The daily Alaskan., 1908-12-05
The Woman That Hustled

WlLuDuL A CupOId. IL Ndo OMlueu JOLAt' ly by the Methodlsts and the Baptists. One day the widow LarkIns set the ball a-rolling with a view of getting the work done. Not a hint escaped her that she was working for an ob- ject. It was eight months later that began work and It was learned who had raised the money.
 The painters followed the carpenters, and the second coat was hardly dry when the bell arrived and was hoisted into position. There was a grand turn out for the first Sunday. The minis ters of both denominations were to oc- cupy the pulpit, and there would be talks" instead of sermons. To the amazement of everybody who looked over the assemblage the widow Lar lius was not present. It was known that she was home, and no one had heard that she was i'll, and what had kept her away no one could guess. After the service Parson Turner wend- ed his way to her house to solve the problem. He found her in tears, and the more solicitous he was the more tears she shed. There is an end to even woman's tears, however, and by and by the widow wiped hers away and controlled her,yoice and said:
 q am glad you came. have a con- fesslon to make. There are several things that weigh on my conscience, and that was the reason I was not at service this morning, Parson, you know I set out all alone to get that carpenter work done"
 q know, and 1t was brave thing of you"
 q owned a kicking COW. It was known to everybody in the village that she was a kicker. She has kicked over more of her milk than was ever saved. 1 would have been glad to sell her for SlO. One day a man came along from Cherry Hill, and sold her to him for S17. never said a word about her kicking. That $l7 bought the first lumber Do you think I can ever be forgiven for my sin"
 "Um! Umw said the parson to him self. You were not asked if the cow Eicked:"
 No"
 Well 1 shouldn't worry much. It Is Qalte possible that with other sur roundIngs she may cease to kick at all"
 "I owned two spottedNhogs," cOntin- ued the widow They were running around the village for year and were several times complained of as nui, sances"
 "Yes; they rooted Up my garden last spring"
 SWen, hog buyer came along one day and offered me $3 apiece for them. He drove them away after dark. When he paid me be paid for three spotted hogs instead of two. He must have driven away one belonging to others. I didn't notice the mistake un- til the drover was gone, and then L did not run after him. turned that odd hog into more lumber"
 "Um! Um! I can't exactly see'how you can be held responsible for the hog buyer being uearsighted. You might have run after him and ex- plalued that he had paid you for an extra hog, but you didn't think of 1t until too late. I should say that every hog removed from our village to some distant sphere was a distinct gain for us. hog in mudhole is a null sance; a hog turned Into a cupola of Q church Is a joy forever"
 You know I went to Chicago about three months ago. have some world ly relatives there. When l told them of the work was engaged in they were much interested. My brother-in- law insisted that I put S10 on the races on ten to one shot. was in- duced against my will to do 1t, and my horse came in ahead. got $t00 in cash, and that went Into the cupola. I am feeling now that 1t was the great est sin of all"
 ,"Well, I don't know" unused the par son. You did not bet through any sordId motive"
 "No. I had the cupola in mind all the tIme"
 "You didn't see any of the horses abused or urged beyond their strength?"
 "No. They really appeared to enjoy 1t. It was the first time In all my life that l ever bet on horse race, and L. P'-
 "Um! Of course the principle of horse racing is wrong-very wrong but there are occasions when an lnno- cent person may be persuaded against his own judgment. You did not go to Chicago to bet on the race"
 "Oh, no, no, no! didn't know that such thing was contemplated"
 Ut was your brother-ln-law who sug- gested that you lay Q wager?"
 Ut was."
 "And you showed proper reluc' toprn fnY. a fIgnaCp