The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-05-21
Daily Short Story
HUNTING THE EGGS
% LAwRENcE ALFRED clAy

r,.i1 it~nAnio1o Vas an old
u Isn't written down in any eoos
OF euqcet'e that after a Ffrl ~,
pafsec ner twenfyssyonth birthda,
sne becomes an old maid. but hi i,
"a. iAN OF every community.
.his leS u heid 20 more strictly
IN NE country than In the city. m
social circles In the city a woman 4.
expected 10 lie AZ least three years
soOot her age In the villages or
iArnins communities there IL a dlary
IN Almost every house. and IL Il ~.
born 20 any family. Had certr,ds
hammond claimed 20 be "a years old
\ nnc not minute older. a dozen dlar.
les would have been dug out OF old
chests In the garnet. and a doEen
~omen would have smacked their
| Ips With satisfaction over the entries
that proved the young woman a pre-.
varicAtor
Yes. IL was % years. but why was
MIS- Gertrude an old maid yet,
They say she IL waiting for some.
4 toinE better than our men around
netghbor as the subject was under
discussion Well. let her wait and
see how she viii come out II the
men around here are good enough
for others they are good enough for
Gertrude Hammond. and she has
Il have cousin who could have
married twice. but she stuck up her
nose az the offers received. and the
FIRST thing she knew she was 45
\ years old and no man wanted herr
II Yes. and that will be the way with
/ Gertrude. I understand that Robert
Hilton. who works IN the sawmill for
$50 a month and board. got kinda
stuck on her and called there three
times"
And he didn't have a chance to tell
her that he loved herr"
do you know where she is going
now" asked old Mrs. Rober after a
silence
Nun"
To pass three or four days with
Mrs. Taylor-she that was Helen
Blakely before she was married"
Gone TO separate husband and
"old maids are always at it,"
And IL will be a burning shame II
she makes any trouble there. Say.
Auntie."
"Wellf"
You know that awful homely tin
peddler called Pretty SAM"
Yes. He always stops here when
he comes along"
the last 1--WE years. but is so Internally
homely that no one will have him"
II guess that's So
Il know he's in the village. and
he'll likely call here. Let's send him
out to TAylor's and tell him that Ger
trude is looking for a husband"
The hOmely peddler called. Yes.
he wanted a wife. Yes, he would
marry an old maid. Yes, he would
drive out to Taylor's and pop the
house FIVE minutes. No. he was not
man that could be bluffed.
Man proposes. but his plans some
times wobble. The peddler arrived at
Taylor's to be told that Miss Gertrude
was out at the barn looking for eggs
A hen layeth where she listeth. II
she listeth TO fly up on the hay NOV
and drop the egg there IL means that
the hunter must climb the ladder al
ter IT,
, above as she reached the barn. That
was the sign that There was at least
: one egg up there. Fourteen feet up "a
that cackle. aud the ladder was per
2 pendicular. Some climbing for an old
: maid. She took look from all the
; doors and then went up while the
L cackling hen went down.
Looking up ladder and looking
down one are two different points Of
view. When Miss Gertrude was ready
: TO descend she found herself tremb
. ling and apprehensive. II made hei
= foot and drew back with a shudder
Il was just then that the peddler en-
!, tered the barn in search of her.
"Oh. I'm so glad" exclaimed thu
> prisoner at sight OF him.
Som I, b'goshi" he replied.
Won't you go in and tell Mrs. Tay
, Tor that can't get DOWN."
: After a bit. dear. So you was ex
: pectlng me?'
= Why. no."
q ITS just the same I have calleS
a TO see II you didn't want to get mar
ried,"
"siri"
There. there. don't be scarf.
= want wife and you want a husband.
How dare you"
: And being that's so. why cant W.
I set the day and have Il over with??"
:. You go away at once. or III scream
y for help"
John Pearsan. the bachelor mer
chant at Yorkville. was driving acrosi
the country with horse and buggy Ir
q front Of Taylor's a wheel came of
! of the vehicle. and he entered tn,
+ house in search of tools to make re
!; pairs.
. Taylor. John keeps the tool box II
: an empty stall at the barn"
Mr.. Pearsall entered the barn with
. out being told of Miss Gertrude OF
the peddler. and arrived just in tim,
D., TO hear the latter say:
r IF my rosebud don't quit her josh
ing I shall climb the ladder and de
i mand q kiss for pay"
I. Mr.. Pearsall knew both the woman
@ that was IN and the man that wa
r down. lie didn't understand the stu
70 alton. but was enlightened when sh,
2 that was up called out:
o Won't you please throw that ped
der man out Of the barn.
Certainly I will"
In due time. which was slow time
{ Miss Gertrude found herself standin,
= on the solid floor. without the ion,
T egg having even been cracked. Wher
she had poured out her thanks wha
could the Door rirl do but offer he
ald TO repair the troken buggy Thit
showed thouEhtfulness and consider
= atcn. and her services we're &C
D. ceuted
= That wheel was fixed I'm about II
minutes. and the next ~ we're spen
e N talk a. the couple sat on the hors,
, block. Then Mrs Taylor came on