The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-08-01

BARGAIN
ALAN HINsDALE


lived with me on my farm
thirty years old Then she
eft me not only lonesome
had to take keer o. the
he the beds, do my own
wash the dishes. I was
orapt about SIGH things. /
one day the Widow Sparks
AN down to the road. and I
says /:
&rks, would you mind tellin'
1r it's time to change the
" bed?"
l|g since you changed 'emT'
81 It's about six weeks"
<ered and said she should
- time to change 'em. She
a. sheets on her bed once a
- one side o. the fence and
on the other talkin'. She
! lot o. things about house
- cookin' and the like O.
- she asked me why / didn't
d to do It all for me. said
pw any woman that would
49, out for the purpose. She
said she meant l ought to
| said | didn't know any
would like to marry me
int on like this:
half a dozen farmers within
1t have more darters than
on their farms, and they're
use. know a lot o. girls
zz make you a fust rate wife.
nd all of 'em have been
10 do homework and cook. /"
arhs," says i, would you
a1sAmendin' me to one o. them
i husbandY"
&r says she. "But you don't
~ It In that way. Come round
llIse Saturday night, and I'll
EIfI there to meet you. IL you
Xou kin do a Job O. courtin' and
|& II you don't like her I'll
4 NE else and keep on tryin'
80 that suits you"
zer I'd be around, and she
7 Saturday night | put ON a
M and my store clothes and
~ widows. She was got up
ID seemed powerful glad to
slzut she looked kind o. disap-
1IEhty sorry, Mr.. Shanks," says
haven't got a girl for you.
! one to come; jist the girl to
reckon, but at the last min.
nj me word her mNher was
"a she couldn't leave her."
Dc, Miss Sparks, says |.
In next Saturday night"
M away when she axed me
ii and rest myself. l allowed
ii a few minutes and went
I'd, what difference there was
- house and minel We went
win room, and everything
spick and span-little white
= the winders, a fne rag car
1S door and logs burnin' bright
The wilder give me
8cker, and when / got sot
81 warmin' my shins before
I cit comfortabler than / ever
~ life. The wilder took o
ne other side o. the fireplace,
zot or the room Ike a spark.
j "a q gold ring. She axed me
! that crops ! got In, how my
- dom and everything like
Ike me feel at home. / axed
! many chickens she'd raised
- summer and how many
- she'd sold
Il was all so comfortable and
I'd the wilder took so much
esomeness out o. me that II
Fful late before ] thort o
couldn't a-knowed how late
hadn't heard a clock In the
ike 8. got up, sayin'
ave time to git home before
nd was goin' right on, when
axed me II / wouldn't like
kitchin. I allowed | would,
ok me In It The pots and
! a-hangin' all over. and you
en- your face in any one on
: Hpened a cupboard. and there
"a o. doughnuts. fresh made,
BIT at me.
Ter took 'em out and put 'em
bic; then she poured out o
lasses o. cider from a stone
and we sat down by the
had supper.
I'd shoveled in a couple o.
hnuts and drunk a gallon O.
went back into the Twin
re was a sofy In the corner,
idder allowed we'd better
before the fire and give the
and cider time to settle be
MT home. So we did, and
8et myself down the wilder
to me that you couldn't put
between Us. | never felt SC
before in my life. There
81 to be room enough for LILY
5 rested It on the back o. the
Il wasn't comfortable there
B fan till It struck the wild
/ thought she'd get mad,