Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-08-10
EVENING STORY
HIS FAsTIDlous FlAncEE.

BY Louis Carl Stein.
copyright, 1911, by the Associated
Literary Press)
Mrs. John Durham was what might !
be termed an overlooked widow! She
was only thirty-eight years old when
her husband died, and she was by no
means q homely woman. and yet at the
age OF forty.six she was still widow.
Such things happen in villages now
and then. The piano man may praise
widows eyes. the sewing machine
man praise her hair, and the tin ped
dler look at her with admiring eyes
and sigh, but that may also lead to
nothing. It had led to nothing in the
Widow Dunham's case. A widow or
any other woman must have an offer
of marriage before she can refuse 1t.
The time came. Mrs. Durham was
still hanging on to her forty-sixth
year when along came Moses Frazer,
living in village six miles away.
Moses would have come years sooner,
but for circumstances over which he
had no control. g had a wife, and
having one, the most he could do was
to sigh and wait. When the wife was
gathered in by the reaper and a year
OF mourning had passed Moses was
free to call on the widow. When she
looked out Of the window at the click
OF the gate latch and saw him she
knew his Grand
Moses entered the house and talked
about this and that, and 1t was long
time, and he had crossed and UNI
crossed his legs many times before he
got up the courage to say:
widow, I'm alone in the world, and
80 are YOU"
ooh, but don't mind it, was the
reply.
"But thought you might. 1t some
how isn't natural for q woman to be
living alone. AS the bible says, there
ought to be man around the house.
AZ never read that in the bible.
Leastwise, I shouldn't want man
around under foot 1t must he q re-
lief to you not to have wife mussing
around"
"But it amt widow--it amt" re-
piled Moses. ''Im SO. dinged lonesome
/ don't know what to do. Sarah knew
how I'd feel about It, and on her dying
bed she said I'd better get married
again.
"Did she name any one?" 7.
well no, but she might If she
hadn't got short o. breath. guess the
naming was to be left to me"
and have you picked the person
out yet?"
II have, widow, and that's what
hAp
name is Durham, and I'm going to ask
her right out If she'll have me"
why, Moses Frazer!" exclaimed
the woman as she threw UP her hands
in pretended establishment: You
can't be speaking to me! You can't
mean what you say!'
Every last word of it! I'm here
after your heart and hand"
"My stars! But this Is no way to
court woman!"
"I'll allow It's little sudden, but
then we amt young folks who have
got to spoon around. thought I'd
tell you how / felt, and then give you
week to make up your mind.
Widow Durham neither encouraged
nor discouraged. Moses let 1t go at
that. He was back in a week. The
widow kept him talking about hogs
and PUMPKINS and buckwheat as long
as she could and then said:
Moses. perhaps it's my duty to mar
ry YOU"
II know it is." s
"But II l do I'm going to have my
way about certain things"
"You shall, widow"
eve must be married In q balloon.
I'm not at all romantic but want
something different from Just calling
in the minister
"But how am going to fix for q
balloon" he asked.
II don't know, but that's what you'll
have to do. No balloon, no marriage"
Moses went riding through all the
villages for twenty miles around ask
ing questions about balloons, and 1t
was two weeks before he returned to
the widow to say:
I'm willing to obleege, but we can't
get no balloon here short OF thou
sand dollars, and mebbe not for that.
Even il we could, no preacher would
go up to marry US. !"
We'll, Moses, don't want to seem
over particular" replied the woman
after little thought. II we can't be
married up in a balloon, how about
down in a coal miner"
THAT might do, II can find one"
Moses went inQuiring again, AID by
and by ascertained that the nearest
coal mine was $50 miles away, and
very wet place at that. Besides, a
minister told him that he wouldn't de-.
scend into coal mine and marry a
couple for less than hundred dollars.
When the Widow Durham had been
informed Of how the matter stood,
she replied:
II had rather set my heart on it,
but have always been woman to
sacrifice Why can't we be married
in circus ring before all the people? ?"
"Why, never heard of such a
thing! We'd be almost took for a
couple of camels or something! No,
no."
Moses. we must be married In q
circus ring or not at ALL"