The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-13
The Old
Speckled Hen
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

LUZ the Two TO marry after q year or
so, but what the principals in the case
thought of It did not come out for over
two years. The farmer and the widow
saw each other every day during this
time. She continued to run her farm
Oy the help of hired man, but he was
more or less interested. They sat to-
gether of evenings and talked of every
tnmg but what other people were talk
ing about.
IL was one evening in winter after
the farmer had imbibed quart of
clder and eaten three or four apples
and realized fhe loneliness of his own
home that he hitched around on his
chair for awhile and then said:
Wldder, there was a windmill man
along today. He wants to put up a
mill for me in the spring.
Yes. windmill men come along about
once in so often" she replied.
He pears to have a purity good
mill"
"Yes?"
And the price is purity reasonable
"Yes:"
we wasn't talkin' about windmils
all the time" continued Abel as he
motioned for another glass of cider
/ We was talkin' about other things"
They are great folks to CAB. I've
known 'em TO hang around all day and
do nothin' but talk"
THAT windmill man said folks was
wonderin why didn't cit married
ag'in."
"Well, why don't you go and git mar
! ried them"
Gosh hang it, will. That's what |
come over here this evenin' for. Aunt
| Martha, We have known each other a
long time. | know you are a mighty
good woman, and you know I'm a
purity good man. Our farms jine, and
l can run two farms as well as one
You must be lonesome too. If We jine
forces then neither of lis need have
any more lonesomeness."
abel, stop right there" said the
widow kindly but emphatically. 81
know you to be a good man, but
haint in love with you. You haven't
teched my heart yet. Until you do I
don't want to talk about marriage"
well" said the sutton as he rose up
to go. 81 hain't one to drive woman
Into marriage as one drives hogs. III
keep right on and take your word for
1t, and if you find you can't love me
I'll stay single all the rest of my days.
I'm kinder sot on you, you see, and l
don't want anybody else.'
During the next month things went
along as usual and there was no fur
Their reference to matrimOny. Then
Abel was sent for, and as he reached
the widows house she said:
abel, my sister over at Tompkins
Vile is sick and has sent for me. I'm
goin' over and may be gone three OF
four days"
well, I'll run things the best can
while you're gone" he replied.
"What I want you to look out for ir
particular is that old speckled hen
You know I've had her for the last ter
years, and I've learned to think good
deal Of her. She hain't well tall jest
now, and hate to go away and leave
her. She's got signs Of the pip, and II
should come back and find her deat
it would almost break my heart. Abel
want you to be kind to her. wan
you to sympathize with her. I wan
| 4
'Tll do it, Aunt Martha. I'll jest pu
in all my time nursin' her up. I'll bt
Jest as kind to her as l would be to
baby"
That's good of you. She's only
critter but when one gifts use to crit
ter he can even love an old speckle(
hen. She amt laid an egg for thes'
five years past, but she's got hold oil
my affections for the eggs she used t
Law. Why, she's laid over hundred
with double yolks, and one time sh'
fit and licked chicken hawk.
"You go right on, wilder, and leav'
il all to me-" said the farmer. iii d'
lest as much for that cid hen as
would for brother. | hain't sot VI
night for the last twenty years, bu
if she's taken bad / shan't close m!
eyes till you git back
The widow departed and half al
hour later Abel was carrying the OF
hen home under his arm. The three
DAYS went past, and the widow re
turned. she had only entered he
house when the farmer appeared VIII
the hen In a basket. He had he
wrapped in red wooden cloths. Sh'
smelled of camphor and various linl
ments. Her toes had been trimmed
and creased, and he had applied saw
70 her comb. With proud deliberate
ness he removed wrap after wrap ant
finally reached the last end and set tn
hon down on the floor with:
"There she is, Aunt Martha, and Jes
nc good as she was five years ago. w
worked over her for three days. AM
I'm tellin' you there hain't hen Il
the hull county can come up to her."
"How splendid of you Abel = nov
snlendidr' gasped the widow, and a
If TO corroborate her words the mel
raised her head. swelled out her breas
and tried TO cackle.
"see that-hear that, wilder" aske'
Abel