The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-10-04
MAKING A
MATCH
For a Time 1t Was Consid.
cred = Thankiess Job
By 2. A. mitchell

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. onsarin
youth into shore middle age. He's got
good farm, and it's well stocked, and
he hain't got no bad habits fixed on to
him. l could name half a dozen gals
about we're that would be glad to get
him"
"He says he couldn't make up his
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
woman Of suitable age-sOme'rs about |
thirty reckon she won't set store by !
the courtin' part of it neither
How can man get married without
dO1n any cOurtln
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 anvil
particular woman he wants to marry
Mrs. Holt finished doing her dishes,
put them away and, taking up q. has.
ket Of stockings, began to darn them.
Her husband turned to the FarmeTs
Helper and began to read
I'm thinkin," said the wife, whose
mind had got set on the matrimonial
question, that Mandy Sellers would be
about what John wants. She's first
rate cook and keeps the house lOokin'
neat and clean all the time She's al
ways wOrkin' at somethin'."
Reckon her father aud 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! She'd jump ut the chance"
The farmer turned to his paper. He
was more interested in an article on
the feeding of hogs than in providing
John Corey with wife. But the idea
of making the poor man comfortable
and obtaining Mt the same time home
for Mandy Sellers had got into Mrs
Hollis head, and she couldn't get 1t 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 a wife.
She did not ask Mandy II she would
like the position; she simply stated the
fact. But few days later when Man
dy asked II John had got 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 at her."
One day John was at work at the
cider press when he heard Mrs. Holt
call him from the road. He went tc
, 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 70,
seen Mandy Sellers lately?"
mo, Mrs. Holt, hain't seen none o
!, the Sellers family in some time"
Zine gal, Mandy"
!, "Think SOP
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 yere hasn't picked Man
dy up She's gettin' on past phe ag,
for the young fellers. and there's no
. many middle aged men In these part
that haven't wives"
Reckon I'm about the only one O
! that kind"
q "If you're wantin' a wife you couldn'
= do better than marry Mandy"
ia sakes. Mrs. Holt, Mandy Sci
lers wouldn't marry me. Besides. she
!, wanted at the Sellers farm. She amos
runs it,
Don't you believe that Mand,
; would like a home as we'll as any ga
I know"
Mrs. Holt, being diplomat, wen
. no further ut the time She had sowe
the seed both in the breast Of Mis-
Sellers and Mr.. Corey and was dis
!, posed to give 1t time to germinat,
a BY skillful manipulation Of the pal
:, ties she finally got them together. job
proposed, was accepted. and In du
!, time the pair were married.
% Now, John Corey was not a pliabl
man even In youth, and. having com
70 to middle age. his will was hardenin
10 like his bones and cartilage AS fo
h. Mandy. she was methodical perso
who preferred to do such work as
* woman Is expected to do in her ow
way. Thus when he saw her doin
=, things in different way from what b
,r had been used TO doing them he d,
INJURED. Mandy had kept the pareI
Ia tai abode spick and span. Her fatht
" had been accustomed on coming int
the house after his days work wa
II finished to put on a pair Of slipper
ID John tramped in his muddy boots a
n. over the house. Her father did NJ
"A smoke: John did and knocked the ash,
out Of his pipe on anything that can
handy. usually the door.
II The Greater Need.