The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-01-27

NOT A BAD match
By DON IA GRANGE.


lage Of Wharton. six miles away. He
was hitching up his horse and buggy
when Mrs. Hannah Savage came to
the house to say:
Deacon. they say you are going to
drive over to Wharton today?'
Yes. am" was the reply.
Got a load?"
"Only jug to be filled with ile."
You know my sister Sarah lives
over there"
Yes, guess she do, though | hain't
much of hand to keep track Of
folks sisters"
We'll, Sarah's got baby a year
old, and she writes me that 1t can't
walk yet Something seems to be the
matter with his knees or back"
1T sure orter be walkin' at year
old. They say wasn't quite ten
months old when l could trot right
out doors. Do you want to send any
word to SARAH"
Il want to drive over and back with
Eyou."
All right. You be ready in fifteen
minutes. Guess the old mare can take
US both and not git tuckered out"
Deacon Pennybone was widover.
Hannah Savage was a widow.
They had both lived In Delhi for
years, and both belonged to the same
church. but gossip had never even
hinted a marriage between them. It
had never hinted that either one Of
them would marry again.
The drive to Wharton was made.
The deacon went to get his jug filed
with oil. and the widow to see her
sister and the baby The baby was
walking all right. The next day after
its mother had written about It's walk
less condition it had got choked on
Z spool Of thread and been shook and
dangled head downwards with vigor-
ous hand! Ten minutes later It was
taking its first steps.
The drive out and back was pleas.
ant. The widower and widow talked
about the new spire for the meeting
house that was going to be erected
the death of Silas Whites cow-the
plentitude of potato-bugs--the success
of the late Sunday school picnic and
even the best way of killing OF bur.
docks so they would stay killed. but
not a word nor hint Of anything
closer, They were just neighbors. II
the subject of the heather Of Africa
had been brought up they might have
discussed it for miles to the exclu.
sion of all else
The deacons sister was his house
keeper. She was a sour-faced old
maid with sharp tongue, and when
her brother got back home she felt II
her duty to say something. She there
fore remarked:
II suppose the match was at least
half-made today?"
What match?" asked the deacon.
She's been trying to catch q man
for the last five years"
Ruth, who you .alkin' about?"
why, the widow Savage"
Whats wrong with herr"
Shed like to change her name tc
Pennybonn!'
Say, now" replied the deacon al
he fired up, you quit talkin' that way!
She haint the slightest idea Of it. II
she has haint."
"All widders want to marry again,
said the sister
Then let EN- marry, but none ol
'em will marry mel"
When the widow Savage got home
Mrs.. Goodhue, "a neghbor. dropped In
to ask about the baby over at Whar
ton that couldn't walk She was given
full information. and then she re
marked:
Lots of folks thought it funny"
What was?"
| "'Your riding over there with Dea
con Pennybone."
But | don't see anything funny
about that"
We'll. you hadn't been gone half ar
hour when the story was around that
you and the deacon had gone away
to get married"
Upon my soul! The deacon and
me get married! Why. he don't want
| mo and I don't want him ~ the
fool.killer would zone along he'd find
plenty to do in this town."
"Then-then-"
Then nothing"
What curious thing is human ma
ture! Here we're two people who
were neighbors and friends-nothine
more They hadn't thought of each
other once week. unless happening
to meet. But now, because a sour.
tempered old maid and a gossipy
neighbor made few remarks they be.
gan thinking Of each other.
by gosh!' said the deacon to him
self as he sat down to milk the COW
that evening, the widder Savage
wouldn't be such a bad match II q
feller wanted to marry agin. She's
purity good lookin' when she's got her
Sunday duds on, and she can talk
like a streak and talk sense too, I've
heard she was savin' woman. and
had money in the bank
| And. os tho widow C.yooa oloo.a