The Western outlook. [volume] (San Francisco, Cal.) 1894-1928, 1914-12-19
GETTING OUT OF It.
Being the Story Of the CourtshIp
of a Widow and Deacon.
BY DON LA GRANGE.

him across the table:
moses, if l should die. would you
marry again."
"Bless me, but what question:
he replied as he choked.
"But l should like to know.
1T amt likely that / would.
You believe I'll go to heaven "neh
die, don't you?"
Straight as crow flies.
"And how'd ] feel looKln do"n
from heaven and seem you arounu
with another wife," :.
"But the angels in heaven can
look down on earth
ct is said they can't, but how does
anybody know they can't :,
"These are nice mashed taters,
said the deacon as he helped MIN
self to some more.
His wife was a Christian woman
and a church member, but neverthe'
| less there were time when she want
ed to know, you know, and he founu
| 1t safer to choke her OF than TO
argue with her. He was hoping ne
had in this case when she said:
eyes, I've got knack of mashlh
taters, and you'll miss me when LII
gone. How about my question:
| Moses?"
you'll probably outlive me by ten
years" =.
II probably won't and I want 10
know If you will marry again
mo. sir. l shouldn't"
The deacon was vexed with her
persistency, and he brought out MS
answer with an emphasis.
"All right said the wife and De-
gan talking something else.
Next day she and another woman
we're drowned by the upsetting OF a
boat on the river. The deacon, VINO
was over fifty, was overwhelmed for
time, but gradually his grief wore
away and he was like himself again
II is not contended that he was an
absent-minded man, but it Is stated
and 1t is quite reasonable, that a1ter
the first month the deacon did not
think OF that promise again for four
years. Then 1t came like a knockout
blow. Bit by BIT he had come TO Dc
friends with the widow Stevens. he
had sat on her doorstep; he had sat
by her fire; he had hoed in her gar
den; he had split wood for her COOK
stove. Aye, he had called her Sarah,
and she had called him Moses. One
evening he had had talk with him.
self beginning with:
"By the great horn spoon, but that
wilder can make custard Mt for
king!"
And then: Deacon, you have been
widower for four years-for four
long years. You have been sad and
lonely. It has come mighty hard.
And again:
"There's folks winkin'' and blinkin'
around and sayin' that me and the
wilder will make a match of 1t, but
let 'em wink and blink. 1t hain't none
of their pesky business, and ! have
told 'em So"
Then, with a chuckle:
at wouldn't be a bad match for
either one of us. Home Is where the
husband and wife is, and we've
neither one of us got home 'cordin'
to that. wonder II l had better
hint around?"
Three minutes elapsed and then the
deacon brought his first down and ex-
claimed:
Hint? Hint? No, / won't hint a
hint! I'll just ask her outright"
And he was going over In his MIND
what he would say when a thought
struck him and he fairly leaped from
his chair and gasped out:
"My promise to my wife that l
wouldn't marry again."
For FIVE minutes Deacon Strothers
was as weak in the knees as II ne
had seen a ghost. He had promised,
and that promise was like a wall
across his future path.
what did Martha ever poster me
into making that promise for?" he
asked himself. ut wasn't right-no'
It wasn't. Did l ask her not to marry
again. in case l died first? No, OF
course I didn't jest left it to her
feelings In the matter
Was there any way out OF II!
Couldn't that promise be lodged?
1t was an hour after the deacon's
usual bedtime, but he was still as
lively as a fox. He went over the
matter for ten minutes and then said:
"Why did / promise? Because
Martha was In the best Of health, and
appeared good for fifteen years yet.
Did she give me the slightest hint
that she was goin' to be silly enough
to get into a boat the next day? NO,
she didn't. Did she say she might
get drowned? Not a word. Wouldn't
court hold that 1t was deception,
and that I wasn't bound by my prom
ise. When Jabez Reed sold me COW
for $40 and never said word about
her iumpin' fences didn't the court
make him take her back. 1t said he
suppressed a fact. Didn't Martha do
the same?"
The deacon went to bed feeling bet
ter, but when he awoke next morning
his conscience began to trouble him
again.
by heck, but sunthin' has got to
be did" exclaimed over his break
fast; and soon as the meal was fin
ished he clapped on his hat and went
out to look up Robert Roebuck.
Mr.. Roebuck was known as very
pious, God-fearing man, and he would
see both sides of the case and render
a fair decision. He was given the
facts, and, after chewing on them for
five minutes, he said:
sfna,oor -, moe q fool for m hin