The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-07-15
Hank Elwood's
Conversion
BY EDITH V. EoSs

from the grounui tnere was tue nous'
well furnished for one of its kind, Blu
Hank was the only person In 1t.
Hank had always so far fought sh
of women. He was not a student @
feminine human nature, and he though
all single women did little else than sc
snares for unmarried men. But he fel
lonely.
I'D ought 10 have woman" b
said TO himself. but whar am | goin
10 find one? Besides, women are
rantankerous lot. and l dunno but IL
should git one I'd wish | hadn't"
But Hank was desperate. He wen
down 10 Mrs. Blakeley's, an excellen
friend OF his. and said to her:
"Mon, | want you TO find me a wife
I'll tell you jist what kind OF gal
want. She must be-
Hank" interrupted his friend, III
I'm goin' to recommend a gal to you
you'd better take her on my say so
You don't know anything about wo
men"
Don't l? | know enough TO keep
elear of one Of the kind to slobber all
pver man before she's married and
after the knots tied to jump on him
and boss the whole job
ooh. you do, do you? Well. I'll tell
you what I'll do: I'm expectin' niece
of mine from the east to visit me next
week. You kin come in here as much
as you like while she's here, and meb-
be you can git her. She wants to git
married powerful bad. But it's my
opinion you'd better let me pick out
woman for you and go in blind on my
recommend"
Reckon I'll come in and see your
niece. If nothin' comes of it mebbe
III try your plan"
When the niece came she proved tt
be strapping lass, with pair of rosy
cheeks, and she made dead set fol
Hank. Her voice was low contralto
sometimes with the tone of mans
She was rather awkward, and her hail
was short, which she explained by
stating that she had had fever AND
it had all come out.
Mrs. Blakeley.
Il think she'd make a good farmers
wife," replied Hank. "She isn't one OF
the kind to sit round and look purity
Them hands of hers are specially fitted
for mill1in, and washin dishes
wouldn't spoil EN-"
How about her disposition
Il hain't had time yet to make nc
observations as TO that, but she seems
to be good natured enough. What dc
you think of herr"
Il? l thought you was to decide the
matter for yourself, you know SO much
about women. What use would it be
for me to tell you she wasn't the kind
Of a woman you want? Would you
pay any attention to me-"
Hank admitted that he had conf
1ence in himself in knowing what he
liked and what he didn't like, but il
there was any defect in the girl he
saw no reason why he should not be
of it.
There's nothin' the matter with her
30 far as / know" was the noncom
initial reply. But Hank did not con
slider it noncommittal. He made up tt {
Lizzie, as her aunt called her. and did !
/ bit of counting, but he found her coy
md not disposed to permit him TO be
'amiliar
She's the gal for me-" said Hank tt q
he aunt one day. Il tried to kiss her i
md she wouldn't let me do it. There's q
afety in that kind of gal. After a t
mans married to her he don't always /
eel unsartin about her every time q {
.ood lookin' man comes round" b
That's all bosh,' said his friend.
Hank, finding that Lizzie would not D
ermit cooling, assumed that he must e
rst make his intentions known. He g
7as In hurry to get some one into his =,
ONE and was much pleased with her
me evening he called at Mrs. Blake .,
,y's. The aunt was washing dishes 81
nd the niece was wiping them. On h
tanks arrival Lizzie threw down heI o.
took off her kitchen apron 81
nd joined the visitor on the porch &C
FRS. Blakeley went on with her work. HI
lizzie had been with Hank a few min. IN
ties when her aunt heard her break
ut into q guffaw. ~
Aunt Molly she cried, "what dye u
link? Mr.. Elwood wants me to mar. az
him" ~
The woman went outside. Lizzie had hr
fled her skirts above her knees, show f,
& pair of trousers under them, and ar
as responding to the proposal by m
og dance. bu
Reckon you don't know so much
,out women, Hank, as you think you Al
}. Lizzie is boy"
Lizzie took off the rest
her feminine apparel and appeared
a youth of eighteen.
Hank stood looking on this exhibit iol
N for few minutes appalled,. Then
rning on his heel he went back to a..
) farm. th,
It was weeks before he came to see or
) friend Mol Blakeley again; then off
said to her: ms
I give in. Mol. don't know nothin' th'
out women. I'm powerful lonesome at
the farm. Get me a wife" pei
I don't need TO git you one. There's
lie Perkins, the best woman know. ne
5 been wantin' you for a couple o. "a.
lrs." ser
How do you know that?" -
No matter how I know it. II you