Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-05-17
The Sunday Story
Some
Breaches Of Promise
BY M. QUAD
Copyright. 1914. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

was the homeliest boy in any two
states in this Union. At twenty-one
he had the face Of baboon.
One day, after looking at him long
time, his father said to him:
Hiram. what in thunder is going to
become Of you anyhow"
"I'm thinking it over" was the reply.
After thinking things over for awhile
and having a very serious talk with q
fruit tree agent Hiram announced one
Monday morning that he had mapped
out a career for himself. and half an
hour later he drove away from the
farm with hired horse and buggy.
Within a radius of ten miles were
twenty-five widows. Fifteen had
been made such on one and the same
day by the falling Of highway bridge.
Not one of the women was poor, while
some had bank accounts. All had
seen Hiram Spooner several times
over. Hiram had prepared list, and
he began his calls according to card
system. AS he drove up to house no
wriggled out Of his buggy and wrig-
gled along to the door. and when it
was opened to him and he was invited
in he began:
widow Blank. / am trying to do
something to make living. Did you
| know that you can grow two crops Of
the Oklahoma cucumber"
mo. l never heard of It."
~ sent and got some OF the seeds.
Here they are. | shall charge you but
little more than for the ordinary seeds.
and you can have two crops in place
Of one"
well. will buy them to help you
along"
THAT is kind OF you. need money.
but there are times when ! fairly long
for word of sympathy"
II know you must. and for years I
have wanted to tell you how very, very
sorry 1 was and am. There is no one
In the world | pity as | do you. II
/ you have anything else to sell bring II
here"
Hiram had tears in his eyes as he
left the house. but before climbing
into his buggy he took out his mem
under the proper date.
1t took over thirty days for him to
get around to the last widow. but he
finished his business in good shape
Half dozen times his father had de
manded:
See here, boy, what kind of game
are you up to with the widows"
nj I1I
to propose to-" was always the reply.
Soon as the last widow had bought
some Oklahoma cucumber seeds to help
Hiram Spooher along with his laudable
ambitions and to raise a double croI
of cucumber pickles the first one call
ed on received a note from Hiram
1t stated that his heart had been deep
II ly touched by her kind words and, be
ing sure In his own mind that it was
case of love at first sight with bott
Of them. he had decided to accept hei
generous offer and hoped that 1t would
be no sacrifice on her part. At wha1
date should the wedding take place
Was the betrothai to be announced
at once or later on? What minister
did she prefer? How many and wha
guests should be invited?
| The widow read the note over tn,
first time with wonder. The secont
time she was amazed, and the thirt
she gasped out:
why. what can the crazy donke,
mean"
| The widow sat down and wrote I
note repudiating everything. even t.
the Oklahoma cucumber seeds. Thes,
seeds had been fed to the chickens jus
before the note was written.
II Hiram came back with writer
statement that she had deceived hin
and crushed his young and cripple,
heart She had led him to believe tina
she loved him. and in return he hat
given her all his affections. To b
thrown down now would be blow
that he could never get over. No mon
ey could ever heal his feelings, but sh
must requite him to an extent as
moral lesson to her not to fool wit
the hearts Of the male sex.
The negotiations consumed tw
weeks. and the widow paid over t
Hiram $500 rather than go into courl
His little game was worked on ever
single one Of the widows. From som
he got as much as $500 and from 9th
ers only a single hundred.
Not until tho very last did Hiram
father understand what he had bee
up to, and then he Indignantly Ell
claimed:
II orter to turn you outdoors or Sc
the law on you"
II But you won't 1t has long paine
me to see you working away on thi
stony old farm and not coming out 81
year ahead of the game"
And I've had useless son to snI
port" growled the father.
| But useless no longer. I hereby o.
fer you $1,000 for the old farm. an
you can be my hired man at $50
month and board for the next to