Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-01-21
TITS a wonder you folks didn't stir

tits a wonder you folks didn't stir
me up"
$50 'tis-so tits. We talked Of it
many times, but We knowed that II
we put on the tar and feathers you'd
be too alfred lazy to scrape 'em
of, and your wife would have the
Job"
That's right. She is good, Cyrus"
None better"
"And that brings me to what !
want to ask. She won't have dol
lar after I'm gone"
"Of course she won't"
She'll have to depend on the kind
ness of the neighbors."
| "She will"
Cyrus, you don't belong to any
church, but you believe in heaven,
don't you?"
Eyes, kinder"
You'd like to feel that I was look
Ing down on you and acting as your
guardian angel, wouldn't your
IF you are going to keep up your
laziness-"
But I'm not, Cyrus-Im going to
hustle. I'll do all that ] can for you
If you'll sign this paper"
What is IT."
| Just promise to be kind to, and
that you will look after, Sarah. We
shall both feel great deal better Il
you will"
The caller looked upon II - . dy-
Ing mans whim, and signed. When
ready to 60 he said:
II hope you will get hustle on You
up there, jim"
Then three more widowers and one
old bachelor got the word to call
and in the course of three days the
business was wound up. Then .
lawyer was sent for, the signed pa
pers handed over to him, and .
great calm fell upon the dying man
He smiled every few minutes, and
made no understandable explanations
regarding what he had been W to
A few days later he passed away.
and almost his last words were:
Sarah, If they want to be kind to
you, let 'em 90 ahead"
There was kindness from every d.
rection, from contributions to pay
the funeral expenses to groceries ana
provisions sent In for the widows
sustenance. After about q month had
elapsed Deacon Harrison received
letter asking him to call at the Law
Office of the attorney who had the
dead mans papers. When the good
man came strolling in, only mildly
curious as to why he had been sum.
| moned, he was greeted with:
| "Of course it won't take place foo
q year, but allow me to congratulate
you in advance"
What dye mean?" asked the dea-
con.
your marriage with the Widow
Bushwick."
"shoo! What ye joking abont?''
"Only this
The paper he had signed for Jim
Bushwick was handed him Hehad sign
ed without reading, and now behold:
Il not only promise to be hind e
James Bushwick's wife after she be-
comes his widow, but to marry her
one year after his death"
| by thunder" exclaimed the deAr
con as he danced around.
mo better evidence wanted In .
breach-of-promise case" quietly ~
piled the lawyer
"She can sue and be hanged"
| Better settle for couple Of hun
dred, deacon, and carry OF your pa
per. 1t wouldn't sound well to
have people saying that you had
your second wife picked out while
her husband was alive"
The deacon hung on for week
and then came down. One by one
the others followed suit. Each one
was financially well able to do 30
Money contributed by your good
friends, and nothing is to be said
about It," remarked the lawyer to
the widow as he handed her $3.50 a
the thousand.
To this day she has no other idea
about 1t. Now and then some one
says something about Jim BushwickS
laziness in Deacon Harrison's hearing.
and he turns and replies:
| "Why. there wasn't q lazy bone In
his whole carcass! He made more
clean money In the last two weeks
Of his life than did IN the hull yeart
Yes, drat him, he did,"