The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-01-23
...An...
Experiment
By DONALD CHAMBERLlN

I'D been plantin' corn all day, and
when l started for hum l met Martha
Hodges.
"Evenin', Mr.. Rogers" she said.
"On your way home. reckon. 1t
must be mighty pleasant to have such
. nice home as yours to go to after
q hard days work."
sit used to be 'slong as mother and
Anna lived. but now it's kind a lone
some. Besides. when a feller's tired
out he don't want to cook his supper
and wash Dishes"
why don't you git married? Then
you'd have some M to do your cook
in for you and wash the dishes and
take keer O. the house."
"Waal," I said, kind O. thinkin' out
loud. II don't know but that's a good
appear. Furst OF. a feller's got to
fnd the gal he wants. and to make it
4 60 she's got to want him. Then.
s'posin' it ia a 60. it's easy and cheap
enough to git married: you kin git a
parson to do the job for whatever you
like to pay. Now, ] can't hitch two
critters together and expect 'em to
travel easy. Furst off. II on 'em II
plunge for'ard. and t'other II hang
back. Then one on EN- III balk when
the other is sot down to n stiddy gait.
That's the way it is when two pus-
sons begin to travel the matrimonial
road together. And. s'posin' that in
stead of gcttin' used to the same kind
O goin' they git u and wuss. what
you goin' to do then!"
"Oh. Mr.. Rogers" says Martha.
you're a pessimist. and the wust kind
of a one"
II don't know what that Is. but l
do know that gittin' married is like
buyin' n pig in a poke. You kin see
the gal plain enough on the outside.
but you don't know what she is on
the inside. She may he white as
snow on the surface. and not two
inches down she may be a smolderin'
fire. ready to burst mi ut any mo-
ment."
"I'l tell you what I'll do with You.
Reckon yon don't want me. and I'm
not hankerin' to git married. You kin
experiment on me If yon like. and If
you don't find out at the end o sf1
months that I'm what you took me
for in the beginnin' III agree with you
that wimmen is mighty deceptive"
well now. that's Accommodate. |
declare" ! says to her. when shall
begin?"
"Whenevpr you like" |
It'll commence tonight. when I've
had supper and got the dishes washed"
"You needn't mind about the dishes.
Jest you let EN- alone tonight. To-
morrer when you're out to work I'll go
in and tidy up for you and do your
dishes. Where'l l find the door key?"
"Hangin' under the porch. left side
near the front"
She'd started On. and ! didn't say no
nor I went on hum. got my sup
per and TUX Martha Mt her word. leav-
in the dishes in the pan. About 8
o'clock I went over to her house and
found that she'd done her evenin'
chores and was a-sittin' before a blaz-
in fire. darnin' stockin's. thanked
her for the offer she'd made me and
told her when she'd convinced me
that wimmen was jest as amiable as
they looked I'd like for her to put :.
me onter a nice gal that I could ex-
pertinent on. with a view to marriage.
She said she would If she could hit on
the right gal.
I spent a couple of hours with Mar
tina. toppin' OF with some cakes and
cider she brought out The next day.
when I went home at noon. I found
the dishes washed. the pots and ket-
ties shinin' like lookin' glasses and
everything spick and span. By
crackey, I hardly knowed the place.
That was Saturday. and thort
oughter 60 over the same evenin' and
thank Martha. I did 20. and she |,
said that for a few weeks she'd clean
mp for me every Saturday.
After that every Saturday mornin'
Martha put everything to rights. and
l dropped in to thank her Saturday
cvenin'. She said she'd do It for al
few weeks, but the few weeks growed