The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-24
MAKING A
MATCH
For a Time II Was Consid.
cred . Thankless Job
By T. A. MICHEL

Martha" said Farmer Holt one
evening to his wife when she was
washing the dishes. John Corey was
talkin' to me this afternoon. He says
he wants to git married"
well. why don't hep
He says there amt no one to
marry"
There's lots o. wimmin would like
to get John. He's passed out o onsartir
youth into shore middle age. He's gol
q good farm. and it's well stocked, and
he hain't got no bad habits fixed on to
him. i could name half a dozen gals
about we're that would be glad to gel
him"
HE says he couldn't make up bis
mind to do the courtin'."
whats he want to do any courtin
for? COurtin's for younkers. Johns
too old for that, and If he marries q
woman of suitable age-somers about
thirty reckon she won't set store by
the cOurtin' part Of 1t neither"
How can a man get married without
dom any courtin'"
HE kin jist ask the woman he wants
to marry, and if she says yes they kin
be married"
But John says he don't know any
particular woman he wants to marry
Mrs. Holt finished doing her dishes
put them away and. taking up has.
ket Of stockings, began to darn them
Her husband turned to the Farmers
Helper and began to read
"Im thinkin," said the wife, whose
mind had got set on the matrimonial
question, that Mandy Sellers would he
about what John wants. She's a first
rate cook and keeps the house lookin
neat and clean all the time. She's al
ways wOrkin' at somethin'."
Reckon her father and mother need
her."
There's the younger sister, Susan
She could take Mandy's place. Besides,
a gal has got to look out for home OF
her own"
How dye know Mandy would have
John?"
"Humph! Shed jump at the chance
The farmer turned to his paper. He
was more interested In an article OH
the feeding of hogs than in providing
John Corey with wife. But the idea
Of making the poor man comfortable
and obtaining ut the same time home
for Mandy Sellers had got into Mrs.
Hollis head, and she couldn't get it out.
Miss Sellers occupied the adjoining
farm to the Hollis, and presently leav-
Ing her husband immersed In the hog
feeding problem the good woman slip
ped out and interviewed Mandy, tell
Ing her that John Corey wanted wife.
She did not ask Mandy If she would
like the position; she simply stated the
fact But few days later when Man
dy asked If John had got a wife yet
Mrs. Holt suggested that Mandy would
be about the kind of wife he should
have. Mandy simpered and said he
wouldn't look ut her."
One day John was at work at the
cider press when he heard Mrs. Holt
call him from the road. He went to
her, and she spent half an hour Ques-
tioning him about the treatment of
cows and chickens and other matters
pertaining to the farm. Just as she
was about to depart she said:
by the bye, Mr.. Corey. have you
seen Mandy Sellers lately?"
mo, Mrs. Holt, hain't seen none O.
the Sellers family in some time"
Zine gal, Mandy"
think so?"
Good cook; knows all about a farm
and specially good at dairy work"
II want to knOw!"
II wonder why some OF the unmar.
ried men about we're hasn't picked Man
dy up. She's gettin' on past the age
for the young fellers, and there's not
many middle aged men in these parts
that haven't wives"
Reckon I'm about the only one O.
that kind
III you're wantin' a wife you couldn't
do better than marry Mandy"
LA sakes. Mrs. Holt! Mandy Sci.
lers wouldn't marry me- Besides, she's
wanted at the Sellers farm. She Almost
runs it."
Don't you believe that. Mandy
would like home as we'll as any gal
I know"
Mrs. Holt, being a diplomat, went
no further at the time. She had sowed
the seed both in the breast of Miss
Sellers and Mr.. Corey and was dis.
posed to give It time TO terminate
BY skillful manipulation Of the par.
ties she finally got them together. John
proposed. was accepted, and In due
time the pair were married.
Now, John Corey was not a pliable
man even In youth. and. having come
to middle age, his will was hardening
like his bones and cartilage. As fol-
Mandy, she was a methodical person
who preferred to do such work as a
woman is expected to do In her own
way. Thus when he saw her doinc
things In Il different way from what be
had been used to doing them he de.
INJURED. Mandy had kept the paren.
tai abode spick and span. Her father
had been accustomed on coming into
the house after his days work was
finished to put on a pair of slippers
John tramped in his muddy boots al
over the house. Her father did not
smoke; John did and knocked the ashes
out Of his pipe on anything that came
handy. usually the floor.
Sxlno LIN Rahx