Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1909-02-05
The Man In the Well;

copyright, 1908. by 7. G. McClure.l
Deacon Jones visited the Widow
Harper's well when he wanted a drink
Ind sometimes when he didn't. It was
to show Mrs. Harper that he wasn't
afraid Of her or Of no other old widow
for five miles around. She would stand
In her door with her hands on her hips
and look him square in the eye with
q defiant look, but the crisis was watt
ing. It didn't come for a year or more
after the deacon drank from the well
one day and turned from It to remark
that the water. was enough to turn a
tadpole's stomach.
There Is no law or custom In coun-
~ village that forbids widow from
keeping hog and that hog from roam
ing around and picking up a living the
best way he can. The Widow Harper
owned one. He was the average VII
lage hog-no better and no worse.
While she had only one the deacon had
seven, but with human Inconsistency
be was put out that her hog had the
came privileges az his. He at length
determined to do something about 1t,
and the hog helped him out-that is,
the porker fell asleep en- the sidewalk
one Thursday night, and in coming
home from prayer meeting without a
lantern the deacon's foot struck the
porker, and both went rolling into the
ditch. Next morning the boss called
on the widow, and there were words.
He ordered her to shut that hog up on
pain Of death, and she retorted that
she'd see him (the deacon in Texas
FIRST. The deacon went away and shot
the hog and announced that he was
ready to stand lawsuit for damages.
None came. however. Widows most
always depend on Providence instead
OF on law to get even. Mrs. Harper
was no exception to this rule. She
simply went out and ''fixed'' the plat
form Of her well and left the rest to
the angels. A week later the deacon
led his cow to pasture and decided
that he was thirsty. He also wanted
to learn why he had not been sued.
He climbed the fence at the usual spot
and approached the well. He was Just
bending over the curb to lower the
bucket when the platform slid out
from under his feet and he went down
distance Of sixteen feet and stood In
the cold water up to his neck. As a
matter Of course he was surprised. As
matter Of course he ''hollered." Few
men can tumble down a well and re-
tain their imperturbabilit The dea-
con didn't try to. He had been yelling
for fifteen minutes when the widow
came out and looked over the curb.
"What man is that down thereY'
cts me-Deacon Jones'" was the re-
ply.
"And what are you doing there, dea-
COMP
II fell In"
ooh, I see! I didn't know but you
were after the tadpoles. Well, I'm
very busy with my work this morn
Ing, and after you get through looking
around you can come up and 60 away.
Leave the well behind you, however"
widow, I want to get out. You are
surely not going to-
But she was, and she did. She en-
tered the house, and after yelling him
self hoarse the boss leaned up against
the smooth brick wall and tried to
figure out how long 1t would take for
him to freeze to death. There was no
use In looking for rescue except from
the woman herself, and he realized
that she would make terms. This fact
heated him up somewhat, but the
water was very cold. It was known
as the coolest well In the village. In
due time the widow reappeared to call
down the well: