The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-09

take it, = va ~ '-.' :
The vegetables were delivered two
" tn1ee Gays later, and when Ezra
was ready to start for home. the widow
saao' something kept telling me all
Gay yesterday that you'd be here to-
for yOu'
Mighty fine woms NJ" said the farm
er. as ms horse logged along.
Zen minutes later farmer whom he
knew hailed him with: Say. when is it
comm off?'
"What?'
The marriage betwixt you and the
Widder Schermerhorn?
II 8 all mOOnshine.''
Ezra was scared. and as he worked
ne Kept his eyes ON the highway. Three
days later he saw familiar figure
coming and he dropped his hoe and ran
Tor the barn and hid in haymow. Fiji
Teen minutes had passed. and he had
begun to breathe easier. when there
was step on the barn floor and q
voice came UP to him:
"Oh. Mr.. Hamilton saw you rum
ming. Was 1t a snake after your
No reply
Don't tell me you are bitten and
have come here to diet"
He didn't tell her.
where can that man be? ?" he heard
her asking of herself, as she walked
around. Il certainly saw him enter
this barn. and he must be here. He
may be up on the NOW. and dying or
dead! will climb up and see!"
who is 1t down there?" called the
man on the hay.
"Oh. Ezra. then snake didn't bite
you"
He came down with a mighty sober
look on his face, and she explained
that she was on her way up to Smiths
when she saw him running across the
fields and felt it her duty to find out
why he ran. It took him half an hour
to move her along. and as she went he
muttere: by hockey. can that widow
be wanting to get married? It may
be just neighborly kindness. but
dunno dunno!''
That evening as he was roofing up
some burdocks at the gate farmer
passed and gave him greeting.
oh. you poor victim ?" he cried.
What do you mean?"
When they camp on a mans trail
he is a goner!"
Ezra stared after him, and then sat
widow Schermerhorn on his trail:
Was she going to camp there until he
gave in? Did she have matrimOny in
view. or was it sympathy for a poor
man who had to make his own bed,
and who always got the foot higher
than the head? He thought and
thought. but the question had not been
settled in his mind when he went to
bed. He hoped. however, that she
would not come again.
And she didn't-till the afternoon
of the fourth day. Ezra was in the
field cutting corn when he heard a
scream from the house. He started
on the run at once. What he discov-
cred was a woman caught by her skirt
in his gate, and a hog standing by
looking at her. 1t was the widow
Schermerhorn.
II was on my way up to Smiths"
she explained, when 1 thought 1
would just drop in and tidy up bit.
I got caught in the gate, as you see,
and was afraid that hog would eat me
alive"
'Widder," said ezra as he set her
free and threw a stone at the hog,
you hadn't best stop here again.
asked.
Tin afraid-folks will talk
F-why@why. fHa4 you a aSs after met"
replied the poor man. ~ sfo5
What! What: They would say that
am after your,
Il am afraid so,''
well. you needn't be afraid any
respect you. but wouldn't marry
you If you were the last man on earth.
shall not come again. Good after
noon.''
Ezra lost his breath for five min
utes. and when he returned to the
and think and think until the cows
told him that it was milking time.
And what was the result? Why,
Ezra Hamilton found himself in love
with the widow SchermerhOrn, and
she made him run after her and do
she said yes.-(Copyright 1914, by the
Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)