Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1915-01-01
GETTING OUT OF It
Being the Story of the Courtshi.-
of a Widow and Deacon.
BY DON LA GRANGE.


per Syndicate)
Deacon Strothers and his wife
we're eating supper when she said 10
him across the table:
"Moses, II / should die. would you
marry again?"
"Bless me, but what question:
he replied as he choked.
"But I should like to know"
"It amt likely that l would"
"You believe I'll go to heaven when
die, don't your
straight as crow flies"
"And how'd l feel lookin' down
from heaven and seein' you around
with cnother wife!"
"But the angels in heaven can't
look down on earth"
'It is said they can't, but now does
ANYBODY know they can't?' :,
"These are nice mashed taters,
,.,d the deacon as he helped HIM
self to some more.
His wife was Christian woman
and a church member. but neverthe-
less there we're time when she want
cd TO know. you know, and he found
II safer TO choke her of than to
argue with her. He was hoping ne
had in this case when she said:
Yes, I've got q knack OF mashin'
taters, and you'll miss me when I'm
gone. How about my question:
Moses?"
you'll probably outlive me by ten
years"
81 probably won't and I want to
know II you will marry again."
mo. sir. l shouldn't"
The deacon was yexed with hei
persistency. and he brought out his
answer with an emphasis.
"All right" said the wife and De
gan talking something else.
Next day she and another womaI
we're drowned by the upsetting OF
boat on the river. The deacon. wh'
was over fifty, was overwhelmed TO
time, but gradually his grief wor'
away and he was like himself again
II is not contended that he was al
absent.minded man, but II Is stated
and II is quite reasonable, that atte
the first month the deacon did no
think of that promise again for lou
years. Then II came like a knockou
blow. Bit by bit he had come to b
friends with the widow Stevens. VI
had sat on her doorstep; he had sa
by her fire; he had hoed in her gal
den; he had split wood for her cool
stove. Aye. he had called her Saraf
and she had called him Moses. On
evening he had had a talk with him
self beginning with:
by the great horn spoon. but tina
widder can make a custard fit for
king."
And then: Deacon, you have bee
widower for four years-for fot
long years. You have been sad an
lonely. II has come mighty hard
And again:
There's folks winkin' and blink
around and sayin' that me and Il
widder will make match OF II, b
let 'em wink and blink. II haint moi
OF their pesky business. and i ha'
told 'em So"
Then. with chuckle:
TT wouldn't be bad match u
either one OF US. Home is where Il
husband and wife is, and we''
neither one OF us got home 'cordi
10 that. wonder II I had bett
hint around?"
Three minutes elapsed and then u
deacon brought his first down and e
claimed:
Hint! Hint' No. won't hint
hint, I'll lust ask her outright"
And he was going over In his mir
what he would say when thoug
struck him and he fairly leaped fro
his chair and gasped out:
MY promise to my wife that
wouldn't marry again."
For fve minutes Deacon Strothe
was as weak in the knees as II
had seen a ghost. He had promise
and that promise was like q WI
across his future path.
What did Martha ever poster \
into making that promise for!'
asked himself. 1T wasn't right-r
II wasn't. Did 7 ask her not TO mar
again in case l died irst7 No.
course ! didn't Jest left II to b
feelings in the matter"
Was there any way out OF
Couldn't that promise be lodged?
II was an hour after the deacor
usual bedtime. but he was still
lively as fox. He went over Z
matter for ten minutes and then sal
why did promise7 Becau
Martha was In the best OF health. a
appeared good for fifteen years y
Did she give me the slightest hi
that she was goin' to be silly enou
TO get into boat the next day. !
she didn't. Did she say she mis-
get drowned7 Not a word. Would
court hold that II was decepti
and that ! wasn't bound by my pre-
ise. when Jabez Reed sold me n c
for $50 and never said n word abb
her jumpln' fences didn't the CO
make him take her back II said
suppressed n fact Didn't Martha
the same7"
The deacon went 10 bed feeling
ter hut whom ha awoka next morn