The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-07-17
When Things
Hummed
After the Ball Was Started
1t Rolled Rapidly.
BY AMY HARRIS.

NOW, then. Hannah, things are go
Ing to hum
1t was Aunt Judith Wellman wis
spoke. She had arrived from Indiani
for visit with her sister in Michigan
and the pair had been talking for tht
last hour on the veranda. while Farmel
Henderson was doing UP the chores II,
the barn.
What do you mean. Judith?" wat
asked
IL mean several things. ! mean tka:
l have never heard of case like it
Your Minnie has been Old enough tC
marry for these last three years. Huu
you've let a feller dawdIp around here
end make Sleeps eyes at her and keey
al other fellers away aud yet hasn't
asked her to be his. and may be three
more years doing il, call it mean
shame. When | say that things are
going to hum | mean that somebody
has got to toe the mark mighty soon oI
get out You and Elisha ought to have
pat your foot down long ago
You wouldn't do anything to embar
rass Minnic?" pleaded the mother.
That's according. guess the EN-.
barraSsment will all be on the other
side, however Embarrassment is all
right in Il girl, Hannah, but it shouldn't
be carried too far. Both of us We're en-
barrassed when we We're girls, but we
weren't so much so as to kill our pros.
poets Of getting married. We knew
when our beaus had hung around long
enough Has Minnie ever given this
chap a jog?"
Mercy. no."
Have you or Elisha ever given him
jog?"
Never
'Then it remains for Judith Wellman
to do it, and she's right on deck, with
both elbows stuck out. 1t won't be a
week before We'll know whether Joel
Davis means business or is just sitting
around like bump on log"
But you won't-won't"-
81 don't know what I'll do, except to
decide the case one way or other, and
you needn't ask questions. | don't be-
lieve in folks getting married within a
week. and | don't believe in courtine
for half lifetime. A fellow either
wants a girl or he don't. If he does
let him take her: If he don't let him shy
off and give some one else a chance"
Minnie Henderson was twenty years
IL l,I g., 4o,1 Inr
around. Everybody was agreed that
she would make somebody good wife
She had been keeping company" with
Joel Davis for nearly three years. Joel
was bachelor of twenty-seven, living
ON the next farm west He was steady
sober and industrious, and everybody
said that he would make some girl a
good husband. But Joel was also bash
full and retiring He was in love with
Minnie, to be sure, but that very fact
made him tremble in her presence. A
hundred times over in the last two
years he had resolved to propose. but
on each and every occasion his courage
had ooZed out of his fingers ends. He
felt that the time must and would
come, but whether it would take an
earthquake or a cyclone to bring it
about he wasn't sure.
1t was three days before Aunt Ju-
dith saw Joel. She liked his looks. and
that changed her plans somewhat. She
hadn't been going to say word to
Minnie. but now she changed about
and opened fire with:
"Well. | am astoniShCd! SO that's
the feller that has been hanging
around here for half his lifetime and
will probably die Of old age on your
fathers doOrstepw
II don't know what You mean by
hanging around" retorted Minnie,
with blush and Il toss of her head.
why. coming over here two or three
times a week to talk about graSshop-
pers and tater bugs. | am surprised
at you. What can you see in such Il
feller to encourage him? ! suppose he
knows pumpkins from squashes. but
I'll bet big apple that if you asked
him when the pilgrim fathers landed
he'd fall Off the veranda Minnie Hen,
derson, if you are the girl | take you
| to be you will send that feler packing
this very evening"
You misjudge him, aunty. He does
not push himself forward, but
1--WE got eyes in my head" snapped
her aunt. 1T never takes me over five
minutes to size up man. Joel Davis
is an it, He'll always be ten days
behind the. Fourth of July. It's 1
wonder your father and mother have
| allowed it,"
Minnie choked down a sharp an
swer and went off to her room to cry
and Aunt Judith sauntered into thu
kitchen to say to her sister:
"There. now. I've got the thing
started. and you and Elisha have go
to turn in and help me. Minnie will
cry and then get mad and then SCI
Joel. and there'll be wedding be
fore you know it. Don't you weaker
when the time comes"
Next day Joel came to the house t.
bring back bushel basket he haC
borrowed. Minnie was upstairs ant
Aunt Judith hiding behind the door
SO it was left for Minnie's mother t.
say:
"Joel. I've been wanting to speak Il
you for some time. don't think yoI
ought to come here as often as yol
do"
"W-what!" gasped the lover as h,
turned very red.
| "Your coming here so often keep