The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1913-01-23
When Things
Humned
After the Ball Was Started
II Rolled Rapidly.
BY AMY HARRIS.

ing to hum"
1t was Aunt Judith Wellman who |
spoke. She had arrived from Indians
for a visit with her sister in Michigan,
and the pair had been talking for the |
last hour on the veranda, while Farmer |
Henderson was doing up the chores at
the barn.
what do you mean, JudithT was
asked
81 mean several things. l mean that
I have never heard of a case like It,
Your Minnie has been old enough TO
marry for these last three years, ano
you've let feller dawdle around here
end make sleeps eyes at her and keep
all other fellers away and yet hasn't
asked her to be his, and may be three
more years doing it. l call it mean
shame. When | say that things are
going to hum | mean that somebody
has got to toe the mark mighty soon or
get out. You and Elisha ought to have
put your foot down long ago"
You wouldn't do anything to embar'
rass Minnie?" pleaded the mother.
That's according. | guess the EN-
barrassment will all be on the other
side however. Embarrassment is all
right in girl, Hannah. but it shouldn't
he carried too far. Both of us were EN-
barrassed when we were girls, but we
weren't 50 much so as to kill our pros
pects Of getting married. We knew
-, ho long
enough. Has Minnie ever given this
chap jogT
Mercy, no"
Have you or Elisha ever given him
jog?'
"Neverv'
'"Then it remains for Judith Wellman
to do it, and she's right on deck, with
both elbows stuck out. 1t won't be
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. l don't be-
lieve in folks getting married within
week, and | don't believe in counting
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 chance
Minnie Henderson was twenty years
old and recognized belle for ten miles
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
vi NSNlOhC W OhAA6 ~
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 tC
Minnie, but now she changed about
and opened fire with:
"Well, / am astOnished! So that's
the feller that has been hanging
around here for half his lifetime an(
will probably die of old age on youl
fathers doorstep"
Il don't know what you mean by
hanging around,'" retOrted Minnie
with a blush and a toss of her head.
"Why, coming over here two or thre,
times week to talk about grasshop
pers and tater bugs. | am surprised
at you. What can you see in such ;
feller to encourage him? | suppose h
knows pumpkins from squashes, bu
I'll bet big apple that If you aske'
him when the pilgrim fathers lande'
he'd fall off the veranda. Minnie Hen
derson, IL you are the girl l take yo
to be you will send that feller packin
this very evening"
You misjudge him. aunty. He doe
not push himself forward. but
"Tve got eyes in my head" snappe
her aunt 1T never takes me over tiv
minutes to size up a man. Joel Dayi
is an it, He'll always be ten day
behind the Fourth of July. It's
wonder your father and mother hav
allowed it."
Minnie choked down sharp al
swer and went off to her room to or!
and Aunt Judith sauntered into til
kitchen to say to her sister:
There. now. I've got the thin
started. and you and Elisha have e
to turn in and help me. Minnie wi
cry and then get mad and then sc
Joel. and there'll be a wedding b.
fore you know it, Don't you weake
when the time comes"
Next day Joel came to the house
bring back bushel basket he ha
borrowed. Minnie was upstairs an
Aunt Judith hiding behind the doc
so it was left for Minnie's mother
say:
"Joel, I've been wanting to speak
you for some time. / don't think yO
ought to come here as often as yC
do"
"W-what!" gasped the lover as
turned very red.
"Your coming here so often keel
other young men away and does nj
give Minnie a fair chance. OF ,cOuri
she has no thought Of marrying yo
so 1t isn't right to waste her time @
you"
Joel stared with open mouth, but
save his neck he couldn't say wol