The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-10-26
SETTLED OUT
OF COURT
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

the records. II was twenty minutes
after 2 o'clock on a summers day.
The deacon was a farmer and a wild
over. living about two miles from the
village Of strongville. He had been n
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 a stone. and the point
was broken OF about six inches When
Il was discovered what had taken
place the deacon shouted out:
Gosh all hemlock! But went and
broke my scytbe. and I'll have to pay
a 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 a new blade.
papT'
mo. I hain't." he replied. I'm goin
to town TO ask the Wilder Ludden to
marry me-"
awful sudden. isn't it?'
"Yes. 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 a few re-
marks about the dry weather and the
later bugs he blurted out:
"widder. hit a stone with the pint
Of my scythe this afternoon and broke
the darned old tool beyond repair. At
the minute I hit the stone thought
Of you. Rather curious. don't you
thinkr'
"Yes. 1t was rather odd" replied the
widow.
II kinder took 1t 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 1t would be IL We
were together instead Of apartr'
Deacon Bradley. that sounds to me
like an offer Of marriage. but surely
you don't mean 1t so?"
''Darned II don'tr' was the excla-
nation. She dropped a 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 of home.
When the deacon had called FIVE or
six times more the Widow Ludden
spoke to the constable about 1t and
complained that the deacon was an
noying her. The constable warned the
deacon to haul of the chase, but re-
ceived the reply:
81 am dom nothin' agin the law.
want to marry the wilder. and ] am
dom my best to win her"
At length he took to calling nights
that Is, he walked up and down In
front of the house and even In the
garden. or course, all this provoked
gossip. and the widow got so angry
about II 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. I don't like to make
court case out of this. Deacon Brad
ley. do you think II Is fair to annoy
Mrs. Ludden In this way?"
LAND o. love- jedge. but wouldn't
annoy her for the worldr' was the re-
ply. why. I'd have my right hand
cut OF 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
your"
"No. sir" was the reply. He came
in slambang and said he ought to
marry"
HE did. eh? That's no way to win
a woman. II he had come counting In
the regular way. as and most men
had to court. would you have looked
upon him with more favorT
The widow unused for a moment and
then replied
"He never even squoze my handr'
But | wanted to bad enoughr' half
shouted the deacon. II wanted to
squeeze and squeeze and squeeze, but
didn't have the spunk. IL the wilder
will let me begin over agin"-
Deacon Bradley" said the Judge,
''you are an honest. upright man. You
are we'll of. You are lonely. The
only trouble with you is that you don't
know how TO court a woman"
And then he turned to the widow and
said:
widow Ludden. Il seems that the
deacon Is a little slow. but am salts
fed that be loves you and win make
! you a good husband. Why don't you
two try II all over again and see II you
can't come out all rightT'
The two left the Judges Office In