The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-03-24
HER FOURTH,
BY NJ. QUAD.

copyright. 1910. by Associated Literary
Press.I
what In tarnation is this about
your marrying Jim Carter yesterday Z!
said Henry Doty to Eunice Smith.
I'VE were married" was the reply.
'But / was going to marry you my
selfv'
81 never knew it. You never said
anything about it,
land you won't get a divorce from
JimT
'Of course not"
by gum. Eunice. this is using man
mighty mean! / was jest taking time
to think things over, and you go off
and marry. It's a mean trick on
fellerr'
''Oh, there are other girls
But don't want 'em. want you.
and I'm going to stay single till my
chance comes"
1t came in about a year. James
Carter was assisting a neighbor to
load saw logs when one of them broke
loose and rolled over him. and he was
no more. Henry Doty didn't rejoice.
but he was on hand at the funeral. He
oversaw things for the widow for three
or four days and then returned to his
job. AS he held her hand and babe
her goodby he said:
"Eunice. there was something |
wanted to say to you. but it slipped
my mind Mebbe I'll think of it next
time | come"
The widow returned to her parents.
and the hired man made her a call
three or four times a week, but he
never talked love. He simply thought
love when he was alone. They'd get
married when the year was up. and
when they got to the Falls they'd put
up at the best house and hang the
expense. Fourteen months had passed.
and Henry was thinking of tying a
string around his thumb to make him
remember to ask Eunice that question
when he was suddenly told that she
had married a wire fence man who
was working in the neighborhood. He
creased his boots and combed his hair
and went over to the house to say:
''Eunice, if you've gone and done it
again l can never forgive you! You
knew l was calculating to marry you
myself
But you never said anything about
it," she retorted.
'But l was getting ready to-"
eff you'd only said
"Oh, well, I'll have to stand it, l sup
pose. Mebbe it's all for the best.
Mebbe the living will be cheaper by
that time. Pm going to keep right on
jest as l am till l get you"
Mr. Davis. the second husband. was
fat and rugged and seemed good for
forty years more of life, but one can
never tell about those things. He was
made very happy man by the mar
riage and continued in the wire fence
business to make others happy. After
ting up fence for farmer one day
when thunderstorm came up. Mr..
Davis had his hands on the wire when
the electric fluid found it and shocked
him to death Queerly enough. Henry
Doty was driving past in wagon at
the time and was the messenger to an
nounce the sad news to the double
widow. He realized that it was no
time to speak of bridal trip then and
held his peace.
Once more the widow came back to
the old home, and things went on as
aH n
of dropping in frequently, and he only
waited for the days to pass until he
could ask the question always upper
most in bis mind. One evening he
presented himself with string twist
ed around his thumb, but when the
widow called his attention to it he
couldn't remember what he had made
sure not to forget. Now and then the
farmer for whom he labored and who
knew his thoughts would jog him with:
Henry, the time is passing along.
and the widow may step off again any
day"
"But l don't hear of anybody being
after her"
'You don't always hear about such
things. Widows step right off without
much counting"
Eyes. must speak to Eunice. l was
a-thinking this afternoon | would"
But he didn't. He just let things
drift on. and one Sunday evening he
dropped in just after she had married
the rural mail carrier on that route.
Henry was indignant and desperate.
"Why didn't you say something" he
demanded Of the BRIDE
'Why didn't you?"
"Say, this is throwing good man
down powerful hard. This is the third
time I've lost your
But you've never said you wanted
me. You don't expect woman to pop
the question, do you?"
''All right. Eunice-all right. l can
wait Bound to get you and make
trip if | wait long enough"
''It was just eleven months to day
that as the carrier came to a narrow
place in the highway he encountered
load of hay In irving to pass it his