Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1912-03-29
AN OLDMAlD'S
$4,000
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

Sarah johnson had been called an
old maid almost ever since any one in
the village could remember. Some fig
ured her age at forty-fve, and some
went five years better. Sarah had al
ways lived alone and on what she
could earn at sewing. She did go to
church. and there was legend that
once upon a time she attended Sun
day school picnic. but she was by no
means high f1ier.
Sarah had never complained because
the chance to marry had not come to
her. She had never complained of her
poor earnings and poor living If any
one condoled with her she sighed
sigh or two and let it go at that. She
didn't even hope for change for the
better as far as any one knew.
Then. after years and years, Sarah's
day dawned. A relative died and left
her a cold $4,000 in cash. 1t made
her the richest person in the village.
1t brought her hundreds of congratula-
lions and good wishes. but TO all in
uuiries as to what she was going to
do with her money she said she must
have time to think it over. When she
had been given n fortnight she was
ready She announced that she was
going to have good time on her
money, and she started right in.
Sarah had always wanted bottle of
ketchup. Now she bought one. She
had longed for rocking chair for
twenty years. Now she paid So for
one and sat up long after her usual
bedtime to rock back and forth. Then
came pair of tan shoes, then new
looking glass. then brown stockings
where she had always worn black. She
stopped there to count her money, and.
finding that she had about $0,9S0 left,
she was encouraged into other eXtrav-
agances Then she suddenly developed
what the villagers called streak
Her minister, who had heard of her
reckless expenditures. called to sound
note of warning. but bumped up
against bit of obstinacy totally I'M
looked for. He had once invested half
q years salary in Wall street on sure
thing, and, though he had lost it, he
claimed to be a business man. He
was going on to tell Sarah that she
must do so and so when she interrupt
ed to say that she felt herself entirely
competent to handle her money.
Then a second streak was developed.
The old maid announced that. she was
J 81 with
cash. In spite of warnings and argu-
ments and protestations she set off for
Boston and took the best rooms at the
best hotel. She ate of fried oysters,
Holsters and crabs. She drank wine
and tipped walters. She rode in taxis
and attended theaters.
She next went to New York city and
repeated her performance in Boston,
only more so. She became acquainted
with so called count, and he swim
l died her out of $1,000 The fact got
into the papers, and when she got
home she found that a special prayer
meeting had been held on her account.
II am sorry you went to the trouble
she said to her minister
but you needed it, Sister Johnson
'Well. don't know. always want,
ed to know counts and lords and dukes,
and I've got off for $1,000 where more
than 200 American women have paid
several millions each. 1t is plain to be
seen, parson, that you are no business
man."
Sarah took q flier in corn. She die
1t without advice and lost it, though
she might have lost it just the same
had every resident of the village ad
vised. The news stirred up the vii
lage again, but Sarah was complacent,
even smiling. 1t all belonged to a
good time. she said to all. Then she
announced that she was going to Eu-
rope. She was member of church,
and now some of the other members
raised the question Of 'churching"
her. The majority weren't quite clear
on the matter, however, and nothing
was done. Sarah took in Europe for
six months. She ate of everything
there was to eat, and she saw all there
was to see. She had a maid. and she
bought her clothes in Paris. She knew
/ that hCi AlOhCy was pCih3 iopluiy
hausted but she did not pinch on that
account. 1t thus came about that
when she once more landed in her
native village the sum of $3.50 repre-
scented her original $4,000.
Did Sarah Johnson collapse at the
depot? Did tears blind her as she en-
tered her little weather beaten cot
tage? Did she sit down on the floor
and bewail and wish she hadn't done
1t? Oh, no. Sarah wasn't that kind
OF an old maid. She sat down in her
rocking chair and thought of the good
times she had had and smiled and
smacked her lips. Her minister was
the first to call. 1t may be that he
had the heather in mind~ If he didn't
the woman did. The last of her for
tune was in silver. she selected a
fifty cent piece and extended it with
the observations:
"For the heather, parson."
"But-but"-
"It is all can give. and l give II
with u cheerful heart"