Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-04-25

summer hotel, and the young lady
who was to meet Caleb the next day,
and did meet him, was bored and want
ed diversion. She jolied him, and by
the time they had met four times she
had smashed his engagement to the
widow and learned the history of his
life. 1t wasn't understood in so many
words, but was strongly inferred by
Caleb, that in case he could get out of
his tangle with the widow he could be-
come the son-in-law of rich man in
the city. That meant the husband OF
an angel sitting beside him and eating
half-ripe, blackberries as fast as he
could pick them.
The widow had said she would keep
an eye on Caleb, and she didn't for
get. She was cognizant OF that f1irta-
ton in no time, and from Caleb's looks
and bearing she knew that he had been
hard hit and was wondering how to
break with her. She gave him rope
to see what he would do. The plan he
followed was proposed by the girl-fiirt,
who laughed for an hour after she left
him. The plan to checkmate him was
born in the widows own brain, and
was surrounded by grim smiles.
One evening, after Caleb had kept
UP his new and strange attitude for
a week or more, and after he had
hitched around in a nervous way for
many minutes, he said:
Cynthia, l was wrong about none
of my family ever having fits
"Yes?"
"We've all had EN-, the worst way"
81 see.'
And that amt the worst of it.
To
looms
you don't say?"
"And of course I'll be crazy sooner
or later"
Very likely!"
II think that's what ails me now
I'm going plumb crazy"
II guess you are"
And you don't want to marry a
crazy man, of course?"
mot under any circumstances. No,
couldn't do that, much as l might love
him."
Caleb did some grinning and chuck
ling. He had looked for row, and
the widow was taking the matter as
placidly as if it was of no account.
"Then-then-our engagement Is
OFF," he asked after long silence.
Not quite Caleb. l want to watch
you for two or three days and see If
you get worse. l am sorry for you, but
it may turn out all right"
But feel right now as if I wanted
to murder some one!"
We'll, must take chances of that"
That night as Caleb slept and
dreamed of his city angel two young
farmers entered his room and tied him
fast He awoke as they were removing
him to the smoke house, and in reply
to his demands and EXPLANATIONS the
widow soothingly said:
you see, you've gone crazy, dear
man, and we must restrain you bit.
but I'm not insane!"
"Oh yes, you are. They always say
that. There's nice bed of straw, and
water to drink and bread to eat, and
we hope you will get better in week
or two"
Caleb raised big rumpus over 1t,
but it did him no good. He was to
meet his angel at the blackberry patch
next afternoon, but he wasn't there.
She was, however, and SO was the wild
ow It was the angel who flew and
the widow who pursued. Before night
fell the hired man had decided that his
had never been insane. When ,
came again he had decided
that there was no lunacy about him,
and that he might live to ,be hundred
years old and never have fit. For
four days he plead and appealed, and
then he was brought out to find a
preacher and witnesses there. To his
looks of inquiry the widow explained:
Il couldn't marry a lunatic, but am
ready to wed one who has made a fool ,
Of himself once or twice."
where's that-that girl from the
city," he asked.
''Still running"
well, for fear she'll come back,
guess we'd better splice!"
And the last heard from him he was
Dragging that he had married the best
in the world. '