Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-12-06
payers Of the respective districts.
Minneapolis, Mimi, Dec. 2, 1911,
THE
COMPROMISE
- 81.
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

It may be the Widow Sharon mag
fined good deal of it, but when she
moved over to the village of Valley
Stream it seemed to her that the peo-
pie thereof greeted her in an offish
manner.
Ali villages have their customs. The
custom in Valley Stream, and one that
had prevailed for. a quarter Of a cen
fury, was for a newcomer to at once
state certain facts to Deacon Horner.
II it was a widow she was expected
to state her age, her income, her inten-
lions regarding second marriage,
whether or not her late husband died
happy, to what church she belonged,
her attitude in regard to church: af-
fairs and picnics, if she attended the
circus and whether she was going to
live extravagantly or economically.
The deacon had always taken it upon
himself to act as inquisitor and then
go from house to house and spread the
news. He gave the Widow Sharon
= three days to get settled and then
called.
Then and there the good man re-
ceived the surprise Of his life. He had
scarcely propounded question No. l
) when the widow replied:
''Sir, it is none of your businessv'
Deacon Horner had never been
baked before, and it vexed him.
| The widow had brought four hogs
with her, having been farmers wife,
and two days after the deacon's call
one Of those hogs came and rubbed
against his front gate.
Deacon Horner lifted up rock and
batted that hog. The hog was hurt
and ran away squealing. A boy told the
Widow Sharon Of it, and she put on
her hat and went straight to@a justice
of the peace and got out summons
for malicious cruelty to animals.
/ There was a state law Gov sring the
case, and the deacon was fined $40 and
costs.
It may be remarked again that Dea-
con Horner was good man, but there
is limit to, goodness. Not that same
hog, but another of the widows flock,
got into the deacon's COW lot. There
was nothing for him to damage, but
the widow was sued for trespass and
had to pay s. damages. She paid 1t
and waited If you will wait long
enough COW will get into your garden
and devour your cabbages. In this in
stance it was the deacon's COW, and
there was another suit for trespass,
and the deacon was mulcted. Did he
forgive the widow and promise that
his COW should be good in future? He
didn't. He said to himself that he
would bring that defiant widow low.
All of sudden the village of Valley
Stream began asking about the last
hours, Of the defunct Farmer Sharon,
It was said that he died of heart DIS
ease after quarrel with his wife
about another man. Perhaps the wild
Ow was not actually murderess, but
she was very close to it. She heard
the story, and she set out with all iron
Jaw on her to run it down. In TWEEN
ty-four hours she. had it fastened on
the good deacon and had begun a suit
for SANDER Deacon Horner made out
not to care, but when his lawyer came
to investigate he was more than will
ing to settle for $1C0. Mr.: Sharon
had not died from heart disease, but
from the kick of horse.
Then the fighting widow had to &C
and put her foot iii it. In. some wa.
she learned that Deacon Horner h,dn't
paid his pew rent. for-#fourteen years
and that he had passed a bad two dol
lar bill on a windmill man. She wa!
indiscreet enough to repent this, ant
the first thing she knew the deacon
was after her. AS a matter Of fact
his. pew rent was all paid up, and b
had tile receipts to show And as fo
the bad bill. lit was windmill mai
who had stucl: III y he wiloM. had g. 4