The New era-leader. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1911-1912, 1911-09-01

have recognised him Farm life and
toll had been left behind. He wasn't
q married man now. but 4 widower.
So he told himself. and tried hard to
believe 1t. There ri no accusing
voice. He had left . thousand dollars
behind for the old woman" Some
men wouldn't have left Z dollar.
Uncle Hiram took another name.
and in due time he arrived m
where. He found people who did not
hesitate to ask him Why he made q
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 tof sixty instead
Of fffysthree. The tailor hadn't
taken away that stoop and he walked
with loose knees, ~ all farmers do.
Boys called after him on the street.
In a place Of amusement he saw .
woman whom he thought he would
like to make hts 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
I'll have you thrown out OF here!"
Uncle Hiram was dyed and padded.
but he was deceiving nobody. Peor
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. II wal very often that
children called grandpa. and he was
cautioned that. such and such weather
was dangerous for an old man like
him.
Uncle Hiram saw the elephant. He
saw him literally and theoretically.
He couldn't figure where he was bet
ter OF for 30 doing. When he saw
the animal literally. the mahout ID
toned him against coming too near.
as Behemoth seemed to have a spite
against old men.
In one locality Uncle Hiram re
newed his hair-dye and started In to
court a widow. She shifted the dye
and called him an old fool and held
the door open for him to walk out.
In no. one case was any n deceived.
In most cases he was asked why his
wife wasn't with him. OF how 1t
came that q man OF his age. was out
in the easy west seeking q divorce.
II he would 60 Into business many
inquiries would be made. II he tried
to buy q farm he was asked when his
wife was coming ons When he got
rid Of his dye and whiskers hs was
no better OF. His speech waa 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 hiss hard
earned dollars before awakening to
the fact that he had made q fool Of
himself. What to do. As he asked
himself the question . great 1ngtng
came to him. He tried to d6tn 1t.
but he couldn't. Then . feeling Of re-
morse came. He had been . 4Og to
abandon his wife. He sat dovh and
thought It all over, from the dd1 they
were wed. She wasn't 50 gray haired.
but II she . what Of it,? She
wasn't 20 stopped, but II she was,
what OF tit If her face were wrinkled.
what of his?
Uncle Hiram did not spare himself.
He administers kicks. He feyiled
the man. He shed tears. And how to
mend matters? He had had > wife
aud home for thirty years. He was
now an outlaw.
Back In the east was q sad-faced
woman waiting. Aunt Jana had
rented q little farm and was living
all alone. The neighbors had com
miserated with her. but to one and
all she had said:
Hiram will come back. I am wait
ing here for him. He win remember
an that I did for him a. q wife"
And one rainy night, az she sat
alone with her knitting and her
thoughts. she heard . step at the
door. The one who Knocked seemed
timld.
Gene In. Hiram!"
Tke door slowly opened and there
STOOD Uncle Hiram. wet. bedraggled
and forlOrn.
II was waiting for you.. SID the
wife
DO you mean-mean-r
She - and gave him = kiss and
then set : chair for him. and said
abe would have supper on the table
N just : minute.
"But-but-
Il told them you would come back.
You saw the light IN the WindoW!"