The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-10-05
WHEN AMANDA
SAID YES"
BY NJ. QUAD


very beginning OF this story. Amanda
Jones was thirty -four years old. That
put her in the class Of old maids by
quite number Of years, perhaps But
why was she an old maid7 That's
what you are going to be told.
was thirty-six years old, and a man
can't live single that long without be-
ing called an old bachelor. And why
was he called an old bachelor Because
three times In six or seven years he
had asked Amanda Jones for her heart
and hand and three times had she re-
fused him.
Jed was good young man. He
had no vices. He was hardworking
and respected. Amanda had made
a great mistake every time she re-
fused him, and she had refused him
because Of q silly notion she had got
into her head. In fact, II was a no
ton put there by fortune teller. This
female fraud had come along one day
when Amanda was about twenty-five
years old. and before she had had her
first offer and told her that q maiden
must not accept the FIRST offer made
her. II she did, she would not 1--we .
year with her husband. As TO the SEC
ond' offer. she must he coy and shy. Az
to the third. fourth and nth, and 20
on, she must command that she b
given time to think them over and
write to her people for their advice in
the matter. Strong came back. In
spite OF himself. his love for Amanda
Jones had continued to live. He met
with plenty of nice girls and lonely
widows. but he came back heart free.
He came hack to try his luck once
more. but he wasn't going to hurry
things.
The passing years had been painfully
slow with Amanda Jones. No one else
had come to make a matrimonial offer
She had wished a hundred times over
that she had accepted Jed's and that
the old fortune teller had broken q leg
before she reached the house, but re-
penting would do no good. She had
come to be an old, old maid. and there
was SCARCELY hope for her In the fu-
ture.
One afternoon Amanda went for q
long walk. She had heard that Jed
Strong was back In the village, but she
did not walk out In hopes to meet him.
He had probably got married in the
west AZ least he had got over caring
for her. She walked up the river for a
mile or q, and then took seat on the
bank. Before leaving her house the
hea Of taking a bath In the river had
come to her. She might and she might
not. but she took along with her q
bathing suit that she might b pre-
pared II she felt like II.
At the came hour the same afternoon
Jed Strung took a walk up the river
He did not expect to meet Amanda
Jones, bat he would find q shady spot
and sit down and mediate and throw
clubs In the water and wish that every
club would hit the old gypsy woman
fair on the head. He might make q
fourth offer to Amanda, but be doubt
ed II. lie would sit and think II over.
He found the shady spot and sat
down.
Amanda had preceded him by about
twenty minutes. She had decided to
take a bath. She looked up and down
the highway and across to the corn
fields ON the other side Of the stream,
but no one was In sight. In entering
the water she got tangled up in some
brentwood that was lying In wait ON
the bottom, and she fell down, and the
suit was badly ripped. She waded
out farther, however, and was In the
water up to her chin when a most aw-
full thing took place. Jed Strong came
walking along the bank, and, by the
great horn spoon, II he didn't sit down
almost above her and begin to mediate!
There was only one thing the bather
could do. and that was to keep quiet
until he departed. He might remain
there half an hour or until shutdown.
but she must wait. and wait she DID,
Perhaps twenty minutes had passed
away when Jed caught sight of he's
head and face and instantly recognized
her and understood the situation. He
was not more than a minute forming
Q scheme, and. springing to his feet,
he picked up a good sized stone and
exclaimed loud enough for Amanda to
hear:
by George. but that must be an al
ligator! I win knock his blooming head
or at the first blow"
He drew back his arm for a throw,
but voice arrested II. II was the well
known voice of Amanda Jones. and Il
walled out:
"Oh, Jed Strong. don't kill mer'
ITS you. Is III" he asked.
"Yes, it's me. but can't come out.
You must go right awayv'
Il must must II" replied Jed as he
hunted around for more stones.
What are you going TO do?" asked
Amanda In a frightened tone.
For answer Jed threw stone, which,
striking a couple OF yards before her,
spattered the water In her face. She
ducked. and when she came up she
saw Jed ready to throw another stone.
go away" she cried.