The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-07-07
The Eoe.,lng Story


e'C~AA
reaveo only q couple of years. aad
some seven or eight. Some Of them
had a. many a. ffve children. ana some
none at all.
WAS situated ]. 100 feet above the level
OF the sea. and II q stranger asked
what Of that he found some one to
snswer:
What of that? why. you lunkhead.
can't you figure 1t out that we are safe
from whales?''
The town also Dragged of having the
highest church steeple in the county.
Now ana then an irreverent peddler
would Bquint upsat 1t and ask the OBJ
ject.
"Object? Object? what's the OBJ
ject in a cows having tail?"
But the case are not alike"
Well. there's huckleberry marsh
six miles to the west
Lots of people go there after ber-
ries.''
II see."
lost
"And you have to make up search
ing parties and find 'em?'
Nothing OF the sort. They look for
that steeple: and there she is, and they
find themselves"
"Oh. thought it had to do with re-
ligion." the peddler would muse.
w SAas uOA Ue 80 OAEueO SIuAEt HcAt
time! 1 don't say there hain't some
religion under that spire. but where
there Is so much spire it's got to shave
things down somewhere"
There were two or three other things
the town Dragged of, but its big boast
md a seat on a salt barrel in front OF
a grocery, get out his tackknffe and as
he Whitfield away would open out with:
But when you come down to wild
ders-yum: yum! If this town of st.
Clair hasn't got 'em then no town has.
Six OF the Incest, cosiest. finest, hand
soonest wfdders . in all these United
States. and it hain't braggin' a bit
when I say so. Yes, sir, six of EN-
six. and every one a prize package!
Why, widowers and old bachs have
come here from as far west as Kan
sas!'
There was more to his rhapsody, but
this much is given to show the public
feeling toward the widows. And yet
they had fall, It began to be gossiped
about that the whole six were after
Deacon Bradshaw. who was the most
eligible widower in the county. and
| there was 30 much talk about it, and
| 1t looked so much like sure case. that
the deacon's pastor sent for him.
| Deacon. it is reported that you are
| thinking of taking a second wife?"
kinder thinkin', parson."
And that it Is to be one Of the wild
ows in town?'' q
Yes. it'll be wilder If anybody
1T 10 being said that you are counting
the whole six at once
kinder courtin', parson. / want to
see which one can bake the best bread,
you know"
| But we can't have this gossip. 1t
may even break up the church."
But II six widdsIs run after me what.
T. no ci~ vx.id RI
some advice, and the deacon withdrew
! from the matrimonial market. Further
the six got together and agreed that
they had been rather foolish. but that it
shouldn't happen again. It was not
likely to, anyway, as there was no one
IN town to take the place vacated by
| the deacon.
I One of the six was the widow of a
lawyer. They had been married up
ward OF twenty years when he departed,
and she had learned something about
law in that time. It was she that pro-
posed widows combine. 1t wasn't to
be a trust, but a combination. 1t was
she. also, who drew up a paper reading:
I we, whose names are attached to
| this paper, hereby solemnly promise and
agree not to engage ourselves nor be
married for a period Of five years."
What is the object?" was asked by a
| widow, who would be fifty-six when the
time was out.
ITO prevent rivalry and gossip"
/ But suppose man came along
| and"
/ Yes. man came along and began
to pay you sttentions?"
And we all butter in, the same as
We did on the deacon-where would
you be?'
'-see"
But. on second thought, I think it
ought to have a proviso. 1t may not be
i fair to cut us or altogether We can
put in a proviso to read: SHOULD any
signer's life be saved by a man, and
should ne fall in love with her, she can
marry without injury to the rest of
i us!' :"
The proviso was adopted with great
avidlty. as every widow had ffer little
scneme for having her life saved
mrs Haskins was the first one to try
1t. She really cared for Deacon Brad
shaw, and she believed he did for her
Inc deacon rented a five-acre field
bordering on the river on the outskirts
of the town and raised potatoes. He
was hard at work there one day when
screams from a woman pushed the old
straw hat off his head. They came
rom the river. They came from q
woman hanging to a log.
iii be hanged II some gal hain't
drownding: exclaimed the good man
as he threw down his hoe and started
on q run.
1 "Oh deacon. I'm drowning." walled
MRS. Haskins as he appeared on the
bank.
J. No you hain't neither" he shouted
BACK. The water there hain't more
tnree feet deep. and would hardly
drown q cat!''
"Oh. save me. Save mel"
Snet up yellin' SOS you can be
heard all over the county! Now then
stand up and walk QUIT"
deacon, you have saved my lffe!''
said the woman, as she reached the
shore and stood before him, dripping
} like wet rag.