The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-01-30
WHEN THE
TIME CAME
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

Mrs. Sarah Drew was a New Hamp-
shire widow She owned a farm, and
Jake White was her hired man. lie
was good man and good worker
and had been with the family for
three years when Farmer White died.
II will never be known to outsiders
whether Mr.. White, when told that he
was to be gathered to his fathers,
called Jake to his bedside and said;
II must go. but / am consoled by
the thought that / leave Sarah in good
hands. Give her year or so to mourn
my loss and then propose matrimony."
Three years went by and Jake had
not spoken. There were times when
he thought he was encouraged TO
speak out and other times when he
was prepared to come in from the field
after hard days work and learn that
the widow was engaged to the sew
ing machine agent who had that route.
The widow, too, had thoughts. 1t was
more than once whispered about that
Jake was in love with this or that
farmer girl, aud she had come to feel
that his loss would be a double one.
Mrs Drew had been widow for
four years and Jake White had done
bushels and bushels of thinking when
winter came on. When the foot or
more of snow which heralded the
change Of season had got packed
down on the highway Providence put
it into Jake's head to get out the big
hand sled and propose ride down
the long and winding hill. Providence
didn't go so far as to put the widow
next as to what would happen. bat it
meant well by both. 1t had been a
long time, and Providence meant to
hurry things up bit. Half dozen
Of the neighbors were to take part in
that moonlight sleigh ride, but for
one reason or another all backed out,
leaving the two alone Probably this
was another trick on the part Of Prov
idence
About the time the sled was drawn
out for the glide Elder Henderson,
who lived just beyond the foot Of the
hill, was saying to his wife:
Martha, | bought ten bushels Of
taters of the Widder White yesterday"
"we1l need 'em all before spring."
was the reply.
II was goin' for EN- tomorrer. but
it's such nice night that dunno
hut III yoke up the oxen and jog along
now"
Might as well, / guess, but look
out that the taters don't get frostbit.
You know how nighsighted you are
in the moonlight If you hear sleigh
bells you'd better give 'em the road"
"Nighsighted' he Indignantly sniff
cd. Don't you 90 TO maxim out that
I'm a hundred years old. Why. could
pick up pin on the darkest night you
ever saw. I've got just the same
rights as anybody, and I'm dinged If
/ give more'n half the road"
The oxen were yoked in due time
and started out. There were bags to
hold the potatoes and blankets TO
cover the bags. and any old sport
would have given odds of two to one
that the elder, the oxen and its cargo
would arrive at the top of the bill
right end up after climb of twenty
minutes. The wager would have been
made without taking Providence into
consideration, and the old sport would
have lost
Tho yIrtda,,, xuhSta x,ar h,udfad ~,
and seated on the sled. In fact. she
was strapped on. Jake sat close be.
hind her, dragging the foot that was
TO steer the sled a straight course. As
they were ready to start 1t came over
him to speak Of his love 4 feeling
came to the widow that he was going
to, but the time was not ripe Prov
idenee figures those things down to
minutes and seconds. As Jake shut
his mouth on his words and started
the sled Elder Henderson, near the
foot of the hill, started singing a
hymn. He not only loved the sound OF
his singing. but he thought the oxen
ought to be encouraged. His voice
Nhbit uOdlbtb up luG MIL anu Us JdAt
caught it he said
Mrs. White, that's Elder Hender.
SON"
Yes
Hes probably coming after those
potatoes with his oxen and sled"
"Went"
Hell be in the middle Of the road.
and as our sled is already getting
away from control there's going to
be a smashup. want to say to you
that have loved you for the last
three years and to ask you if you will
marry meg''
ooh, Jaksl"
"It's the elder and the oxen for sure.
Yes or no?"
IT'S so suddenr'
Right in the middle of the road. /
and Wen be into them in ten seconds"
Must II
Give seconds moree
''Then--yesg
Elder Henderson was marching |
ahead of the oxen, hero leading the |
way. He was struck and sent flying /
and his tune cut short. Then the sled
struck the oxen and flung them into
the ditch and made long jump over
tha ofbar and n 1ntnttfa LATER xVae NJ