The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-11-02
SETTLED OUT
OF COURT
By Nj. QUAD
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

Just at what hour and minute Dea
con Bradley fell in love with the
Widow Iudden has been preserved on
the records. 1t was twenty minutes
after o'clock on a summers day.
The deacon was farmer and wild
over living about two miles from the
village Of Strongville. He had been
widower for three years and had no
idea Of falling in love and marrying
again. His daughter. Martha. kept
house for him.
The deacon was out moving grass
from the fence corner when his scythe
blade struck q stone. and the point
was broken of about six inches. When
1t was discovered what had taken
place the deacon shouted out:
Gosh all hemlock! But I went and
broke my scythe, and I'll have to pay
q dollar for a new one! I've got to get
even with somebody to pay for this
His daughter sat on the back steps
in the shade. and she laughed at his
words. When he returned to the house
he was asked:
Coin to town to get new blade.
pap?"
mo, hain't," he replied. I'm goin
to town to ask the Widder Ludden to
marry me-"
awful sudden. isn't it?"
Eyes. pretty sudden"
The Widow Ludden was not wealthy.
but she had enough to get along with.
She was peeling potatoes at the kitch-
en- door when she saw him drive up.
She noticed that he looked rather
spruce and wondered what business
could have brought him there. She
soon found out The deacon came
around the house, and after few re-
marks about the dry weather and the
later bugs he blurted out:
"Widder, l hit stone with the pint
Of my scythe this afternoon and broke
the darned old tool beyond repair. At
the minute hit the stone thought
Of you. Rather curious. don't you
Think"
Eyes, it was rather odd" replied the
widow.
II kinder took it that 1t was the hand
Of Providence. You see. wilder, you
are alone in the world, and so am l."
"Yes," sighed the widow.
How much better it would be If we
were together instead of apart"
Deacon Bradley. that sounds to me
like an offer OF marriage. but surely
you don't mean 1t so?"
"Darned if | don't" was the excla
nation. She dropped potato.
Well" said the widow as she re-
gained the potato, you might as well
get into your buggy and drive back
home and forget all about the hand of
Providence. don't believe that Prov
idence works that way
WAL maybe she don't" muttered
the deacon. and he walked out TO the
street and climbed into his vehicle and
rode off home.
When the deacon had called FIVE or
six times more the Widow Ludden
spoke 10 the constable about it and
complained that the deacon was an
noying her. The constable warned the
deacon to haul OFF the chase, but re-
ceived the reply:
II am doin' nothin' agin the law. !
want to marry the wilder, and | am
doin' my best TO win her"
At length he took 10 calling nights
that is. he walked up and down in
front of the house and even in the
garden. OF course, all this provoked
gossip, and the widow got so angry
about il that she had him brought be-
fore the justice of the peace for max
ing a nuisance of himself. When the
justice had heard both sides of the
story he said:
My friends. don't like to make a
ley, do you think it is fair to annoy
Mrs. Ludden in this way?'
Land o love. jedge, but | wouldn't
annoy her for the world" was the re-
ply. why. I'd have my right hand
cut off afore I'd do any SIGH thing. She
don't seem to understand how much |
love her"
widow" said the Judge as he turn
ed to her. "Did the deacon ever court
you?"
NO. sir" was the reply. HE came
in slambang and said he ought to
marry"
HE did. Ell? That's no way to wiz
a woman. II he had come counting ir
the regular way. as | and most mer
had to court. would you have looked
! upon him with more favorT'
I The widow unused for a moment ant
then replied:
HE never even squoze my handr'
But | wanted to bad enough hal
shouted the deacon 81 wanted t
squeeze and squeeze and squeeze, bu
didn't have the spunk. If the Wilde
will let me begin over agin"-
Deacon Bradley" said the judge
you are an honest. upright man. 70
are week Off. You are lonely. Th
only trouble with you is that you don
know how to court a woman"
And then he turned to the widow an
said: