The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-02-17
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NOT A BAD MATCH
BY DON IA GRANGE.


bone, of the village of Delhi, found
II necessary to drive over to the vii
lage OF Wharton. six miles away. He
was hitching up his horse and buggy
when airs. Hannah Savage came to
the house to say:
ID, aeon, they say you are going to
drive over to Wharton today?''
Yes. am was the reply.
got a oad?"
On q jug to be filed with ile."
You know my sister Sarah lives
over there"
Yes, guess she do. though | hahn t
much of hand to keep track of
folks sisters"
We'll, Sarah's got a baby a year
old, and she writes me that it can t
walk yet. Something seems to be the
matter with his knees or back"
1t sure orter be walkin' at a year
old. They say l wasn't quite ten
months old when l could trot right
out doors. Do you want to send any
word to Sarah?"
I want to drive over and back with
you"
All right. You be ready in fifteen
minutes. Guess the old mare can take
us both and not git tuckered out"
Leacon Pennybone was a widower.
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
limited a marriage between them. 1t
had never limited 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 its walk
less condition it had got choked on
a spool of thread and been shook and
dangled head downwards with vlgor-
Gus 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
plent1tude of potato bugs-rhe success
of the late Sunday school picnic and
even the best way of killing off bur-
docks SO they would stay killed, but
not word nor a 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 deacon's sister was his house
keeper. She was a sour-faced old
maid with sharp tongue, and when
her brother got back home she felt it
her duty to say something. She there
fore remarked:
Il suppose the match was at least
half-made today?"
What match?" asked the deacon.
She's been trying to catch a man
for the last five years"
Ruth, who you talkin' about?"
why, the widow Savage"
Whats wrong with herr"
Shed like to change her name to
Pennybone!"
Say, now" replied the deacon as
he fired up, you quit talkin' that way!
She hain't the slightest idea of 1t. II
she has l hain't."
"All widders want to marry again"
said the sister.
Then let 'em marry. but none Of
'em will marry mel"
When the widow Savage got home
Mrs. Goodhue, neighbor, 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 l don't see anything funny
about that"
We'll, you hadn't been gone half an
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
me, and l don't want him. If the
fool-killer would come along he'd find
plenty to do in this town."
"Then-then-"
Then nothing!"
What a curious thing is human ma
ture! Here we're two people who
we're neighbors and friends-nothing
more. They hadn't thought of each
other once a week, unless happening
to meet But now, because a sour
tempered old maid and a cosby
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 wilder Savage
wouldn't be such bad match IL a
teller wanted to marry agin. She's
purity good lookin' when she's got her
Sunday buds on, and she can talk
like streak and talk sense too. I've
heard she was savin' woman, and
had money in the bank"
And as the widow Savage cleared
away her supper dishes she smiled
and mused:
so they thought the deacon AMI
me we're going to elope and get mar
ried! I'm! Guess he'd be the last
man I'd think of. though | will say
for him that he's good-tempered and
upright. He pays his debts and never
says anything mean of anybody. If
wanted to get married again, which
don't and the deacon wanted to get
married again. which he don't-why-
why"
1t is highly probable that the dea-
con did some more thinking, as In
about four weeks after that drive to
Wharton and back he called at the
house of his pastor and said:
Pastor, / know a wilder woman
in this town"
"Yes?" was replied.
She's a church member"
"Yes?"
She's darned nice woman!"
BE careful, deacon!"
I'm kinder thinkin' that as / am q
widower and she wilder we might
make a match
'Yes?"
She's purity well of, and I'm purity
well off, and-and-"
And what?"
why, I've come to ask you what
| you think about it."
| DO you love herr" asked the pas
| tor after silence
Cant say that thinking about her
has kept me awake nights
Have you courted herr"
Not a darned COURT"
! Deacon, must | caution you again