New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1909-04-28
Doooooooosoooo vooovvoooo
!: AN ORIGINAL
: LOVE AFFAIR.
BY LUCY MAY sAWIN

ny eON1 VIA 0ANINs
Copyright 1909, by American Press Asso-
ciation.l
: Eben Storm for time worked his
farm without the aid of any woman
They're dreadful onsarten creatures
he said. .Y' can't calc'late jist what
they're goin' to do. Most O. my friends
as hes gone into matrimony hes had
trouble from the time they married
and wished they was out Of it. There's
Joe Biglow At with his'n and livin' a
cat and dog life, Tom Tinker divorced,
Bill Andrews drew to drink The vim
min don't show their real selves till
after the ceremony. l don't intend to
put myself where they kin get at me-"
But as his farm lands and crops and
stock increased he felt the need of
women's help. He no longer had time
to do the cooking or the washing or
milking, and he took in housekeeper,
the ugliest and oldest he could find.
1t was not long before he had others.
Since he had made break he might
as well rely on his resolution to protect
him and took in several maids, one Of
whom Mary Baker-was quite pretty.
When Mary came he felt that she had
brought danger, but considered him.
self equal to the task Of keeping out
Of her tolls.
One winter morning something hap
pened. Mary was going out to do her
milking; he, walking directly behind
her, to feed the stock Mary slipped
on bit of ice and fell right into his
arms. He turned her face up toward
his and kissed her. Then he pushed
her away. Mary blushed and went on
1t had all come about so quickly that
he couldn't understand how he had
done such thing. He didn't look at
Mary all that day, and when she asked
him what she should "do with the
black and white COW, she kicked So"
he turned away without answering
her.
A few days later Mary was brought
into the house badly injured by kick
from the black and white COW. Eben
scolded her for not having taken pre-
cautions against such result, init
mating that if she had told him the
cow kicked he would have MIXED her
himself. Mary made no reply to this.
Perhaps she knew with woman's in
tuition that he was not scolding her,
but himself. Perhaps she felt ag-
grieved at his unjust treatment. He
didn't go near her while she was re-
covering.
Next fractions bull gored Eben and
came pretty near killing him. Mary
asked him if she could do anything for
him. He said "No" very shortly, but
when she went away called her back
and told her she might put pillow
under him. She did most of the nurs-
ing till he was out Of danger, then
ceased her visits to him. He called
for her and asked If she was so in
human as to let him die all alone
when every one on the farm was
busy. She made no reply to the ques-
ton, but asked him what he wanted
He mentioned several things, which
she got for him, then left him again.
This irritated him, and he called her
back.
Mary" he said gruf1y, "what did
you slip for the other day-a-purpose?"
Mary walked out of the room with
her nose in the air.
He recovered slowly and, all the
while having nothing at all to do but
think, thought Of what was on his
mind-Mary. He was sure she was
trying to marry him, but he was losing
the power to protect himself against
her. When he got well he went to
her when she was churning and said:
'Mary, suppose you want home.
Most women do. I don't want to dis
appoint you. Will you marry me?'
mo, l WON'T" she said angrily
She went on pounding the churn, and
he went away astonished.
Nothing occurred in this peculiar
courtship for several days, when he
met her coming from the barn.
'Hey you thought better of it?" he
asked.
''Of what?"
'Marryin' me-
'.You don't want to git married." she
said
''Waal,' he replied musingly, 81 don't
know as l do
This made Mary furious. ''I'm goin'
when my months up" she said
"Goin'?'
Eyes. You'd better git another girl
This knocked the bottom out of
Eben's theory that Mary had been try
ing to marry him. But he didn't give
it up entirely till he learned from
neighboring farmer that she had asked
him if he wanted help. Nevertheless
he was puzzled. He thought that if he
could do something to convince Mary
that he loved her she would yield. He
finally hit on PLAN
The Weekly Eagle came out Satur-
day morning. One Saturday afternoon
when Mary, dressed for a half holiday,
started to go out she saw all the occu-
pants Of the farm gathered about her
aIOnlOypr SHAKING him enthuSia silica Ily