The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-09
The Euening Story

(By Clara Inez Deacon.

| Unconditional Surrender.
/ (By Clara Inez Deacon.)
| When Ezra Hamilton, farmer, lost
his wife by death he was f1fty-five
years old, and was left all alone. He
was a handy man in the kitchen. and
decided on doing his own Homework.
A good-natured man, Ezra was, and
he had the respect of all who knew
him.
| 1t is but natural, though very bad
| form, when a woman is left a widow
| or man a widower. for certain per-
sons to speculate on whether she or
he will take another partner. 1t is
| generally agreed that she or he will.
Why this agreement no one can tell.
| as most married couples wish they
hadn't done 1t.
In Ezra's case, however, an excep-
ton was made He had no children.
| his cooking had not given him indi-
gestiOn, he had conquered the knack
of ironing his Sunday shirt, and he
spent his evenings with book. He
would be, broken up should he marry
| again. Ezra himself as he sat with
a pitcher of cider at his right hand
and pan OF apples at his left, had
stopped his reading for a moment.
| Now this is what call solid old
| I,
need of a wife around here"
Man can plan, but fate can beat
him every time. In the village, a mile
away, lived the widow Schermerhorn.
She was fate. She had met the farm
er at church several times, before and
| the time he was musing over his cider
and apples she was musing over the
custard pie she was making.
Yes, Ezra Hamilton is a good man,
and I'm going to marry him. He
| doesn't know it, but surely ami"
| Ezra had been alone in the world
for six months when one afternoon
he came up from the field to cook his
supper and met with a great surprise.
The widow Schermerhorn stood at the
kitchen door.
| Dear me, but I thought 1 could
get away before you came up" she
said.
| Did you wish to see me?" he
| asked in surprise.
your supper is on the table, she
replied, with a laugh. as she ran
away.
Ezra halted inside the door and
looked around him and then ex-
claimed: We'll, by thunder!"
The widow had been working in
the house for three hours. 1t had
been swept and 1usted: every dish had
been washed and wiped; the kitchen
floor had been scrubbed; the supper
| had been cooked.
! by George. but she walked clear
/ up here to do this for mel" continued
the man as he sat down to the table
and poured his tea.
| 1t was the best tea he had had for
months-such tea as his wife used to
make.
But why did she do it? Why. I
hardly know herr
| And as he finished his first cup he
set it down and struck the table with
his fist and said: ''Um! Um! 1 see!
1 see! She's a wilder womanv
| Ezra had never studied the hearts
OF womankind. much less posted him
self on the antics of widows. He had
never heard of one of the latter hav-
ing designs on a man. They married
again. of course, but it was the man
who harnessed up his horses, threw
\ a bag of potatoes into the wagon and
drove five or six miles to say:
"Widder. 1 want you to try these
ere 'taters. They are the genuine
Early Rose. and will melt in your
mouth. And bein' I'm here. and bein'
I'm widower and you wilder. what
dye say to marriage?"
! NO, the Wilder Schermerhorn amt
back from the table. Some one told
her that 1 was all alone. and in the
kindness of her heart she came up
here to do all this for me. Fine wom-
i her some garden sass"
| Three or four days later, and be-
f0re he mad been to town yet, he was
working in a field near the highway
when he heard a woman's voice call
ing. He leaped over the fence to be-
hold the Widow Schermerhorn seated
F, on the grass in a played-out condi-
! ton.
What is it-what's the natter"
| "A snake ran across the road
ahead of me.' was gasped
They are mighty thick this year.
but they are harmless"
III 1 could rest in the shade a few
minutes I could go on up to Smiths"
ITO be sure. What an absent
minded critter 1 am! Come along to
the house. Take my arm and don't
try to walk too fast
They reached the shady porch and
he brought out chairs for them and
also some old cherry brandy for her.
1t was amazing how speedily she re-
covered. They talked and talked and
talked. Every five minutes she said
she must surely be going, but the
next five found her right there. 1t
was an hour before she took her de-
parture. and then she headed for
home instead of Smiths. Ezra, the
good man, escorted her as far as the
spot where the snake had been seen,
1 and then went back to his work
Fine w0man-hne woman he said
to himself. Rather afraid Of snakes.
!but guess they all are. Said she was