The Irish standard., 1913-06-07
WINNING OF SARAH
Jonas Swift, the Hired Man,
Finally Won the Farmers
Pretty Daughter.
BY JUNE GAhAN.


j. -. ~, BY JUNE GAhAN.
Jonas. let's rest our backs . few
minutes" said farmer Jackson to hia
hired man one fall day az they dug
potatoes in the field.
Jonas Swift, the hired man, had
been working for farmer jackson for
four years and more. and this was the
arst time he had ever heard his boss
suggest moment's rest He therefore
stood leaning on his hoe and his
mouth open, when the farmer con.
tinued:
81 have got that little bill made
OUT.
"Bill, Btl."
=. YES. Sit down. think you will
find 1t all right. don't s'pose you
can pay It all today, but I'm willin' to
give you time. You can pay 1t on the
installment plan. the way folks buy
things In the city"
But don't owe you anything"
said Jones as he sat down.
"oh, yes. you do, as I shall soon
show you. You came here to work
about four years ago. didn't you?"
About that"
And three years ago you took .
shine to my gal Sarah Jane?"
yves. I foil in love with her."
But you haven't married her yet"
''Noap! When my grandmother dies
I'm to have 500. and that's what I'm
waitin' for"
But I've nothin' to do with that.
Folks that are not ready to marry
shouldn't 60 and fall in love-"
But Sarah. Jane .is so darned nice"
pleaded Jonas.
"And that makes your debt all tho
bigger. Jonas. up to and includin' last
night, you have set up and spanked
Sarah 9s4 nights. Is there any dis
put about that?"
II guess not" e.>
II think 1t is worth 50 per night to
spark good-looking girl. don't your
"Yes."
well, I have figured it that ways
1884 night at So per night is $685."
"And I'm to pay IT," almost shout
ed Jonas. So,
That's only the first item. Courtin'
comes high. Jonas. You have had
fire. light. cider. doughnuts and mince
pie. I shall put the value Of these
things at $780,"
Lord save me!"
Before you began sparkin' you al.
ways woke yourself up at s O'clock in
the morning. Not once did have to
call you. After you got to sparkin' l
had to turn out Of bed to call you, and
most every morning I had to threaten
to discharge you to get you out by 6.
I figure you have lost thousand
hours and rye put it down at $780,"
"Why, you never said anything be-
fore!" walled Jonas.
"Oh. was Just .waitin'. For the 9S4
times I have got out of bed to call you
I shall charge you 500, and that's dog.
cheap"
Another hundred"
"But for you Sarah would have been
married two years ago. The callers
would have come around fast enough
II you had been out of the way. We
must value on what she's lost-about
$4,000"
"My soul, but can't pay you in a
thousand years." exclaimed the hired
man as his teeth began to chatter.
1T will take quite that-quite that,
How much can you pay a week."
"A dollar mebbe."
We'll, I'll take that and I won't ask
you to pay anything after you have
reached the age sof ninety. No one
shall ever;have cause; to say that /
don't%llses my hired men right"
But about men Sarah getting mar
ried?" asked Jonas.
"Why, how in thunder can you get
married with debt Of several thou.
sand dollars hanging over you!"
That's so-that's so. Can go to
the house and tell sarah?"
why, yes. and you need not come
back. You can turn in and cut wood
till supper time"
Jonas went to the house and called
Sarah out to the woodpile and told
her what her father said.
"Why. he's meaner than pizen!" ex.
claimed the girl.
"But we can't do nothin'"
Eyes, we can. We can elope!"
"Gosh, but he'd foller u.s.
"Then we can walk over to 'Squar'
Johnson's this evening"
But what we goin' to do about that
awful debt?"
ut hain't no debt. Father couldn't
collect cent II he sued you hun
dred times over"
He's a hard man, Sarah. You orter
seen him sot his jaw when we was
talkin'."
"But can't you sot yours? Jonas
Swift you don't seem to have no
more grit than a grasshopper. 1
guess don't want to marry any such
mani"
With that Sarah Jane turned and
aounced into the house to be asked by
her mother:
What you and Jonas all excited
over?" -..