The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-13
THE EVENING STORY
Wooing Sally Plum.
(By Lawrence Alfred Clay.)


witness that Sally Plum, as a baby,
child and young girl, was different
from others. She was sedate and Sc
rene from the first. She went through
scarlet rash and whooping cough and
measles without q complaint. She had
no use for rag dolls and play houses.
She did not climb trees nor play mar
bles with the boys.
At the age of 16 Sally attended
Sunday school picnic which lasted all
day. The only time during the day
she was heard to utter a remark was
when woman asked her if she wasn't
sorry she came. She replied: Eyes,
ma'am.' and that was all.
It was because Sally was so differ
ent from other girls that her grand
father left her $4,000. He also left
Sally's widowed mother half that
amount. The two lived in village
and were the richest persons in it.
Besides being odd and different.
Sally was plain of face and rather
awkward of figure. At 20 she had
never thought love nor talked it. No
young man had walked with her. She
| had never read novel. and she did
not know the meaning of romance. She
cooked and washed and ironed and
baked and sewed carpet rags. and was
serene.
What's going to happen to a plain
girl who inherits $4,000? She's going
to have offers of marriage. of course
more offers than a good looking girl
without any cash. Sally Plum began
to have offers. The first came from
had four children. and was looking
around for good thing He dropped
| in to court Sally. The mother left
| them together a whole evening, and
the only words Sally uttered during
| the three long hours was in reply to
the deacon's question as to why she
| was so silent. She thought for mo-
ment and then replied:
"'Cause I've got a stone bruise on
| my he'll"
The deacon didn't relinquish his
| plans, but he felt tired.
The merchant of the village was an
| old bachelor. He had known Sally
| for years and years. Considering that
her mother owned her house and that
he could live there rent free. it
wouldn't be a bad match for him.
| He also went wooing. Sally was cut
ting carpet rags that evening. She
| cut and sewed and wound them into
balls, and he talked and talked. He
had been to New York. Boston and
| Chicago. He had seen a man hung.
| He had almost seen mad dog. His
| brother John had been robbed on the
toned in hope of drawing Sally out.
She didn't draw. She kept the same
sober face and silent lips from start
| to finish. There were times when she
looked at the man, Out WHdLS d lOOk .
| The merchant worked harder to
draw Sally out and break the ice than
he ever had to sell $500 worth of
goods, but not word from her until
he had his hat in his hand to go.
Then she made a long speech. for her.
| She asked:
"Did the man you saw hung kick
around much?"
The third candidate was William
| Simms. He was % years old and
| worked in a sawmill. He was a plain
faced young man and not much given
! to talk. He came counting with a
small package in his hand. and when
left alone with Sally he handed her
the package with the remark:
| "Some spruce gum that got off the
logs this afternoon
Sally accepted and began to chew.
She was knitting that evening. Mr..
/ Simms canted his chair back on its
/ hind legs against the wall and said
black snake in the mill yards that day,
! but he didn't mention it. He had
heard at the postoffice that a trolley
car in Philadelphia had run off the
track and killed five passengers. but
he didn't repeat it. In fact. he dozed
and nodded and slept. and it was the
clock striking 10 that aroused him.
Sally had knit and chewed and had a
/ real good time.
Bring you some more gum some
time,'' said Mr.. Simn1s as he rose up
| and yawned and took his departure.
Gums good" was Sally's reply as
she shut the door after him.
| The fourth man came from village
| ten miles away. He was a lawyer,
about 80 years old. He was talkative
and up to date. He made an afternoon
call. He decided that Sally was plain,
| but that the $4,000 was good He
had travelled, and he set out to arouse
the girls interest and curiosity. He
told her of Niagara Falls-the great
cities-the fine hote1s-ocean steam
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. She looked at
him in amazement. and he was fiat
| tering himself that he was making a
great impression when she opened her
| mouth and asked:
did you ever see a COW fall down
on the ice on the mill pond in win
| ter?"
| He never had. He acknowledged
that he never had. and Miss Sally
Plum had no further use for him.
| She went out into the garden to weed
the onion bed. and there was nothing
| for the lawyer to do but take his de-
parture.
Then the fifth man came. He was
| a clerk from store in another vii
/ 1age. He was smooth of speech He
/ brought bouquet with him. He raised
his hat to Sally and again to her moth
er. He found them on the veranda
both sewing. He extracted scented
handkerchief from his pocket and die
a lot of small talk He also fattered
both women. He was getting along
bravely, when the mother withdrew
He began to talk about the poets. tc
see if Sally's approachable spot lay
in that direction. and after long
hour she interrupted him to ask:
Were you ever bit by a hyena?''
| He never had been. and there was
no call for the girl to say more. Their
Deacon jackson returned. He fell
that he had not been explicit enough
He returned to say that in case oil
marriage he should buy a gilt framed
mirror for the Darlor. and that the
bridal tour would include Niagara
Falls He had never been there him
isslf. but had talked with a man who