The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-01-15
Who Did the
Counting?
BY ETHEL HOLMES
wright. isiT. Western Newspaper unlon.J


I'd taken fancy TO Martha and I
wanted her powerful bad. But laws
whit chance had / among lot o. fell
lers most OF 'em better lookin' than me,
some of 'em with either good farm or
money in the bank or both. hut Mar
tina and l were neighbors and good
enough friends, and l says TO myself,
why not swoop around and find out
how the land lays7 So one day ! snys
TO her, says l. martha. how Is II that
good.lookln' girl like you don't git
married? II certainly can't be for
want OF fellers TO choose from"
"What made you think anybody
wanted me?" she says.
SLOW about Tom Stigers:" ! says.
"He got five hundred acres OF the best
corn land In the country. and buildin's
and farm tools complete"
"He wouldn't look at me" said Mar
tina.
"0r Jim Ferguson. wi his dairy
farm, or Ed Williams. whn sells more
Toods out of his store In It month than
nybody about here does in year"
II couldn't Git any one o them" said
lnrtha. IF ! had an oxteam tied to
,m."
suppose / ort to have said to her
fter this, "Well. If you can't git any
# them fellers, what's the matter
nth mer but somehow / thort that
here was n big down-hill jump from
he worst Of 'em to me, who was as
homely as grounding, but / couldn't
do II. ] reckoned I'd better beat about
the bush a while longer"
"What would you give me-" / said
IF I'd git you husbandf"
1.-THE first kiss o. the BRIDE" she
says, lookin' at me out o. the corner
of her eyes kind o. sassy.
The thought o. that first kiss made
me feel like doin' heap O. tryin' to
git Martha husband, but / remem-
bered the Teller got for her would git
all the other kisses, and 1t want so
much of a bargain after all.
avail" says I. "Ill see what kin
thing. but every time / met Martha /
after that she says to me, "When you |
goin' to git me that husbandw It !
seemed TO me | was maxim myself !
in not doln' somepin' in the :
matter, so I says one day to Jake Trot. +
ter. Jake" says |, chow would you
like to git marriedT' "Fust rate"
says Jake, eff could cit likely gal"
II know gal" l says, 'who wants a
"Bring us together" says
Jake.
Well / done 1t. / took him TO see
Martha. Jake was drivin' a wagon
through the country, sellin' tinware
md SIGH like. The next time l met
Martha she was a-settin' up beside him
IN the high seat enjoyin' herself TO
peat the band. She waved her hand
% me and larfed when she went by.
stood lookin' back at the wagon and
said to myself, Luke, the fool-killer
S lookin' fur you" / met Sam Lynch
few minutes after | seen Martha
'erched up thar beside Jake and says
o him, "Sam, / wish you would give
ne a good kickin'." Sam did as
sked him; then l called upon him to
epeat the dose; and he done 1t.
Next day / see Martha ridin' her
ay mar She called out to me. Luke,
ONE round and see me: I want to
hank you for what you done for me-"
"Oh," l says, at isn't time for the
ewari yet"
"Come any way" she says.
So / went round that very evening.
[artha had a fine lot o. logs burnin'
n the hearth and she drew the scfv
p in front of 'em and she sot down
/ the sofy beside me and says:
Luke, you've done me a mighty
eat favor. introduSln' Jake Trotter
me. He hasn't lost no time in
'oposin' TO me: not bit o. beatin'
,out the bush: but Just come out flat
I'd asked me to be his wife"
I must "a looked powerful down in
e mouth. for Martha said kind o.
"Are you sorry for the
vor you done me, Luke?"
l didn't say nothin', / couldn't;
ort my heart would burst.
The sofy was big enough for four
ople, but Martha sidled up to the end
lere was settin' and she says: "You
e, Luke, fathers getNn' old and may
taken away soon; then I'd be left
me. was foolin' when l said none
them fellers you spoke of didn't
int me. for all of 'em had axed me.
ere was one Teller 1 did want, but
d never axed me- So when You