Show The Even Evening ng Telegrams Telegram's Daily Short Story R RACING ARCING CING FOR A HUSBAND By Dy JOH JOHN PHILIP PHIIIP WI 1915 1013 t b bT j the ow- ow pIlI I Syndicate lc JI lc Xo what other oilier Subjects the idl idlers of tho the village i of Clayton Claon JI might I s 's the t talk iK always Jot gut o around to on Ingram anti and sometimes ulo blo a followed argument rite deacon was ill in in Ins fifties ics n cud nud lid well 11 off lIe lie he U 1 ivus a widower and was was' au active deaf deacon in ill ins a i church lie He was 81 also ale all an honest hOliest lII man m. m I livery Ivory ory yard of goods u un measured ol olt on in his Ins store stow was full tb three thieo reel in in II length Ii and if ho r told II tI a it L customer that Hint hi his bis calico would not fade lade in hi- the in-the the tho thoa a wash h bu hit guarantee was r as asgood asgood I Jo good tl as gold I A dozen ozen f ticks limes i over o there Hiero were reports reports re reports re- re ports that thai Det Deacon on Ingram was wab as going to lo warn this thiH widow or that old Jd maid but while 1 lie JU o had a til fur for all 1111 ho did not nat a ac a go Jo When Wh a man is is lonely ho he generally c takes ti to a n woman In lie Deacon Ingram's Ingrams In In- grants grams ease cast he ho took look to a n horse hort-c. U That at was wit why there was waR MJ so much talk in Clayton II It wasn wasn't t an au old oM plu plug ping of 11 H such as ilS one lI i might ht expect a its in ct t in but tr trotter for Ic Ice e u to tI C a whom h na the tho menhant handed over O tho the sent Mini of OU Ho lie had nc never ncr r been on un I the tho ra race o track and HIHI the tho deacon wash wasn't t going to put nt Int him there but hut it was a a. L county in which a n I ot of good step steppers I Jens hers were on oi tire the road day 13 nn and t t the lie merchant didn't propose to take anyone's dust Ih After After- he got dot ot the tho horse horac I be bernado mado lo it il a custom to fl ride e out ut after I The 1 he deacon OIl hadn't owned the trotter a u fortnight when Eld Elder r Comstock dropped into tho store tore and said ahl Dea CO cort is it true that you ou have ha got ot a arace arace arace race llOr c 1 No 1 o elder I r have sini simply got hot a pretty fast stepper It pcr was t the tho reply But 1 But ut you race everybody c on un the road 1 hear heal near Oh Oh no If a H man comes tt in bet- bet hind me with a likely horse au act and If calls cas caso o out t that he Jle is going by I simply taka take tak a ti tighter grip on tho the reint reins It And And stop your borso Well u Well not stock still In fact ho hohas hohas hohas has a habit of starting off at a a pretty good gait k U But But you pull him down down Always at Always at the tho end of half a mile or so Deacon In Ingram ram said said the elder cIder after aft r a a. a little pondering do do you think it seemly for a man in your position to be speeding on the highway and I setting ettin such an example as you do 10 dot dotI le I I I do elder The example I am 5 setting is is QUO no to waken waked interest among our farmers to lo get ret bettor stock The hatter better nor es he lie owns owtis the faster a farmer can get et t to o town and out again Elder er Comstock Constock went away shaking I his bis Ills bead head and next day the minister called caned He Ile l bought ht a a. spool of black th thread ad No 40 for his wife wire and then s said lId Brother Ingram some seine of tho brothers and sisters think think think-think-H think Think I hadn't t ought to t ow own f i 1 a fast fai t stepper cli h 1 ci Well yes ye c Anti And H what do yon rOil oit think thick of iiiI III t I 1 I hardly thin think lc it i consistent n Ha Have you ou met with anything itt in th the Bible to discourage an any any- man ratan from frum owning am mil driving a ll horse i N N o. N-o. o. o Ill In biblical there were horses hordes or mill and asset u weren't t rI r.- r. N I v v They Ihy 4 were sold 1 nun and exchanged the canto as aia IR today Y Yes CI And Id you believe c I that hii a hoise lOr in ur ass t that ha t could get over or the ground the tho fn fastest got the Jon longest ht Hut But its iti the moral CX l oth ci er Ingram Thi fh fhe example l 1 Lct d inc nie v tell v on something During I I t he hin to m my getting the horse it happened lapp in to this tins town that three threat hen heu coups were Tailed raided four clothes lines stripped ripped sf three men assaulted annulled tI two hO hogs stolen tJ fit fi c s tramps locked looked up and 1 grain stolen froth from two Iwo barns hams Besides J this thia the usual crowd gathered at it tho po llO and antl at least cast lies were told au and 1000 oaths u ed Have JIa you yew heard that there has hns been any increase asu over o this thi record IK N a e rr Then my example has Jias not been a pernicious one une has lias it Tho minister drew u a long breath and anil shook his head and went awa away It t seemed boomed sinful to him hum for a church h deacon demon to own and drive 1 a horse that thai could COHill get ct there thoro in 22 and ind jet yet Deacon Deacon Deacon Dea Dea- con ln Ingram ram was too heavy for him hint on the tho argument Among i the several se widows in iu town who bo mj might ht man marry again ng n if they got ot the chance that chance that K is it ii some worthy worth man came along and said aid ho he was ready to todie todie todie die for them was them was a Mrs Sirs Mitchell She was 19 years old rather buxom and had been left lett comfortably w well Very nice man tho deacon is she always replied to IIer her questioners question s and anti when when an anyone ol o mentioned her name nome to him his observation was WM The Widow Mitchell i She's She a real lad lady and nud if she ever er marries again I hope she gets a good h husband Ono One daj day Mrs ers Mitchell l and two other other- widows happened to be in the store at the same sarno timo time Tho deacon came camo around to see seo that they were being properly served and to remark that hIs hu horse orse Frank had hall given the tho whole county the tho dust on the previous enin c evening when he added in inn a n joking H way way wayA A A rA good man many people are aro aro askin asking why J I dont don't get married n again in My Mr ex excuse use is is that I am nun wai waiting What What for for was chorused by three blushing widow widows For or widow some somo to get ct a a horse that can pass me pie on on- the road roada You are aro safe and anel we arc are safe was the laughing reply reply- The Widow Mitchell was tho the only widow in in town who owned a horse He lie was 10 years old Jd and nd could get et up lip a t. t gait of o three miles an hour when the weather was frosty frost and the going good She also tso had an old and sometimes sho rode out I I The evening e of the meeting at the store sho wrote a letter latter to her brother I Ed who kept a livery stable in a town fifty miles away It was the first letter Jetter she had written him for two years Ho lIe read it t. t and grinned Then he rc reread it and J laughed I hed and said miel to hilll himself Oh Olt well well 1 JI 11 help her her out Tho Iho deacon is is 18 a nice nice Olee man 1 I believe c i Within a i week after rec receiving herr her brothers brother's reply tho the Widow Mitchell went over to lo illo 5 to visit some Borno friends Whilo While there hero t a arrived I for her herS herlie lie He was lean and long and ond flea fica hit bitten tOil He lIe didn't look like a I that thal could pass a a. a hitchin hitching post I l But lIt for certain instructions that came with him hint the wi widow ow would have 0 shed tears tearl of grief and aull mortification Put Put on eu the gad gall and wake him hint u up i and anti then theft got get a strong and I steady tea p pull pill pull on Oil tho the lines Tho fhe harder you OU pull II tho UIO faster ho he will go on In half nn an hour the tho woman womans woman's ft faro fare worn a smile of triumph Shin Sim was as out every o lay day for two weeks a and lilt then sho o dio ro o home tonne Her lIer friends nodded to her and smiled fi at old oM ribs rih Deacon n In Ingram saw tho the equine and laughed an and saidI said Baid I t am not a man of my worl word Wh Why didn't t you OIl get et ct a bettor horse hor Oh Oh I think hell he'll lot do Flo was the la l laughing hin reply No Nn ono one suspected what was in tho the wind They saw aw the widow riding out evening e after e evening but it was only to nud oo c each h other othor and autI wonder if the tho pu plug plug J would bo be found dead in his stall staB next morning Then Thon came tho the crucial c evening The Ibo deacon and his bio fast stepper overhauled o tho the wi widow ow on the load road and arid as they came camo up lip the merchant called out tho the lowest figure Two hundred I 1 w WitS was ss replied Give o live yon ou a dollar and ami a n half in ill store trade What he hail hall jogged 11 along for about roIl rods the tho t hr deacon heard a R thud thud thud hud in nn his rear real and anti looked back to tn see bee the willow widow bearing down upon him Il Bless me but hut her old oM crow bait is running n away ayl Thou Ihen after alter a 3 few seconds No he be Why she's she going oin to race mo with wills that thing I Sho She was She Sho had borrowed a light l b buggy pinned pinnell liar her hat haton on with four pins and ll sh she sat HUt erect with a firm hold Bold of the lines Three cuts with the thc whip had awakened plug from trout his dreams of the race tracks and grandstands grand grandstands stands of the past Is 18 it a race race called tho the deacon I It is J For or forty rods it was Iwas was an even thing ant and tho the was amazed at tho the I driving and the tho pace lie Ho be began an to tofa fa fall behind and ancl nt at the tho end u of a mile ho was only within shouting distance Was it fair faid asked the widow a ahe as ashe he ho came camo up Fair Fair My V dear ar woman 1 1 shall not wait to cat call upon you you on this c evening Will you bo ho m my wife wile 7 Such was the answer of a good and honest man nn anti and as the they rode rodo slow slowly homewards the nIl whippoorwills sang and ana cupid cupil turned handsprings s. s |