veranda Mrs. Strong's brother came on
visit from Illinois, He was 4 jovial,
hustllng young man. If he hadn't had
n sweetheart back home he would
have fallen In love with Emelinc VIII
liamS. 1t was while he was prnising
her that Mrs. Strong got her plan. 1t
was as simple as sliding down cellar
door She crowed and giggIed over 1t
for half an hour and was still growing
and glggling when the girl from across
the road came over TO borrow draw
ing Of tea. Mrs Strong brought out
the tea and then motioned her pretty
neighbor to take chair and began:
"Emeline Williams, you have nc
mother"
Nor
Your mother asked me to be
mother to you after she was gone"
Il know it, and you've been awful
good to me-"
"Emeline, it's dreadful thing for
Il girl to be in love and have no moth
or and an old 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
Zcb isis
"Zcb is what? Been engaged for
year and a half, and he hain't asked
you 10 set the day yet. He may go
another year and half. lie may go
five years You can't tell nothing
about such critter He'll keep poking
along till he's bit by Il rattlcsnake or
falls off the roof of barn. I'm going
to talk to you jest as If you were my
daughter. Something's got to be done"
II can't do anything" Stammcred
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 a mother; that's
where Il mothers plans come In. If
had five daughters I'll bet I'd marry the
last one of 'em off in two years. Now,
Emelinc Williams, stop twiddling your
thumbs and blushing and hitching
around and listen to me-"
And inside of ten minutes she had
developed her plan and guaranteed its
successful working. There were OBJ
jections, but she overruled them.
There We're protestations, but she ST.
lanoa1 +han Half on hnnr altar tina