The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-09-05

we're eating supper when she said to
nina across the table:
'sMoses, If I should die, would you
marry again?"
BLESS me, but what a question" he
replied as he choked
But I should like to know"
sit amt likely that would"
'You believe I'll go to heaven when
I die, don't you?''
Straight as a crow f1ies.''
"And how'd I feel lookin' down from
heaven and SEEM you around with ar
other wifeI''
"But the angels in heaven can't look
down on EARTH"
''It is said they can't, but how does
anybody know they can't?"
"These are nice mashed taters." said
the deacon as he helped himself to
some more.
His wife was a Christian woman,
and church member, but nevertheless
there were times when she wanted to
know, you know, and he found it safer
TO choke her off than argue with her.
He was hoping he had in this case
when she said:
eyes, I've got a knack of mashin'
taters, and you'll miss me when Tn
gone. How about my question, Moses"
you'll probably outlive me ten
years"
ST probably won't. and 1 want to
know if you will marry again?"
mo, sir, shouldn'tI'
The deacon was vexed with her per
IL
with an emphasis.
"All right" began the wife and be-
gan talking of something else.
Next day she and another woman
were drowned by the upsetting of Il
boat on the river. The deacon. who
was over fifty. was overwhelmed for
q time, but gradually his grief wore
away and he was like himself again
It is not contended that he was an
abSent-minded man. but it is stated,
and it is cutie reasonable. that after
the first month the deacon did not
think of that promise again for four
years. Then it came ike a knockout
blow. BIT by bit he had come 10 be
friends with the Widow Stevens. He
had sat on her doorstep; he had sat
by her fire; he had hOed in her gar
den; he had split wood for her cook
stove. AYE. ne had called her Sarah,
and she had called him Moses. One
evening he had had q talk with him
self beginning with:
SPY the great horn spoons, but that
wilder can make q cuStard fit for q
king!"
And then: 'Deacon, you have been
a widower for four years-fOr four
long years. You have been sad and
lonely. It has come mighty hard"
And again:
There's folks winkin' and blinkin'
around and sayin' that me and the
wilder will make a match of it, but
let 'em wink and blink. 1t hain't none
of their pesky business, and 1 have
told 'em So"
Then with chuckle:
SIT wouldn't be n bad match for
either one of US. Home is where the
husband and wife is. and we've neither
one OF US got home 'cOrdin' to that.
wonder if I had better hint around?"
Three minutes elapsed and then the
deacon brought his fist down and ex-
claimed:
"Hint? Hint? No, I won't hint
hint! I'll just ask her outrightr'
And he was going over in his mind
what he would say when a thought
struck him and he fairly leaped from
his chair and gasped out:
"My promise to my wife that I
wouldn't marry again. ~
For five minutes Deacon Strothers
no
had seen q ghost. He had promised,
and that promise was like wall across
his future path.
''What did Martha ever poster me
into making that promise for?" he
asked himself. cit wasn't right-no,
it wasn't Did I ask her not to marry
again in case I died first? No, of
course L didn't. I jest left it to her
feelings in the matter"
Was there any way out of it?
Couldn't that promise be lodged?
It was an hour after the deacOn's
usual bedtime, but he was still as live
" as a fox. He went over the matter
for ten minutes, and then said:
''Why did I promise? Because Mar
tina was in the best of health, and ap-
peared good for fifteen years yet.
Did she give me the slightest hint
that she was goin' to be silly enough
to get into boat the next day? No,
she didn't. Did she say she might get
drowned? Not a word. Wouldn't a
court hold that it was deception, and
that wasn't bound by my promise?
When Jabez Reed sold me a COW for
thirty dollars and never said a word
about her jumpin' fences, didn't the
court make him take her back? 1t
said he suppressed a fact. Didn't
Martha do the same?"
The deacon went to bed feeling bet
ter, but when he awoke next morning
his conscience began to trouble him
again.
"By heck, but sunthin' has got to
be did" he exclaimed over his break
fast; and soon as the meal was fin
ished he clapped on his hat and went
out to look up Robert Roebuck.
Mr.. Roebuck was known as very
pious, God-fearing man, and he would
see both sides Of the case and render
fair decision. He was given the