The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-03-24

Copyright by J. b. Lippincott Coz
CONTINUED from page four.l
ton, will answer it, though perhaps
not jest as he has expected You ask
me, Mr., Treasurer if / am suggestin'
that we git a husband for the Wilder
Hawkins Mr. Treasurer, your ques.
tion has set me thinkin and has made
me develop a plan. Mr.. Treasurer,
my answer is confined to two words,
and them words is, / be-"
He waved aside a burst of applause
and went on. Let us appropriate a
certain yearly sum-" he suggested,
for the next three years-say seven
ty-fve dollars a year-and let us add
to this sum another given amount that
may be called a bonus-perhaps sew
enty.fve dollars more-sort of a wed.
din present too; and let us make It
known that these payments will be
made to any man, provided he's of
good character and proper financial
standing, who shall be willin' to marry
the said Wilder and take her, so to
speak. off our hands This is fair
in both ways he added; the town'll
save money, and the Widders a young
woman yet-not risin' greatly above
ffty-fve, l presume, and liable to be-
come under good management" his
Great hand hand struck the table once
more, "a fittin' helpmate and an orna-
ment to her seX!"
And the motion as put by the chair
was carried, somewhat to the surprise
of the Treasurer, still prone to regard
the whole affair as a joke. Indeed,
Alonzo stirred to unwonted and unas-
sisted activity by the novel situation,
added a spoke of his own and appoint
ed the Elder, over his protestations
of reluctance, a committee of one to
wait upon the Wilder Hawkins and
acquaint her with the decision Of the
Board
The Meeting adjourned for three
weeks and, in the interval, Rockville |
experienced a period of excitement un-
paralleled in its history.
Elder BabcOck had returned from
his interview with the widow in
state of limp detection. He reported
her as of a very difficult turn of mind. .
"She took on turrible," he declared
Said twas taking away the only
right left to her-choosin' a husband,
I suppose she meant-and an insult
to her womanhood. She cried some
considerable too. She's a dependent
sort of little woman; kinder made me
feel sorry for her But, by gum, I
reasoned with her, tell ye; told her
twas well meant and pointed out that .
the town was ready to pay her bills !
and let her keep the merchandise. .
After that she kinder mellered a lit
tie, though, by gum, she wouldn't
agree. But she said that I might
come round again and talk it over
some more"
And the Elders repeated visits were
evidently of avail, for on the day of
the night appointed for the meeting,
he announced that the widow had at
last given her consent, reluctant but
cheerful he felt called upon to add.
The town-room, in which the select,
men met, was over the store and was
approached by a flight Of steps on the
outside of the building. And a group
of small boys at the foot of these
steps, an augmented number of well
filled chairs on the store piazza. and
an array of buggies hitched under the
trees, from which the murmur of
women's voices came through the
June twilight, gave unmistakable in.
dication of absorbing interest to the
group of selectmen as they climbed
ponderously and pompously to the
upper story.
Once in the room, behind closed
doors, Alonzo Jeffers took the chair.
He looked at his colleagues and dis
covered only the Hatch twins and
Darius Foss. Why, the elder ain't
come yeti" he declared. But the
perhaps with plans of his
own for the later evening, was con-
sulting a big silver watch He rose
TO a point of order. Mr. Chairman"
said he, "as we nave a quorum pros
cilL anu stem dn ~ . pdSh illt llule Ill
ready move that we don't wait no
longer for Elder Babcock, but call the
meetin' at once and proceed to busi-
ness" The mute consent of the twins
bore out his words and so the chair
man raped for silence. Then he pro-
1uced some folded papers from his
pocket and spread them out before L
him on the table.
Gentlemen he began, y amt
,oin' at this IN no formal way because
Is rather a personal matter. hey