The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-09-19
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ~
! LINCOLN NO. z ]
The Case of Prue and the
GaWk of a Bean Pole
Lawyer.
BY GRANT LESTER.

I
farm just outside thriving town, and
had it been left to the wife there were
many promising speculations she would
have entered into. She was allowed to
boss things around the farm, but when
it came to outside matters the hus-
! band would take no risks. When his
death finally took place people looked
to see Aunt Betty, as she was called,
though only forty years old, carry out
some of her ideas and make things
hum. They were not disappointed.
She went into stra wberries and made
money; she went into the dairy bust
ness and made money; she went into
poultry and made money. 1t was said
that there were not half dozen men
in the county who had her business
sense. 49,
Aunt Betty had daughter nineteen
years old, by name Prue. Prue did not
run to business. She was simply a
sweet tempered and lovable girl, who
attended school in town in the winter
and helped about the homework in
summer. Up to the time of the IA
TIERS death the mother had not "suf-
fered aspirations" regarding Prue's fu-
ture. It was tacitiy understood that
she would marry some young farmer
and settle down to the humdrum life
But after the mother had become a
business woman there were other plans
for the girl. She was to be educated
in music and other arts and made a
lady of.
Just how Prue johnson and Darius
Livingstone first met is of no great
consequence He was twenty-five and
had graduated as lawyer and settled
in the town. He was a slab sided
young man, tall and angular and I'M
calmly. There were few people who
said that he might know more than he
showed, but the majority were Of the
opinion that he didn't know whether
potatoes grew in the ground or on
trees. If Prue held with the majority
it was rather singular that the young
lawyer should have come driving out
to the farm one June day to inquire
for her. She was upstairs at the
time, and it was her mother who re-
ceived him. At the first glance she
thought him the homeliest young man
she had ever seen. After the second
she took him for some peddler Of mu-
sic and went upstairs and said to Prue:
"There's bean pole downstairs ask
ing for you. I never saw such a gawk.
He says his name is Livingstone. He's
enough to scare setting hen off the
nest. Did you ever hear Of any such
feller?"
"Why. ma, he's lawyer in town.
and we have met three or four times"
replied Prue as her face flushed scar:
let.
"A lawyer-humph! If you was to
put club in his hand he wouldn't
know enough to pound sand. What's
he here for?"
'Why-why, he said he might call
some day. I don't see why you call
him homely. I've heard lots of folks
say that he reminded them of Abra-
ham Lincoln"
The mother shifted her contempt and
turned away. Prue went down and re-
ceived her caller, and. though Mrs.
Johnson was rather busy around the
house and yard, she saw and heard
enough to satisfy her that the young
man was interested" He remained
for an hour or so and then left, and
| while his back was yet in sight Prue
was properly warned.
II shall have to have a son-in-law
some day" added the mother. but
want one whose looks won't sour all
the milk and who knows a cabbage
head from an old gander. Lawyer!
Lawyer! Why, the poorest lawyer
we've got in town would make your
young man look. like bobtailed wood
chuck If they had a case in court"
Prue ran away without talking back.
and things quieted down for week.
Then the mother came home from
town one afternoon to blurt out:
do you know what l heard this aft
ernOon? At least half a dozen people
told me that you and that scarecrow
young lawyer were in love-"
"Oh. mammal
"Yo1 needn't oh, mamma! me. If
you've fallen in love with any such
man I'm ashamed of you. Why. that
red headed. cross eyed Sue Williams
wouldn't look ut him."
| I'VE are not in love-" stoutly pro-
| tested Prue. ..-.s
Then what are you looking SO red
for?" ...
''Because-because we are simply
friends. That is. he's awfully smart
when you come to talk with him. I've
been reading the life of Lincoln, and
it's wonderful how much alike they
are"
| Wonderful bosh! Abe Lincoln was
smarter'n whip as lawyer
"But Darius is going to be Il he ever
gets case
Ever gets case! I'd like to know
who'd trust him with case!'
: The young man called again in about
week, ostensibly to make inquiries
concerning the strawberry pest, ana,
while Mrs. Johnson didn't order him
Of the farm. she Eave him what shd
called a chilling reception. The fact
/