The Caucasian., 1913-10-16
THE ROMANCE Of
FARMER DALE
Lost Faith In WOmankind and
Then Regained 1t.

prised to see no woman about, all the
work being done by the owner Of the
place, Ezra Dale. After supper | light
ed a pipe and sat on the porch smok-
ing Dale came and sat beside me-
You have finished your evening
chores early" l said. When my wife
is without servant she never gets the
dishes washed before o'clock.
"Waal. you see, l don't do it that
away. I wash dishes oncet week"
Don't you think a wife would be
handy? She could do your mending."
Don't need no wife. l got needles
an thread an buttons"
"Wheres your thimble?" asked.
Don't need no thimble."
Did you never have love AFFAIR.""
Yes. oncet. 1t was when l was q
young feller-very young an very
green. l used ter look on gal as
heather would look on sacred image.
There was little one livin' across the
creek, Farmer Owens daughter Daisy.
Furty? Ye bet, an gentle as kitten.
She TUX shine to me. was a fair
lookin' young feller then. straight an
slim an light on my feet. One evenin'
l was a-passin' Farmer Owens. an
Daisy come runnin' out with her finger
a-bleedin' an asked me to tie it up fur
her I had ter git her arm under mine
somehow an hold on ter her hand an
wrap the linen strip an wind the
lDk ~ oil ut ~
same time. While was a-doin' of it
her hair got ag'in my cheek. an'-waal.
lost my head an. turnin', put an arm
around her an kissed her.
DO We know. stranger. I've since
made up my mind she done 1t all a-pur-
pose. l b'lieve she cut her finger on
tentionally. l tell ye, women folks Is
tricky"
II think that was very nice fem
mime way of catching your attention"
| I remarked Go on."
That's jist what l did do. I went
on from day ter day. week ter week.
| till it seemed ter me If anything hap
pened between me an that gal Id COL
lapse Somethin' did happen. Farmer
| Owens TUX farm ham fur the hayin'.
an what did Daisy do but take him
out in her buggy that her father bought
fur her at Christmas an drive right
by that house a-purpose ter show him
off ter me- l tell ye. stranger. she
bad the wickedest eye in her ye ever
see.'
Another feminine trait" observed.
Miss Daisy was evidently woman
"She was a woman. stranger, an the
worst kind Of a one," Dale went on
/ lugubriously. She broke me all up.
list rented this farm an went away.
l didn't come back fur ten years. Then
/ made up my mind that women folks
wasn't wuth worryin' about. an l TUX
my farm ag'in an began ter work it.
The fust time l went by Farmer
Owens Daisy come out-she had
grown ter be a fine looktn' young wo-
man Of twenty-six-an' what do ye
suppose she did?"
Il can't imagine"
ASKED me if wouldn't tie up a cut
finger. She had the same wicked look
in her eye she had when she drove that
lopsided farm han by my house ten
years afore Women is the persistent
est critters l ever see. jist squared
off an said: 'Ye don't git me that
away ag'in. Ye done it oncet. an
that's enough But. do ye know. stran-
ger, she was so slick about it that in
FIVE minutes l had my arm about her
an she was a-restin' her head on my
shoulders She was a-cryin'. too-crytn'
crockerdile tears. no doubt.
"Waal. we was engaged, but 1t didn't t
las long. The question come up as
ter whether we'd be married by JUS
tice or a parson. l don't like parsons
myself. an wanted justice. Daisy
wanted a parson. an she was so blame
set about it that 1 reckoned If she was
as obstinate about small matter like
that she'd be wantin' ter run the farm.
so called the thing of. an I've been
Twin alone here ever since"
"Mr. Dale" l said. you have mis-
taken natural feminine traits for gen.
eral cussedness."
That's what they is. tell ye. stran.
ger. Ye don't understand"
| You have declined to give up that
which to a woman is a great deal.
while to you it is nothing. Miss Owens
was right to insist on being married
by parson. and you were ungenerous
to refuse her. Now. let me give you a
bit of advice. Miss Owens Is still
single? Yes. Well. 80 to her and tell
her that when you first met her you
were blundering idiot and that later
you were an obstinate brute. Say that
if she will overlook your past errors
you will spend your life in doing
penance."
why. stranger. If l was ter do that
I'd never have any own way about
anything afterward."
1T is the only way to have your
own way about everything with wo-
man. Toss it all into her hands. and
she'll toss it right back to you. More
than that. she'll expect you to lead.
and il you don't lead she'll not respect
| vou