The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-07
THE EVENING STORY
winning a widow.
(By carl Jenkins.l

(By Carl Jenkins.)
Jasper Gregg, farmer and widower,
mad made up his mind to marry
again. Moreover, he had made up his
mind to marry the widow Hopkins,
who lived on a farm a mile away.
He had known her for three years.
Sne was aniable, thrifty and friend
". She must be aware that he was
forehanded, good tempered, and that
When his good wife had been called
10 go she had left two good pairs of
shoes behind her. There were farm
ers who were stingy about buying
SHOES for their wives. but he was not
/ one.
Farmer Gregg made up his mind
| about a second marriage the same as
ne would have done about buying
piece OF land. It would be q good
thing for him and for the widow. No
ldisrespect to her whatever. but why
waste time that might be used in
hoeing potatoes? 1t was summer, and
IN summer farm work is always
/ After breakfast one morning, the
Widower walked down the road to
the widows place. He wasn't at all
shaky. On the contrary. he was very
calm. He found her sweeping the
| kitchen after having cleared break
fast away. and he was kindly
greeted. The widow had only asked
him if the later bugs were doing
much damage to his field when he
quietly said:
Sarah, I've come to ask you to
marry me-
*'Good landsI" she replied as she
leaned on the broom handle.
viii you do it?"
Mrs. Hopkins stood the broom up
lin the corner, removed the apron she
was wearing, and then turned on him.
Jasper Gregg. who DO you think I
| am ?" she demanded.
1.-THE widow Hopkins
/ Yes. am, and I've got feelings
I've got feelings and I've got dignity.
You are ere with your old clothes
lon, the same as if you. wanted to Dor
irow a shovel, and yet askin' me right
out to marry you! You've got a
hickory shirt on, patches on your
trousers, and your hat is old and
rusty. I never heard of the likes of
your impudence. Is this the way you
won your first wife ?''N
TT just thought I'd ask" replied
Jasper, a good deal astcnished.
We'll, you can just think heap
of other thoughts. You want a coat
to marry you. This getting married
amt like going out and blowing corn.
There's dignity about it,
''Well, I'm sorry I've hurt your feel
ings. 1 didn't go to do it,
I'm forgiving you. Jasper, but
think it over and you'll see that there
must be dignity about it,
The matter was given due reflection,
| d
Gregg donned his best suit and CREASED
his boots and paid another visit. He
appeared at a bad hour. The widow
was down on hands and knees and
|. giving the kitchen floor a glorious
old Scrubbing with sand and soap. She
had an old dress on, and her hair was
flying.
"Mercy on me, but you herei" She
exclaimed as Jasper appeared in The
door.
ssvoc i+,- no
"And got your best clothes on,'
Eyes. I have come to ask you ovel
again.
Hear the mani Look at me! Jas
man asking woman TO be his wife
when she was scrubbin' dinged ole
kitchen floor!''
Cant say ever did,
And no one but a fool would dc
| 1t! Can't I pound it into your head
that I've got feelings ard dignity
You go right back home! Why,
) wouldn't say yes now If king was t.
; offer me his palace!''
Mr.. Gregg's feelings were a bi
, hurt. He had lost an hour and 6
half from farm, and he couldn't un
/ derstand why a woman scrubbing {
floor couldn't set the wedding day a.
, well as one all dressed up and seated
, in the parlor. He almost made VI
, mind that the widow was finicky AND
, had better be left in widowhood. Al
, the days went by, however he forgav'
her and made ready for his third visit
This was made on a Sunday afternoon
She surely wouldn't be scrubbing OF
. that day. On the contrary, she woult
: be dressed up and sitting on tn
I porch
Things had happened that Sunda!
!, morning. There was a calf to be tieC
up. and while the hired man wa
1 busy at something eles the widow
Hopkins took the calf in hand. II
: the scrimmage she received a kicl
t that laid her out. With the help o
. the hired girl she crawled into tn
= house and into bed.
When Jasper Gregg arrived and en-
t tered the sitting room his nose wa
Y greeted with the 'odor of camphoi
e and liniment. and the hired girl ex
: planned what had happened. He wa.
g ordered to take a seat near the doc
!. of the bed room. and the patien
s called out:
s Jasper Gregg, what sort OF mai
do you call yourself?''
S 'sWhy, widow. what's wrong?"
you're all dressed up. amt your
Eyes,
/. Boots creased and hair oiled
: sAnd you've come to ask me t.
. marry you! Lordy, Lordy, but wha
!, idiots some men are! They just g.
!, right ahead the same as If they wa
= plowin' clay land, and never think o
other folks Here I've been kicke,
by a frolicky calf and the. breatl
knocked out of me for a week t
Icome. and you are here to talk abou
: marriage"
d "But L didn't know about the kick
r ing he protested.
n "well, you know it now, and you'v
}, got to give me chance to have som
d dignity. 1 swan, if I'll be kicked b.
a calf in the forenoon and then prom
d Use to be somebody's wife in the af
lternoon! You go back home!''
O This is three times, Sarahi' h
: called.
g st don't care If it's three hundredI
:; Jasper Gregg walked home with hi
! hands behind his back and his eyes OF
/. the mayweeds along the dusty high
n way. Three times he had asked an
. three times he had been thrown down
The widow Hopkins was not for him