The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-05-12
The Eues,ine Story

/ The Eoeni',s Story
i Hnayhock Dip1nmady.
(By Lawrence Alfred C1Ay.)
Her name Was Jane 9chemerhorns
land she was ~ years old.
She wasn't homely enough to. stop
ia clock, and she wasn't 20 pretty -
to have any odes composed for her
Element and loft on the doorsteps-
People often wonder why such and
such an old maid didn't set married
in her younger days There arc sew
eral answers to that. but the main
lone IL that there are plenty Of COM
munities where the supply Of men 4
not large enough to go round. and
some poor girl must be left out
perhaps half dozen OF them. Sarah
lSchemerhorn was one OF the left
outs or left-overs. She had good
Ihome with q brother and tried to be
q phiIosopher and had about resigned
herself to the situation when . cousin
made his arrival for visit.
| This cousin was not only q man.
but an old bachelor-one of the last
in the bag expected to give advice ON
| love and matrimony. He hadn't been
said:
Sarah. you are the only old maid
lamong the Schemefhorns for hum
dred years past"
| But It isn't my fault"
Mot up to this date. perhaps"
What do you mean?"
| Is there an old bach around here
who would make a good husband?'
| And what II there is?''
| Pm going to help you to marry
him."
| Don't talk like a goose. Stephen
This - very serious talk on my
part. What IL tho name Of the man
you have in mind?'
Il have no ono in mind. but there
ID q bachelor who has a fruit farm
just out Of the village His name II
Foster"
..1'1l go and look him over"
why, couoin!"
BE back in an hour. Time enough
has been lost already"
/ The cousin was back within the
hour and reported:
That man Foster IL all right"
How all right?"
IAN right about making you q good
husband. He's steady. solid man.
and one who would appreciate q good
wife and q home"
Cousin. you are talking very
queer"
Nothing queer about it. You are
good girl and ought to have q good
he knows he would be far happier
with q wife, -
There's no butts about it. You
have met him. Has he ever called
here?"
mo-"
Then he has got something COM
ing to him. I will arrange It 90 that
he will CALI
You will do nothing Of the kind.
sir! Do you imagine am going to
throw myself at any mans head!"
Gently. cousin Sarah. Nature in
tended that every man and woman
should marry. There is q destiny you
must obey, and sometimes one needs
to ring in a trick or two In obeying.
Why haven't got married."
TOO tickle, probably
Nothing Of the kind. It's because
I've always been scarf at the idea of
popping the question. If the right kind
OF a woman had schemed . little she'd
have caught me long ago"
How schemed?" was asked.
why, found q way Of limiting that
could come counting. and while
courted she could have Dragged what
a pie maker she was, and boasted that
she made her own dresses and all that.
There IL love and matrimony, but after
one nae Io0C0oQ the 380 OF 20 No
wants to be hanGled automatically. In
stead Of calling it running after q man.
you want to refer to it as encouraging
a man to run after you."
You have queer ideas!" laughed the
old maid; but tho next two hours were
thoughtful ones.
On the next afternoon cousin Stephen
said to her:
'Get ON your things. Sarah. and take
q little stroll with me- saw some
thing yesterday that want to inves-
tig1te q little closer"
Az they reached the street they
turned in the direction Of the Foster
farm and after walking for twenty
minutes Miss Sarah halted.
'Why--why. what are we going this
way for?'
40 see Fosters hollyhocks.''
Come right along. cousin. He has
white and red and blue hollyhocks.
and yesterday thought saw some
black ones among them"
but you couldn't have"
But want to make SURF A florist
in Boston has advertised reward of
81 900 for q speciment OF black holly
hook. If Foster has got tn. m and
hasn't seen the advertisement, then I'll
I'm wait here at the gate. said the
old maid.
She was left there while Stephen
went around back Of the house and
hunted up his fellow bachelor.
hooks yesterday"
Mighty fine ones"
Good ar the average. I guess"
q young lady-Miss Schemerhorn, my
cousin. Shes very fond Of hollyhocks.
but she's . little shy and stopped ut
the gate. Go down and invite her to