Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-11-07
Evening Story
WITHIN FIVE YEARS.
ey Lawrence Alfred Clay.
copyright, 1918, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.)

for a year and intended to ask for her
hand. BY accident he saw that hand
break the back of hog with a club
and he turned about and walked
homeward. Two years later he was
In love again. and again accident
placed him where he saw the angel or
his thoughts throw her father out
doors and then over the fence.
Some young men would have kept
right on trying, knowing all cats are
not black, but Jonathan tried no
more. At the age of thirty he was
,ettled-down old bachelor, and no girl
Dr. signing widow could make the
least impression on him. He had
nice farm near village, an old wom-
IN as housekeeper.
Farmer Hoke had been living
hundrum life for a dozen years when
something happened to startle him.
No. his well did not cave in, one OF
his cows choke to death on turnlp
or a thunderbolt knock seven bells
out of his barn. 1t was simply
sudden thought that almost jumped
him out of his chair one summer even
ing as he sat on the porch with MS
pipe. Things had gone with him ana
his by programme. Up at such an
hour-to bed at such an hour. He
smoked after breakfast after din
ner-after supper. He fed the live
stock at certain hours. At certain
moment, almost, he chased the fowls
to roost and locked up the barn. His
housekeeper being deaf, there was
seldom any attempt at conversation.
Jonathan did not care for books or
papers, and there was no reading.
A sudden thought! A start OF sur
prise! He had>a chump of hired
man who didn't know whether the
Mississippi river was forty rods or
1000 miles long; deaf woman who
didn't speak dozen words day;
horses; cattle, sheep, hogs and hens.
These had been his daily COM
panions and associates until he had
forgotten who was president of the
United States.
No laughing or singing or calling!
It had been as if some one were lying
dead in the house. Marry and make
change? No marriage for Jonathan
Hoke. but he would make change:
How? That's what kept him out OF
his bed an hour later that night than
had happened for years before. 1t
took him three days to formulate
plan. and he was really frightened at
his own audacity. His voice had
tremor in it as he said to the ola
woman after breakfast:
'I'm going away for a day or two"
do tell" she replied.
''I'm going to Harvey"
ooh, Lord, that's to the end of the
earth!"
I'm going to the orphan asylum
there"
"You are such an old orphan they
won't let you in"
I'm going to adopt an orphan"
"And bring it homer"
Yes
did I ever! I said the judgment
day was close at hand, and this goes
to prove it. Jonathan Hoke, what's
got into your
II want to brighten up the house.
want to hear some one laugh and
sing. want some one to talk to-
Wants talk! Wants singing! Wants
some one galloping over the house!
Wall, surely this is the end and Ga.
briel will be blowing his horn before
you get as far as the schoolhouse!"
Jonathan looked a little anxious
over the prediction, but went his way
In due time he arrived at the asylum.
He had been told that they had or
phans by the CARLOAD and were al
ways glad to get rid of them.
How old one do you want?"
"'Bout ten years old, ,mebbe," was
the reply.
"BCy or gii?'
Jonathan stood with his mouth
open. He had never heard much
about orphans, but his native sense
told him that they must be divided
into two sexes. He had just thought
of an orphan in general way
A boy or girl? A boy could feed
the fowls and hogs and bring in water
and wood and do lots of other chores,
but girl wouldn't be so apt to run
away and cause trouble. A girl
wouldn't need to be licked, and she
could run up and down stairs for the
old woman and set the table and help
wash the dishes. She would also be
more apt to sing and laugh.
At the end Of an hour Jonathan
announce that he would take a girl.
Eight girls, each about ten years old,
we're lined up before him. Seven OF
them looked very serious, but the
eighth smiled and giggled.
THAT one!" said Jonathan. He
didn't want any more seriousness
around the farmhouse.
Susan Hoke went away with him
after the usual papers were made out,
and she went giggling. She smiled
and giggled and she laughed, and the
hired man said to the housekeeper
as the two drove up to the gate on
their return:
"See that grin on Jonathan's face.
It's the first time for ten years. He's
sure brought brat with him, and
now you watch things go to the dew
H."
"Why, it's a girl" exclaimed the
Old woman.
A month later little Sue had gig