Show Daily Short I Fiction Story I HOLLYHOCK DIPLOMACY By LAWRENCE ALFRED CLAY Copyright ht 1914 by the McClure Newspaper News News- s o paper Syndicate Her name runic was vas Jane Janc and md she I was 37 Ii years cars cars old She Sho W wasn wasn't t homely homel enough to stop a 1 clock and sho she wasn't so 50 pretty prett as to have an any odes composed for tor her benefit and imd left lefton on on the doorsteps People often wonder r why hy such and such nn an old maid dl didn't get married In her younger roun er days S There ar are sc cr several answers to that but the main one ono Is that thero there are plenty 0 of communities where the supply supply sup sup- pi ply of or men Is not large enough to go bO round and some omo poor girl Irl must be left out perhaps out perhaps half halt a dozen of ot them thorn Sarah Sarah was one of or the left- left outs or left oer Sho She had na a A. good bOod home with a brother an and tried to b be a a. philosopher philosopher philosopher pher and had about resigned herself to I the situation when a cousin couin made matle his arrival ar- ar arrival ar ar- rival for tor a a. I visit It This cousin was oas not only onh a man but an anold anold anold old bachelor one bachelor one of ot the thelast last In ht the ba bag expected to toe give e advice ad on love lo and matri matri- mon mony Ho no hadn't been heen In to the house five fi minutes when he said Eald Sarah you rou are th the only ol old maid amon among the for or a hundred years rca rs Tin past st st. But Hut It I Isn't nt m my fault Not oot up to date late perhaps What Vhal at do O you ou mean Is there an un old back bach around h here re who ho would make mako a good husband Z And what It If there Is Im Im I'm going oln to help you ou to marry marr marry him Dont Don't t talk lk like a 8 goose oo Stephen This Is I Cr very serious talk on my part I 1 Is the name namo ol of r the man you ou have M In mind 1 I have havo no on one on In mind but there Is 18 a bachelor who lira has a fruit farm just out ol of tho the village His name Is Foster Fo Ill go 0 and look him overby over Why by cousin 1 Bo back In tn an hour Time enough his has hub b been f n lost already To cousin was 85 back within the hour and reported That man Foster Is Js all aU right How all tU right All Allright right about making ml you OU a a. good husband Hes He's a n. steady stead solid man and onn ono who would appreciate late a 8 good wife and home Cousin you Ou are talking very et queer Nothing queer about It It You are a 3 good girl gar and ought to have a a. good hus hus- band nil Foster Is a 0 Rood good man and ho knows he lie would bo bl far happier with a wife Ue But But Theres no huts buts about it Tou have met him Has HaB he ever e called here No Then rhen he hiss has got something comity coming to him I 1 will T arrange it so that ho hI will call 11 You rou will do nothing of tho the kind sir Do you ou imagine I am anti going to throw m myself myself my my- self at any an- mans man's head Gently Cousin Sarah Nature Intended Intend Intend- ed that every man nan and woman should marr marry There la is a a. destiny you Ou must obe obey and sometimes one needs to ring in atrick n a trick or two In obeying Why haven't I got sot married 1 Too fickle probably Nothing of the kind Its It's because Ive I've always b been en start cart at the Idea of ot popping pop pop- pin plug ping the Question If It the rl right ht kind of a woman had schemed a little shed she'd havo have caught mo long ago nto How HoT schemed 1 was asked Why found a wa way of or hinting that I could como come courting and while I courted she could have bragged what a she sho was wan and boasted that she sho made her own dresses and all nil that There Thero is 15 love and matrimony but after one has reached th the age of ot 25 S he wants to be bo handled diplomatically Instead of ot calling It running running run run- ning after a man you OU want ant to refer reter to It as encouraging a man to run nin after you I You have queer Id Ideas s tau laughed the theold theold old maid mad but the next two hours were thoughtful on ones f. On the lie next afternoon Cousin Stephen raid to her Get on your our things thing Sarah and take a little stroll with me I saw w something yesterday ester a that I want to Investigate a little tittle closer An As they reached the str street et they turned In the direction of tho the Foster farm irm and after alter walking for twenty minutes Mies lIes I Sarah halted Whys Why Why h why what are we C going this wn way forTo for To see fee ce Fosters Foster's hollyhocks hollyhock But but nut but Come right along J cO cousin ln He has hall white and re red and blue hollyhocks anI and yesterday I thought I saw law some fome black ones onell among them Rut But you ou couldn't v hl have But I want to make sure flure A florist In Boston has advertised a reward of or 1000 1010 for tor a specimen of or black hollyhock If It Foster Fostel had got them and hasn't seen the advertisement ad then Ill I'll put him wise Ie Ill Ill I'll walt wait alt here at the gate ate said the theold theold old maid She Sho was left there while Stephen went around back of ot the hOI house hOIe e and hunted up his fellow tello bachelor Foster oster I was noticing your our hollyhocks yesterday yesterday Mighty fine ones Good as the average a I guess Jues I 1 brought some one with me Its It's a ayoung ayoung young oung lady lady Miss Miss m my cou- cou sin aln Shoo She's very ery fond of hollyhocks but se ehe's 9 a little sh shy and stopped at the gate pate Go down and Invite tn her to come In But I I-I I 1 I stammered the farmer Go on man You certainly wont won't be bero beso beso so ro un ungallant as to keep a young oung lad lady waiting nailing In tho the road Mr 11 Foster would rather have r faced ced a fI firing squad but ho went ent He Ho bowed and scraped and said uld It h looked like rain and tho the old maid bowed boc and smiled and said ald she hu hop hoped d for or a thunderstorm to clear the theair theair air anI and so tho the worst was over with Ith when they thoy Joined Stephen Sa Say Foster didn't I see some black hollyhocks here yesterday e Never Ne heard of or that color he replied I was quite sure guro url I Ia aw saw w them Can you ou raise the black ones one l I dont don't think so If you ou ron ran you rOU can get ct a a. reward of or 1000 1000 I belle believe that If you ou nixed mixed lamp black back with the sc seeds ds when sowing It would give e you jou black holl hollyhocks hocks The farm farmer and Miss lIs Sarah laughed h heartily a at er tho ho Idea and thereby were Ire brou brought ht a little do closer er to together He lad had a afine fine garden and fine fruit frill and an hour was waR pleasantly spent looking around When n tho the visitors were ere ready to go Stephen carelessly asked asked By By th way Foster dont don't you ou pla play checkers Yes its when I have e a anyone to play with Then come com over any ny night Wo Yc are all aU checker fiends at nt the house hOUM You'll have havo to have hae your war ar paint on or Miss will send you home hom a beaten man Ill come down If you'll como come up II here hero first nut replied the blushing bachelor On the theay way ay hom home s Stephen t ph n didn't rrt refer r I to old maids mald old bachelors lovo n matrimony matri mon mony nor hollyhocks Stephen l knew his business and h he wasn't overdoing o it There were checker hl ler nights for tor m many n nights night after that and finally It got ot to tho tiro point whore where about bout all tho the playing was wall done b by Mr Foster and Miss lIt s Schem- Schem erhorn Stephen had to go 10 R. a away for tor a 1 month and 11 when n h he returned he lie asked Is Foster fosler coming hero here yet ct 1 Why h yes he ho comes was 1 the hesitating hesi het- tating reply To pin piny checkers checker We We e we sometimes talk Sarah If Id I'd ever e had a a. chance tl to rescue a a. girl Id I'd have hav married her What hat has that tha t got ot to do with Uh with my pla ln checkers with Mr 11 Foster Um Urn The next day ill he ho pretended a lameness that th forbade forbad hl his hi getting out and after r many groans and sighs he hf said paid Sarah Surah you ou ought to take fake a a. little wall I for your Our health anyway and I 1 wish you 1 0 would ouM do me mo a 11 favor Well Sell l Walk Up a as aR far as lIS Fo Foster ter and tell tall him 1 Ive I've got al back an and l t tell ll him to beure be beur sure ure t to com conic down this thle evening But I cant can't go to his hili house alon along You wont won't go In In of ot course coure but hell he'll b be around somewhere and you OU can t call U to him Mss Miss Sarah farah Bald Id It didn't look Juat just right to her but she w went nt She Hie e had han to pass atHI passover passover over a vacant space pac where there ther were re reno no houses and h here rf the tramp wa wu waa t lying in wait VaIL for her hI 1 She Il as lie he ro rose and She he hf screamed a as i he h. came come nearer nealer Farmer Foster Femur w was a a. er very bu bu busy y man that afternoon but hut he h. was Wali not too hus busy to h-ar h the screaming and to jump the fence and run down don the th high highway i and 1 knock knolk that trAmp trump galley west While Whit Sarah was indulging In h hysterics and Mr- Mr Foster WAS AJI holding her In hl hi arm l rand and rp peaking wOrth word th the his knight o othe of ot the road escaped further punishment by crawling 11 away He lip had been to the aeh house and collected hl his hJ ten dollars of or Stephen before Cousin Sarah tell her tOI back to Jot got ho he asked did fo So Foster o-O o ter batted him Stephen Oh Oh h. h awfully 1 And AntI ho had hat to hold you w up UI Y Y e And Anil tAlk talk to you ul I Yes Ps What What did h he 81 say Hn Ile asked uke m mo inn to be e his wife |