The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-08-27
.1,s a wonder you folks didn't stir

$50 'tiS-SO It's. we talheu " ~
many times, but We knowed that II
we put on the tar and feathers you'd
ba 100 alfred lazy to scrape EN-
off and your wife would have the
job"
That's right. She is good' cyrus.
None better"
and that brings me to what
want TO ask. She won't have dol
lar after I'm gone.
.Ot course she won't"
Shell have to depend on the kind.
ntss Of the neighbors."
she will"
cyrus. you don't belong to any
church. but you believe in heaven,
don't you?'
"Tes. kinder
you'd like to feel that / was look
ir.s down on you and acting as your
guardian angel, wouldn't you?"
IF you are going to keep up your
lazness-"
But I'm not, Cyrus-Tm going to
esrle I'll do all that ] can for you
i: You'll sign this paper"
What is it,
Just a promise to be kind to, and
tl.at you will look after, Sarah. We
shall both feel a great deal better If
YOU will"
The caller looked upon it as a dy.
Ing mans within, and signed. When
~eady to go he said:
Il hope you will get a hustle on you
up there. Jim"
Then three more widowers and one
old bachelor got the word to call.
and in the course of three days the
business was wound up. Then a
lawyer was sent for, the signed pa
pers. handed over to him. and a
great calm fell upon the dying man.
He smiled every few minutes, and
made no understandable explanations
regarding what he had been up to.
\ few days later he passed away,
ard almost his last words were:
sarah if they want to be kind 70
yG} let EN- 90 ahead
There was kindness from every d.
rectiOn, from contributions to pay
III" funeral expenses 10 groceries and
provisions sent in for the widows
aGstenance. After about month had
elapsed Deacon Harrison received a
letter asking him TO call at the law
Office of the attorney who had the
dead mans papers. When the good
man came strolling in, only mi dly
curious as to why he had been sum.
moned, he was greeted with:
"Of course it won't take place for
a year, but allow me to congratulate
yo,. in advance"
What dye mean?" asked the dea.
con.
Your marriage with the Widow
Bushwick."
Shoe. What We joking about?"
Only this"
The paper he had signed for Jim
Bushwick was handed him. Hehad sign.
ed without reading, and now behold:
Il not only promise to be kind to
James Bushwick's wife after she be.
comes his widow, but to marry her
one year after his death"
by thunder" exclaimed the dea.
con as he danced around.
"No better evidence wanted In a
breach-of-promise case" quietly re-
piled the lawyer.
"She can sue and be hanged"
Better settle for a couple OF hun
dred. deacon. and carry of your pa
per. 1t wouldn't sound we'll to
have people saying that you had
your second wife picked out while
her husband was alive"
The deacon hung off for q week
and then came down. One BY one
the others followed suit. Each one
was financially we'll able to do so.
money contributed by your good
friends. and nothing is to be said
about IT," remarked the lawyer tc
the widow as he handed her $3.50 oil
the thousand.
To this day she has no other ides
about it. Now and then some one
says something about Jim Bushwick's
laziness In Deacon Harrison's hearing
and he turns and replies:
"Why. there wasn't q lazy bone In
his whole carcass! He made more
clean money in the last two week!
Of his life than did in the hull year!
i va drnk hls,, ho Ala,