Willmar tribune., 1910-04-27
GOOD
MIR. .GOODENOUCH
Bv NJ. QUAD.
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

would like to marry the Widow $picer
When Silas went courting the widow
he very soon found out that b. was
handicapped She had a good educa-
tion. aud he had none
"Morniu'. widder:"'
"Widow. if you please she would
answer
Eyes. ] meant wilder Horses and
cows and sheep and pigs all well?"
"Very well. thauk you. Won't you
sit down."
IL guess So"
''Widder. | don't believe there's 20.
Ing to be any circus in Brownsville
this year."
"Noy"
"And l shouldn't wonder If hog
cholera broke out"
MOP?
"And I've got three hens a-settin:
and expect as many as twenty chicks"
"Yes?"
"And-and they say I'm courtin'
you"
DO they? Well. didn't know IT.
''Neither did |, but | s'pose it's 50.
Well. I've got to be movin along.
Glad I've seen you. widder."'
"WfdOw, Mr.. Goodenough."
Yes? allus git 'em mixed"
When this sort OF courtship had
been going on for several months Silas
determined on desperate deed. He
rehearSed it 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 in with:
''Widder Spicer. I've been lovfn' you
for years and years. and I want you
for wife. III be good to you. You
needn't make soft soap nor rag car
pets. and if they hold a camp meetin'
anywhere within three miles of us
We'll drive over and stay three days"
II couldn't think of it. MIR. Good
enough" was the reply.
'Don't care for me. eh?'
"Not enough to marry you."
II thought mebbe you did. but If you
don't | might as we'll move on. Them
geese O yours are iookin' remarkably
we'll for this time O. year,
"Yes."
"Well. 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 it. He simply thought the
Widow Spicer a bit odd that she didn't
Jump at his offer. and after three days
he was all over it. Then came q
neighbor who said:
''Silas. ! hear that you popped the
question to the Widow Spicer and got
thrown DOWN.
why. yes. asked her If she'd have
me-
"And she said no.
'That's about it. Mebbe she didn't
mean 1t. but took it that way"
II guess you took it right enough
She turned you down because Jim
Wheeler is courting her. She's In love
with him. but l don't think he cares
much about her. II she had more
property he'd marry her. but as 1T Is
l think he's only fooling."
$50 you think the widder cares fol
him." asked SiIas after a moments
thought.
"AIl the women folks say so."
"And she'd be disappointed If be
didn't marry her?"
"Naturally.'
"Then Jim orter do It. Yes. ht
orter. The widder's mighty nice wo
man. and 1t would be too bad to make
a fool Of her. must see ii can't dc
somethfn' for her,
The neighbor laughed and left him
and Silas began to think. 1t be wasnl
good at counting be was very fair al
thinking. II Jim Wheeler was holding
of because the Widow Spicer WASH,
catch financially. why, something
must BE- done. 1t took him just 4
fortnight to figure out what that some
thing was TO be. and be brought J,
home in his wagon after drive o1
thirty miles. At the back END OF the
widows farm was rocky dell ana q
spring and rivulet. When Siias Coco
enough had made three midnight trips
to that dell. carrying a jug ut crude
oil each time. the people for a mile
around began shifting the air. Wher
be had made three more they began
hunting for coal oil. They found it
It was floating from that spring and
ooZfng up through the rocks around
1t. There was excitement at once
The widow had scarcely received tine
first offer for her farm when jim
Wheeler proposed marriage and was
accepted. Then he had something tc
say about the succeeding offers. And
after marriage he had all to say.
Men came and looked and investigat'
ed and either shook their heads OF
made cash offers. and $ilas saw to II
that the supply Of oil was Kept up. The
day after the Spicer farm mad been
sold for $4,000 the same nefghbor
who had interviewed Silas before
came saunterfng over to say:
well. Silas. Jim's got the widow
and $4,000 in cash."
"Glad to hear it." replied he re.
jected.
But she threw you down."
"Oh yes bl1t she's mighty nice
woman.-mighty nice: Mustn't hold
such trifin' things as that again 'em,
you know. Jim's got her. and she's
got Jim. and both of :''em have got
$4,000. and. say. it, mighty nice,
amt It = i.= =55.: =.: ...#