The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1923-03-29
BY CLARA DELAFIELD


LleluuLs ISL l. nc 1udt LHllie Aalfl-
way. Fine looking young woman
Yes, they were married last year. A
very good cateh-I mean match, for
Emily.
you see, Jim Bowker had been
hanging around Emily for nearly
seven years. When they began court
ing, Jim worked in Vessels feed
store for SIS week, and Emily was
clerking in the department store
Blum's department store; you'll see
1t ON the next corner. Jim and Emily
seemed struck BY each other, but
neither was any sort Of catch--I mean
match Emily Is rather plain, isn't
she, though marriage has improved
her. jim? oh, he's hanging around
somewheres?
well, sir, Jim wasn't exactly what
you might call saver and Emily,
she wanted to get married, like any
other young woman. 1t wasn't in any
sense love match, you understand.
When folks have been counting for
six years, if they aren't married, they
of got used to each other, and they
honestly meant to get married some
day. ISL
Emily was ready on the drop of
the hat. But Jim had never saved
a cent, and there got to be some talk
about Jim's running around with the
youngest Eden girl. People used to
twlt Emily about it, and naturally she
didn't like it. Also they were be-
ginning to wonder how soon she and
Jim would get married, and whether
it was coming off at all. On Febru-
airy IA somebody sent Emily comic
Yalentine-the old-maid kind That
stung. Emily grew rather desperate.
We'll old Mr. Railway had been
a friend of the family for years. Wild
over for 20 years. no family, most of
the money that exists in our town,
etc. A splendid catch. But all the
women had long ago stopped setting
their caps for him. Couldn't catch
him. He was willy old bird. Jolly
as a sandboy. and full Of interest in
life, and, as was saying, he'd known
Emily since she was baby.
"And that's where the catch-I
mean the match--came in. You see,
he was suspicious as sin of all the |
old maids in town, but Emily-why, |
she was baby. Emily was almost |
like his own child, the way he looked
or her. He sure thought he was safe
with Emily. Besides, wasn't there
Jim BoWker?
"Emily went to him, I'm told, cry
ing, and said Jim was running round
with the Eden girl, and what was
she to do. Old Mr.. Railway fell for
her like child.
"Do? he shouted. Make the darned
young cuss jealous, of course. AS
long as he thinks he can have you
whenever he wants you, why natu-
rally he doesn't care to trouble. Make
him think you're running round with
somebody else
"'Oh, Mr.. Ratrgay, it's all very
well to say that answered Emily,
but you know l couldn't play with a
mans heart in that way. Now If 1t
was you-Oh, Mr.. pathway, won't you
let Jim think it's your
"Now maybe she didn't use exactly
those words, because there was no
third party present to hear. But old
Mr.. Railway fell for it--he sure did.
And he took Emily to the next church
sOciable.
90 . e,kf hot
the old gentleman began enjoying the
fun, and perhaps, too, he enjoyed hav-
ing pretty girl to go about with
fairly pretty, anyway-eyen st his
time of life Anyway, Emily led him
on and led him on, and the next
thing was that Joe Bludsoe caught 'em
kissing under the elms.
My 1t run through the village like
And the next thing was
Emilys going to Lawyer jerks, heart
broken.
"'My life's ruined from love for Mr..
Railway, who won't carry out his
promise to marry me- she said, or
words to that effect.
OF course Lawyer jerks was no
fool; he knew as much as any one
Of us, and a little more, but the
next thing was a breach-of-promise
suit for $25, 900.
well, old Mr.. Railway wasn't
DOL, either. He loved his money,
and he knew any jury in Travis
county would soak him to the
INIT the old bloodsucker. And then
veil, you see, as was saying. Emily
lad led him on and led him on, so
hat in the end he came to the con-
fusion that maybe he'd rather have
pretty young wife than lose $4,000,
md be the laughing stock of the
own. I
"So-they were married last year. |
Jules him pretty stern, too, they say s
he does, but she looks after him, and ,
guess the old gentleman's never re-
retted the step he took. OF course /
e doesn't know all the towns wise to G
he affair r
Jim? Oh, he's still hanging round ,
'mily, at a respectful distance. Old
lr. Railways got hardening of the {
rteries, and, as Emily's still got a I
ort of sneaking fondness for Jim e
ELL maybe 1t was a quiet way of
aYing IN enough TO start them with