Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-05-06
HUNTING THE EGGS.
BY Lawrence Alfred Clay.
Copyright. 1914, by the Mcclure News

Inns law is held to more strictly in the
country thar in the city. In social cir
cles in the city a woman is expected to
Ne at least three years about her age. In
tne villages or farming communities there
Is a diary in Utmost every house, and it
IS recorded in that diary when a child is
porh TO any family. Had Gertrude Ham
mona claimed to be "A years old, and not
u minute older. Il dozen diaries would ave
ana a dozen women would have snlacked
thelr lips with satisfaction over the entries
Gator.
Yes. 1T was 81 Years. but why was Miss
Gertrude an old maid yet? Various wom-
en- assigned various reasons, but the real
reason was that the right man hadn't
come along Yet. The young woman was
no beauty, but neither was she homely.
.ihey say she is waiting for something
os.ter man our men around here
snapped old Mrs. Rober to a neighbor as
me subject was under discussion. We'll,
let her wait and see how she will come
OUT. lt the men around here are good
enough for others they are good enough
for Gertrude Hammond, and She has been
told so, too"
Yes. She has, and | was the one that
And what did she say
Not a word
Good | nave a cousin who could have
married twice, but she stuck up her nose
at the offers received, and the first thing
she knew she was 10 years old and no man
wanted her.
es. and that will he the way with
Gertrude. | understand that Robert Hill
Ton, who works III the sawmill for $50 a
month and board, got kinda stuck on her
and called there three times"
is II poSSible"'
Yes. and eacn time she held the cat
on her lap"
She did?"
Yes, and all she said was to ask him
IT IT. wasn't funny that while he couldn't
see In the dark u cat ould.
And he didn't have "A chance to tell her
that he loved herr
Not a living chance"
Well. she'll pay for being so mighty
particular
dc you know where she is going now
asked old Mrs. Rober after a silence.
To pass three or four days with Mrs.
Iaylor-she that was Helen Biakely be-
fore she was married.
Gone to separate husband and wife %
Old maids are always at it,"
And 1T viii be a burning shame II she
makes any trouble there. Say, Auntie."
You know that awful homely tin pedd-
Ter called Pretty SAM
Yes. He always stops here when he
comes along"
last five years, but is so Internally homely
that no one will nave him"
II guess that's So
II know he's III the village, and he'll
llkely call here. Let's send him out to
,Taylor's and tell him that Gertrude is
LOOKING lOr a husband.
.We,ll do 1T. ltll make her boil over.
but what do we care? She ought to be
made to understand what folks think OF
her ways"
The homely peddler called. Yes. he
wanted a wife. Yes, he would marry an
old maid. Yes. he would drive out to Tay-
lor's and pop the question before he had
was not a man that could be bluffed.
Man proposes, but his plans sometimes
wobble. The peddler arrived at T'aylor's
the barn looking for eggs. A hen layeth
where she listeth. If she listeth to fly up
in the haymow and drop the egg there 1t
means THAI the hunter must climb the lad
der after 1t.
The old maid heard a cackling from
above as she reached the barn. That was
the sign that there was a least one egg
up there. Fourteen feet up to that cackle.
and the ladder was perpendicular. Some
climbing for an old maid. She took a
look from all che doors and then went up
while The cackIing hen went down.
Yes, there was the egg. The hen had
not shirked her duty, though she might
have laid one with a double yolk. while
she was about 1t. Hens may come to see
this in time.
Looking up a ladder and looking down
one are two different points of view.
When Miss Gertrude was ready to descend
She found herself trembling and appre-
hensive. 1T made her head swim to look
down She put ont a foot and drew back
With a shudder; IT was just then that the
ItuOIc clllcTsl tfc bdiIl n SEARCH % IcI.
"On, I'm so glad.' exclaimed the prison
err at sight OF him.
Som !, b'gosh," he replied.
"Won't you go in and tell Mrs. Taylor
that I can't get down?'
After a bit. dear. So YOU was expect
ing me?'
why, no
Its just the same. j rave called to see
If you didn't want to get married"
Sir
There, there. don't be scarf. I want a
wife and you want a husband
How dare you."
And being that's so why can't we Sc,
the day and have it over with?
You go away at once or i will scream
for help
Mr.. John Pearsall. the bachelor mer.
chant at Yorkville. was driving across the
country with horse and buggy. In from
OF Taylor's q wheel came off Of the We
hicle. and he entered the house In search
of tools to make repairs.
Why. certainly" answered Mrs. Tay
lor. John keeps the tool box In an empt,
stall at the barn.
Mr.. Pearsall entered the barn withou'
being told of Miss Gertrude or the peddler
and arrived Just in time to hear the latte
say:
''If my rosebud don't quit her joshing
shall climb the ladder and demand a kis.
70 r pay"
Mr.. Fearsall knew both the woman tina
was up and the man that was down. II,
didn't understand the situation. but wa,
enlightened when she that was up calles
out, Wont you please throw that ped
dler man out of the barn."
Certainly. I will"
"Here-whatcher doing?" protested tn,
victim.
Take yourself off"
"But ! want to marry her
Not If he was the last man on earth.
Then you skip
You can come down now said tn,
merchant as he went hunting for the too
box.
but I'm afraid"
In due time. which was slow time. Mis-
Gertrude found herself standing on tn
solid floor. without The lone egg havin;
ever been cracked. When she had poure
out her thanks what could the poor gin
do but offer her aid to repair the broke,
buggy? This showed thoughtfulness am