The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1911-02-02
How She
Answered Him
By r. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. By American Press
Association.


was born. and that was forty-rwo
years before this story begins He was
homely. Joel was. and his face and
neck. which at bis age should have
been comparatively smooth. were full
OF burrows. II was a weather beaten
face. speaking Of days exposed 70 the
beat and the cold. and when Joel
walked be seemed to be following the
pillow.
Joel had never married People said
that be was so uncouth that no wom-
an would have him Whether or no
this was the reason. certain It is that
be had never asked any M 70 be
bis wife. There was only one person
In the world he wanted. and she was
during most OF the time be wanted
her a child II can't be said that be
was waiting for her TO grow up. be-
cause there wasn't the slightest hope
that she would marry him when she
did At any rate. that's the way he
looked az II.
But now she had reached the age OF
nineteen. she was Of manageable age.
and Joel resolved 70 do the one bold
thing Of his dfe-ask her. BE had
heard about courtBhips and wondered
how they were worked Even II they
had been explained to him he would
not have understood them. much less
been able 70 take part in one OF them.
He was aware that without a court
ship a man had not NJ chance In a
hundred 70 win a woman. and as 70
winning a girl twenfy-three years his
junior with or without one would be
next to impossible. There was but
one thing In the world be wanted. n
thing TO make his life worth living,
and that was Hester Blake So one
evening. dressed In bis store clothes.
be went 20 see her and. happily End
ing her alone. said to her:
What I'm going 70 say don't really
amount 20 anything. but I'm going %
say II all the same. When you were
a child I left your father and mother
ms day after they had said something
TO me. and just Is I was going nj Of
the house you were standing By the
door. You werr four years old and as
pretty as a little picture. You put Up
your arms to me. ! took you up IN
mine. and Jon kissed me. Since that
time I've been waiting for the day to
come when you would be old enough
10 marry. and now that you are I'm
going to ask you 70 marry me"
UA.a-a H-.HAH A. NJ
was something so pathetic In his utter
inability to plead his aus that she
pitied him. Then. too. she felt that
there was something lncongruous in
this furrowed man proposing to marry
her. a round checked girl. Il was on
her lips 70 explain this 70 him, but
somehow she hadn't the heart 70 do it.
She wished to make some reply. but
didn't know what to say. For a make
shift she asked him:
what was IL. Mr.. Constable, that
my father and mother said 70 you the
day you left them ana I kissed your
The question seemed 70 make Joel
feel very III at e He recrossed his
legs. pulled at q little tuft OF beard on
his cheek. thereby drawing out the
loose skin. hemmed a few tines then
said:
1t wouldn't do for me to ten you
that" /.
why nOtrs
well" Jared vent on. getting hot
in the face 1t might make you feel
as II you'd ort 70 marry me-"
Il promise not 20 feel that way.
Come. tell me all about It." I
There's another reason why I'd bet
ter not tell" he replied. There's
blood on my hands"
Then put 1t in the form Of a con-
fession."
'wel. I'm dead against telling you
but II I must I must About that
time-when you kissed me. you know
was a murder committed. and
-FOUR father run away at the same
time. The reason he did that was be-
cause he was liable % be charged
the murder. he was hunted
down in the woods and brought to JAN
In town. That night the mob was
to lynch him. ! found out I,
about Il went 70 the jail with a horse
and buggy. told the jailer and agreed
10 drive your father to a safe place +
He agreed. We were followed BY
men on the watch for us. l shot
OF EN-. l got your father %.
though
There was 50 much labor IN getting I
this simple story that when Joel
the end Of II be took out q
bandanna handkerchief and mopped
his brow. Then be tried to 20 on and
what Hester's father and
had said to him on the day
The kissed him. Hester permitted him 4
stumble on until be had got mex 7
tangled up. when she stopped
him.
1--WE heard father tell all about that
Ind he said he was saved 10 us BY
me Of the noblcst. bravcst men that
,ver lived. but be would never ten his 4
That was because I'd shot the man.
md your father was the only person
that knew r. II II had got out
should have had to suffer for tt