Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-07-12
GOOD
MIR. GOODENOUCH
BY NJ QUAD.
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.
B, NJ QUAD.

he very soon found uui TIM, ~ was.
handicapped She had a l"od edma.
ton. and he had none
"Mornin'. widder:'
widow. IL you please she would
answer
"Ycs. meant widder. Horses ano
cows and sheep aud pigs MI weli;''
Very we'll. thank you. Won't you
sit DOWN."
IL guess So"
"Widder. don't believe there's go
ing to be- any circus In Brownsville
this year."
mop
"And I shouldn't wonder II hog
cholera broke out" ~
"NoT
"And I've got three hens a.settin'
and expect as many as twenty chicks"
"YesT
"And-and they say I'm courun'
you"
DO they? Well. didn't know It."
Neither did 1. but I spose it's 30.
Wen. I've got to be movin' along.
Glad I've seen you. widder"
Widow, Mr.. Goodenough"
Yes? / allus git 'em mixed"
When this sort OF courtship had
been going on for several months Silas
determined on n desperate deed. He
rehcarsed 1t for week and then tied
his team to the widows hitching post
and walked around by the kitchen path
to find her feeding the chickens. He
Just gave her time to nod and then
started I'm with.
"Widder Spicer. I've been lovin' you
for years and years, and want you
Tor wife. I'll be good to you. You
needn't make soft soap nor rag car
pets. and IL they hold camp meetin'
anywhere within three miles OF us
Wen drive over and stay three days"
II couldn't think Of It, MIR. Good
enough" was the reply.
Don't care for me. eh?"
mot enough to marry you"
II thought mebbe you did. but n you
don't might rs well move on. Them
geese o. yours are lookin' remarkably
we'll for this time o. year"
YES"
We'll, so long. Oh. say, widder,
they say that next year is goin' to be
a buster of year for grasshoppers!
Hope they won't eat us up here
Silas Goodenough didn't drive home
to commit suicide. He didn't even
think of 1t. He simply thought the
Widow Spicer bit odd that she didn't
jump at his offer, and after three days
he was all over 1t. Then came a
neighbor who said:
"Silas. 1 hear that you popped the
question TO the Widow Spicer and got
thrown DOWN.
why. yes. asked her IL she'd have
! me"
And she said no."
That's about It. Mebbe she didn't
mean u. but took it that way"
II guess you took It right enough.
She turned you down because Jim
Wheeler is counting her. She's I'm love
with him. but l don't think he cares
much about her. II she had more
property he'd marry her. but as IT Is
l think he's only fooling."
$50 you think the wilder cares for
himT asked Silas after n moments
thought.
"All the women folks say So"
"And she'd be disappointed II he
didn't marry herr"
Naturally"
"Then Jim orter do II. Yes. be
orter. The widder's mighty nice wo-
man. and 1t would be too bad to make
fool OF her. must see n can't do
somethin' for her"
The nelghbor laughed and left him.
and Silas began 20 think. II he wasn't
good Mt counting be was very fair nj
thinking. If Jim Wheeler was holding
of because the Widow Spicer WASN'T
a catch financially. why. something
must be done. II took him lust n
fortnight to figure out what that some
thing was TO be. and he brought II
nome In his wagon after n drive OF
thirty miles At the back end OF The
widows farm was a'rockyl DEL ana a
spring and rivulet when s9lh : GOud.
enough bad mnde three midnight tr1ps
to that dell. carrying n jug OF crude
oil each time. the people for u mile
around began smiling the air When
he had made three more they begai
hunting for coal oil Ihcy fOund II
1t was floating from that spring ana
oozing mp through the rocks around
IT, There WAS excitement at once.
The widow had scarcely received the
first offer for her farm when Jim
wheeler proposed marriage and was
accepted. Then hc bad something TO
nay about the succeeding offers. And
after marriage be had All 10 say.
Men came and looked and inyesugat.
cd and either shook their heads or
made cash offers. and Silas saw 20 II
that the supply OF oil was kept up. The
day after the Spiccr farm had been
sold for $4,000 tie same neighbor
who had interviewed Sil.,s before
came saunicrinc over 10 say:
wei. Siias. Jiu's got he widow
and $1,000 IN cash"
nj IA