Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-10-25
''WANTED'
BY JANE GORDON

((c. 1923, Western Newspaper Union)
TT HAD been awfully lonesome that
i summer up In the lumber country,
and with winter coming on and all
well. I'm not excusing Dave, though 1t
does seem as If he might have lot
of excusing. Dave was different
Dave got an idea he wanted COM
Portable home more than anything
else.
Listen to this, Barney" he says one
evening, and read from the matrim0-
NAL column. The advertisement told
of kindly woman who, 1t appeared.
desired a mate, chiefly to take charge
Of her farm lands, which were so far
away from everywhere that no hired
man could be got to stay. The WON
an, who signed herself Griselda
Strong. said frankly that there would
be no pretense Of love in the contract.
but the man might by law share her
property.
But what / can't describe to you
was the way Grlselda Strong pictured
her home. Why. you could almost
feel It's comfort and smell the ginger
cookies In the oven.
I'm going to answer her. he says,
las honestly as she has written, then
we'll see each other and consider.
Marriage from now on" says Dave.
has got to be business PROPOSE
ton only with me. And truly. Barney.
I'm aching to get out and work those
farm lands for the lonely old lady
"Grlselda! Lord What a name."
laughed the Dave that was some
times like big pleased boy
Her answer came promptly; she
wanted him to come on to talk things
over. so that il satisfactory, the
thing might be settled before winter
came, and she wouldn't be left alone.
Dave sure seemed just situated to
take the chance. Then it came to
me that maybe, after ALL some really
personable good creature had taken
the thing up in loneliness, experiment.
ally, and when she looked Dave over
she'd be surprised at her good luck
and make him happy.
I was plumb disappointed when the
first letter after his arrival at Miss
Griselda's farm told me what nice,
white-haired old lady she was, and
how agreeably surprised he was In
her home and productive lands.
"Shes sixty or more wrote Dave,
"and kind and eager to keep on In her
home. From what / can gather, her
relatives try to fleece her.
He didn't write again for month,
and then he sent wedding announce
ments. Sure as you live, there 1t
was printed-Miss Griselda Strong to
David Barton. And folded in the en-
velopea was a note: "We want you to
come on and visit us at once, Barney.
And there will be work for you on the
farm II you care to stay
I went Seemed I just had to see
Dave. Seemed any place would be
solitude without him. Queer how that
quiet. discouraged boy had caught at
my heart strings. l hardly knew him
when he met me at the station. But
the little car made short work Of the
miles. Dawes face was Drowned and
healthy looking, and his eyes sh0ne
as though he had some happy secret
inside which he wasn't telling which
turned out to be true. The secret"
met us at the door OF Griselda's big,
CHEEKY home. knew she was Dawes
secret, the way her blue eyes flew to
his, and the way her smile found re-
Election on Dawes face.
Barney he~says. "let me intro
duce you to my wife. lately Miss Girls
elda Strong" That was puzzler for
me. I stood staring. Dawes new
pretty wife laughed softly. "Aunty,"
she called to some one inside. come
and explain this riddle to Mr.. Dunno
while put supper on the table.
They've had cold ride
A motherly looking soul came
quickly; she put ont her hand to well
come me. ANY friend of Dawes.
she was saying, and we had seats In
the best all-around settin' room I ever
saw. The lady went on talking
How she was Griselda Strong. aunt
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| wife, and was Griselda, too, though
they always had shortened the name
to "'Selda.' How she'd thought ou
that ad in her desperate fear Of 1
long. lonely winter Of toll. How sht
hoped to reward some worthy mar
who would have true interest thu
through law, In the property. How
'Selda had come hurriedly on from he
home in the city, thinking that soil
tude had brought the strange fanciel
to I troubled brain. How 'Sslda sha,
hoped only TO bssahle to persuade he
aunt to 90 back with her. How Oh,
had remained to meet. ~ 1t happened
Dave on his errand. How the tw'
young people had spent happy hour
driving about the beautiful country
reading, playing their music in tn
wide. comfortable room evening"
How Miss 0risslda had spent joyou
hours preparing for their approval d
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