Evening journal., 1910-08-15
THE STRONG
WOMAN
By M QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated lit
crary Press
By NJ QUAD

Hetty Davis. That was her correct
name. George Davis was farmer,
and both he and his wife were under.
sized people. The infant was a weak
ling. and the doctors frankly said that
the FIRST symptoms of measles would
be the end OF her.
At the age of eighteen months Hetty
took start in life and was soon
known as ''the big kid" She took
on fat and simply played with mumps.
measles and whooping cough. Her
weight at two years was that OF the
average girl of ten. She grew from
"the big kid" to "the big girl" At
the age Of sixteen they we're calling
her 'the strong woman" and that
title stuck 70 her.
The Davis farm was worth marry
ing. and there was money In the bank
besides. There were young men and
bachelors and widowers who were will
ing TO marry It. They came courting
and were laughed at. but at length
the strong woman announced that on
certain day. II the swains would all
gather at her farm. she would select
husband from among them. The
gathering numbered thirty. AS they
sat around casting sleeps eyes at her
she rose and said:
Gentlemen, want a man who can
control me. The man who wins me
must best me I'm fair rough and tum
BILE fight. There are no other condi
tions."
There were only Eve men out Of the
thirty who wanted matrimony that
way. Out of the five there was a wild
over forty years old who could NOV
I hay and hoe more corn than any other
for ten miles round. He stepped out
on the grass and peeled his coat and
vest and spat on his hands. According
20 authentic reports. he was a licked
man in Eve minutes. Not only that
but he carried a stiff neck for the rest
OF his life. The strong woman had
almost twisted his head Off. and none
Of the others came forward as No. 2,
The farm was run by hired men
Now and then for the first two year
they got impudent at times OF did noi
keep up to their work. They Were
knocked unconscious. thrown over the
fence into the road or sent away with
broken bones. II was great highway
for ramps. or had been. They came
along In punches. They stopped and
demanded food. They even threat.
ened things. When they got to threats
the strong woman sailed In. She
struck and slapped; she kicked and bit:
she knocked their heads together until
their ears rang for days afterward
Her greatest victory was over bunch
of ave. After the. news Of that got
abroad all tramps would so six miles
around TO dodge her farm. The strong
woman paid no attention to science
She Just waded right in any old way
to win. and II she got her teeth fas
tened upon a mans ear it Was bad foi
him.
The strong woman didn't pay much
attention TO other women. She knew
they didn't like her and that they gos-
siped about her. but she continued to
pass It by for years. Then a casual
remark rolled her. A certain woman
said that she was so homely that she
couldn't catch husband. No homely
woman ever yet admitted that she was
homely. nor was there ever an old
maid ready TO admit that she had tried
and failed. The strong woman sent
out notice that she had hit the trail for
husband. No one responded On
the contrary. men hid out in barns and
haystacks and trembled in their shoes.
Two weeks and no husband.
Then the strong woman bought a
bear trap, covered the teeth with heavy
cloth and set 1t at the open barn door
Three nights passed without victim,
but at midnight on the fourth night
along came horse thief. gayly. and
was caught by the leg. His yells OF
pain aroused the woman. and she light
ed the lantern and went out. After
taking a good look at the prisoner sh,
turned away with the remark:
Il guess you'll do. Stay right here
till morning"
He begged and pleaded and yelled.
but there he stayed for four hours
more. Then came daylight and his
captor. and she asked
4 Does It happen that you are a mar
ried manT'
mo"
''rhen you soon will be. Listen to
me. You'll be laid up for about a
week. After that we shall we mar
ried. you and L.
Il marry you?" he asked after long
look at her.
"You will"
I'm go TO prison firstr'
you'll do nothing Of the kind. Per
, haps you've heard OF me-the strong
woman"
He uttered a groan OF despair.
They say I can't find a husband, but
Z I'll show 'emr'
'8ut. woman. I'm a horse thief.
II don't care for that"
II is a fact that after a week they
we're married II is a further fact thai
he ran away. and after a hunt OF q
month she brought him back and ham
mered him until he didn't get out oi
J bed for three weeks. He settled dowr
then and made good husband. ant
the two lived happily together fol
; twenty years, when the strong woman
met death betting her name. A
barn sixty feet long and thirty fee
wide blew over on her. and she wa,
| gathered 10 her fathers. walnut tire,
or brick house cOuldn't have done II.