Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1916-07-22
A WIDOWS.
BARGAIN
By ALAN ElINsDALE

Nv sister lived with me on my farm
till I was thirty years old Then she
died and left me not only lonesome
like, but L had to take keer o. the
house, make the beds, do my own
coolkin' and wash the dishes. I was |
mighty ignorant about SIGH things. I |
remember one day the Widow Sparks |
passin'. ran down to the road. and |
said to her. says l.: n - slsfiss ~
= .sMrs.1 SPARKS. would you mind tefiin.
sheets on my bedf'
"How long since you changed 'emr'
Reckon it's about six weeks"
She snicIsered and said she should
think it was time to change ,em. She
changed the sheets on her bed once q
week
I stood on one side o. the fence and
the widow on the other tallzin'. She
told me a lot o. things about house
keepln' and cookin' and the like o.
that. Then she asked me why didn't
get woman to do it all for me. said
1 didn't know any woman that would
like TO hire out for the purpose. She
larfed and said she meant l ought to
have a wife. 1 said didn't know any
woman that would like to marry me.
Then she went on like this:
There's half dozen farmers within
ten mile that have more darters than
they kin use on their farms, and they're
a big expense. L know a lot o. girls
that would make you fust rate wife.
and any and all of 'em have been
brought up to do homework and COOK
Miss SPARKS says I, would you
mind recommendin' me to one o. them
girls for husband?"
''Why, no." says she. But you don't
want to do it in that way. Come round
to my house Saturday night, and I'll
have a girl there to meet you. If you
like her you kin do job o courtin' and
marry her. If you don't like her I'll
try some one else and keep on tryin'
till git one that suits you."
1 told her I'd be around, and she
went on. Saturday night L put on
billed shirt and my store clothes and
I went to the widows. She was got up
stunnin' and seemed powerful glad to
see me- But she looked kind o. disap-
pointed like. -,
"Pm mighty sorry, Mr.. Shanks," says
she, ttbut I haven't got girl for You.
L engaged one to come; jist the girl to
suit you, reckon, but at the last min
ute she sent me word her mother was
TUX sick and she couldn't leave her"
Cali right, Miss Sparks" says I.
ssTry it ag'in next Saturday night"
| was goin' zway when she axed me
to come in and rest myself. l allowed
I would for few minutes and went
inside. Lord. what difference there was
between her house and minei We went
| into the nvfn' room. and everything
| there was spick and span-httle white
curtains to the winders, fine rag car
pet on the floor and logs burnin' bright
| in the fireplace. The wilder give ma
/ the big rocker, and when got sol
down in 1t, warmin' my shins before
the fire, felt comfortabler than eves
/ felt in my life. The widder took q
cheer on the other side o. the fireplace
and she sot of the room like spark
lin stone In a gold ring. She axed me
all about what crops 1 got in. how my
stock was dom and everything Ike
that to make me feel at home. axet
her how many chickens she'd raised
| durin' the summer and how MANY
dozen eggs she'd sold. y
/ WAL, it was all so comfortable an(
|, homelike and the wilder took so mucf
O. the consequences out o. me that 1
was powerful late before 1 thort Q
goin'. 1 wouldn't a-knowed how lat.
, it was if hadn't heard a clock in tn
Kitchen strike y. got up, Sdyh
wouldn't have time to git home befor
| bedtime, and was goin' right off, whel
the wilder axed me if 1 wouldn't Hk
to see her kitchin. I allowed I would
z and she TUX me in it The pots ant
pans was a-hangin' all over, and yo'
could a-seen your face in any one Of
'em. She opened cupboard. and Their
q was plate o. doughnuts. fresh made
I lookin' right at me.
I The wilder took 'em out and put er
!: on the table; then she poured out
a couple o. glasses O. cider from a ston
i demijohn and we sat down by th
e table and had supper.
: When we'd shoveled in a couple {
a dozen doughnuts and drunk gallon {
cider we went back into the HviI
r room There was a sofy in the corne
and the widder allowed we'd bette
pull 1t up before the fire and give th
n doughnuts and cider time to settle b
h fore I went home So we did. an
d when I'd set myself down the Wilde
sat so close to me that you couldn't pi
d a cushion between u.s. never felt 6
| contented before in my LIFE Thel
a. didn't seem to be room enough for %
IL arm, and rested it on the back o. tt
If sofy. But 1t wasn't comfortable ther
t and I let it fall till it struck the WI
10 ders waist 1 thought she'd get ma
lint che didn't