Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-06-16

'"
the village placed thousand dollars
In her hands and told her that she
would never see her husband again
Uncle Hiram went west He halted
In city for week to get slicked
up. When the barber and the clothier
had got through with him. not
even his wife of thirty years would
have recognized him. Farm life and
toll had been left behind. He wasn't
a married man now, but widower.
So he told himself, and tried hard to
believe It There was no accusing
voice. He had left thousand dollars
behind for the "old woman" Some
men wouldn't have left dollar.
Uncle Hiram took another name.
and in due time he arrived some
where. He found people who did not
hesitate to ask him why he made
fool of himself by dyeing his hair
and whiskers. Indeed, he was an OBJ
ject of suspicion and was arrested.
When he arrived somewhere else he
was taken for man of sixty instead
OF fifty-three. The tailor hadn't
taken away that stoop. and he walked
with loose knees, as all farmers do.
Boys called after him on the street.
In place of amusement he saw a
woman whom he thought he would
like to make his wife. He was the
dashing widower now. In the midst
of his gazing and thinking the woman
turned on him with;
See here, you old hundred-year-old
manikin, you quit your staring or
Ill have you thrown out of herel"
Uncle Hiram was dyed and padded.
but he was deceiving nobody Peo-
pie offered to assist him up and down
steps and over rough places, and now
and then men appealed to him In re-
gard to dates of sixty or seventy
years ago. 1t was very often that
children called grandpa, and he was
cautioned that such and such weather
was dangerous for an old man Ike
him.
Uncle Hiram saw the elephant He
saw him literally and theoretically.
He couldn't figure where he was bet
ter on for so doing. When he saw
the animal literally. the mahout eau
toned him against coming too near,
as Behemoth seemed to have spite
against old men,
In one locality Uncle Hiram re-
newed his hair-dye and started in to
court widow. She shifted the dye
and called him an old fool and held
the door open for him to walk out.
In no enc case was any one deceived.
In most cases he was asked why his
wife wasn't with him. or how II
came that man of his age was out
in the easy west seeking a divorce.
II he would go into business many
inquiries would be made. II he tried
to buy farm he was asked when his
wife was coming on. When he got
rid of his dye and whiskers he was
no better OF. His speech was the
speech Of farmer who had got his
education in the little country school
house.
Uncle Hiram had wandered about
and spent fifteen hundred of his hard
earned dollars before awakening to
the fact that he had made fool Of
himself. What to do? AS he asked
himself the question great longing
came to him. He tried to down 1t
but he couldn't. Then feeling Of re
morse came. He had been dog to
abandon his wife. He sat down and
thought 1t all over. from the day they
were wed. She wasn't so gray haired
but If she was. what Of 1t? She
wasn't so stopped. but IL she was
what of 1t? If her face were wrinkled
what Of hist
Uncle Hiram did not spare himself
He administered kicks. He revilet
the man. He shed tears. And how t
mend matters? He had had wife
and home for thirty years. He wal
now an outlaw.
Back in the east was sad-facet
woman waiting. Aunt Jane hat
rented a little farm and was livini
all alone. The neighbors had com
miserated with her. but to one ant
all she bad said:
Hiram VIII come back. am wait
ing here for him. He VIII remembe
all that I did for him as wife,"
And one rainy night, as she sa
alone. with her knitting and he
thoughts, she heard step at tn
door. The one who knocked scenes
timid.
Come in, Hiram"
The door slowly opened and Their
stood Uncle Hiram, wet bedraggle
and forlorn.
II Il was waiting for you." said tn
, wife.
do you mean--mean-T
, She rose and gave him a kiss an
| then set a chair for him, and sal
she would have supper on the tabl
, in Just minute.
"But-but-"
/ Il told them you would come bacl
, You saw the light In the window"