The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-04-02
Copyright. Dodd, Mead Company

WIN relish. Inc generous liquor
warmed his blood, and his eye bright
ened.
"I've buried two wives, but 1 ave
to be careful myself, old as l am"
he said, thoughtfully. There's moro
than one woman about ere as would
like to change 'er name for mine.
Claybury's got the name of being a
marrying place, and they don't like
to see even widow-man.
'But there used to be one man
in these parts as the Claybury wom-
en- couldn't marry, try as they might.
He was a ugly little man with red
air and foxy face. They used to
call i'm Foxy Green, and e kept 'appy
and single for years and years.
"He wasn't a man as disliked being
in the company o. women, though,
and that's wot used to aggervate 'em.
He'd take 'em out for walks, or give
'em lift in is cart, but none of 'em
could get old of i'm, not even the wild
ders. He used to say e loved 'em
all too much to tie hisself up to any
one of 'em, and e would sit up ere
of night at the Cauliflower and send
men with large families Almost crazy
by celebrating 'ow many pints o beer
their children wore out every year in
the shape o. boots.
Sometimes is uncle, old Eb-
enezer Green, used to sit up ere with
i'm. He was a strong, 'earty old
man, and ed sit and laugh at Foxy till
is chair shook under i'm. He was
! lively sporting sort o. man, and
when Foxy talked like that e seemed
to be keeping some joke to hisself
which nearly choked i'm.
You'll marry when I'm gone,
Foxy he'd say.
"'Not me- ses Foxy.
"Then the old man 'ud laugh agin
and talk mysterious about fox-hunts
and say e wondered who'd get Foxy's
brush. He said ed only got to shut
lis eyes an e could see the pack in
full cry through Claybury village, and
Foxy going is 'ardest with is tongue
'anging out.
Foxy couldn't say anything to i'm,
the old man died e was to ave is
farm and lis money; so e used to sit
there and smile as if e liked it.
when Foxy was about 43 is
uncle died. The old mans mind
seemed to wander at the last, and e
said. what a good man ed always
been, and wot comfort it was to i'm
now that e was goin'. And e men,
toned a lot O. little sums o. money
owed i'm in the village which nobody
could remember.
give made my will, Foxy he ses,
and school-master's takin' care of it;
I've left it all to you
1.-THE old man was buried few
days after, and Foxy stood by the
grave 'olding handkerchief to is eyes,
and behaving as though e 'ad lost
money instead of coming in for it.
Then they went back to the farm, and
the first thing the schoolmaster did
was to send all the women off before
reading the will.
''Wot's that for? ses Foxy, staring.
"'You'll see,' ses the schoolmas-
ter; them was my instructions. It's
for your sake, Mr.. Green; to give you
a chance-at least, that's wot your
uncle said
cit was all straightforward enough.
The farm and stock, and two cottages,
and money in the bank, was all left to
Josiah Green, commonly called Foxy
Green, on condition
There was such a noise o. clap
ping, and patting Foxy on the back,
that the schoolmaster 'ad to leave off
and wait for quiet.
"'On condition. he ses, in a loud
voice, that he marries the first Clay
bury woman, single or widow, that
asks ina to marry her in the presence
of three witnesses. If he refuses, the
property is to go to 'er instead
Foxy turned round like mad then,
and asked Henry White wot e was
patting i'm on the back for. Then,
in a choking voice, he asked to ave
it read again.
"'Well, there's one thing about
it, Mr. Green ses Henry White;
with all your property you'll be
able to ave the pick O. the prettiest
gals in Claybury.'
""Ow's that?' ses Joe Chambers,
very sharp; he's got to take the first
woman that asks i'm, don't matter wot
'er age is
"He got up suddenly, and, without
even saying good-by to Foxy, rushed
of xIo off Ill l.
as ard as e could go.
"'Wot's the matter with im?' ses
Foxy
Anything wrong with the drink? p
ses Foxy, puzzled like.
"They shook their 'eads agin, and
then Peter Gubbins, who'd been star
ing ard with lis mouth open, got up
and gave the table bang with is fist.
"'Joe Chambers as gone arter is
sister, he ses, and Henery White ar
ter is wife's sister, as 'e's been keep
ing for this last six months. That's
wot they've gone for
Everybody saw it then, and in two
minutes Foxy and the schoolmaster
was left alone looking at each other
and the empty table.
"'Well, I'm in for nice thing ses
Foxy. Fancy being proposed to by
Henery Whites sister-in-law! Ugh!'
"Tt1l be the oldest ones that'll be
the most determined said the school
master, shaking is 'ead. 'Wot are you
going to do?'
at was very curious the way the
women took it. One an all of 'em pre-
tended as it was an insult to the sex,
and they said if Foxy Green waited
till e was asked to marry he'd wait
long enough Little chitS o. qala Ia