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Show Won at Last By CARL JENKINS (Coprtlftit, lull, br Amoc1i4 Liltrtfjr frM.) don't want to. - Ilea an hud ma three lluies!" "Hut that ain't pestering," said the constable, as a kiiiIIo crossed his face. "That Is. it ain't within '.he meaning of the law. That's court'ng. No law to stop a man courting as I knows of." "I!ut ain't It threats when he says he's bound to have me?" "No. That's Just saying that he loves you better than any other woman, wom-an, and Is willing to swim the mill-pond mill-pond to get you. Why don't you nuirry him?" "Because I don't want to marry any one. I don't and I won't, and I call upon the law to protect me!" "Lots o laws on the statute books, Widow Faber, but I don't know I ion't know about thla. If Jem Skeen vhs throwing stones at your hens or breaking you' windows the law would ;rab him In a minute, but as long ai 'ie's only asking you to marry him. vhnt are we going to do? If my old .oman wan dead I reckon I'd ask vnti myself." The widow didn't go home with eare In her eyes. She "vas too mad r thnt. She hunted around for a tout club and stood It In a convenient ; ot, and that club wa3 mennt for lie Widower Skeea In case he pes tcred again. It so happened, however, that he was called away for the nert two weeks on business, and the club was not brought Into use. One day. Just is the two weeks re up, the Widow Faber started out to pay a visit to a woman across the creek that ran 'hrough the town. On the path she took this creek was crossed by a foot bridge. It was a sheky affair at best, ind few people used It. She had Just reached the middle of tin etructure when she saw Mr. Skecn advancing from the other end. She baited and be came along up and said: "Well, widow, you eee I am back Going somewhere?" "Yes." "I was In hopes 1 would And you at home, as I wish to talk about our getting married. Better go back with me." "Mr. 8keen, I'll never marry you never!" she replied with vigor. "Oh, yes, you will. You forgot that I am a determined man. I'll call this evening for you to set the date!" "If you pester me again- I'! I'll She had no time to complete the sentence. Under their united weight the old bridge went down with a crash. It was a fall of ten feet, and the creek had a depth of six feet and a swift current. The widow screamed and gasped and gurgled, but the widower was cool. He supported her and made a landing a hundred feet below. As the leaned up against a tree, limp and bedraggled, he said: "Widow Fahcr. may I call this evening and talk the wedding over?" "No, no, no!" the gasped. "All right. We r 111 make It Sunday Sun-day evening. Widow, let me call your attention to the fact that we havt landed on the shoret of Deacon Shine's pasture. The deacon owns a bull, and that bull Is coming for us and we must climb this tree. L'p you go. That's It. Just In time. He can't reach us. and will go away In time. Now, as t- our getting married. mar-ried. We are up a tree, of course, but don't you think?" "I do. I do!" she exclaimed In answer. an-swer. "I suld I'd never marry you, but I will. You ve pestered, and I'va been drowned, and here's a bull roaring roar-ing at us. and I can't hold out no longer! Yes. James. I'm yours! We'll be married tomorrow!" Mr. James Skeen waa a widower of fifty. He had the reputation of being be-ing a persistent man. As he had had a lawsuit that lasted twenty-two years, hla persistency had been proved. It was also known that he bad courted his wife for six years and then carried car-ried her off by main foree. Mrs. Faber was a widow. She was pretty well fixed financially, and she didn't care to marry aguln. She bad been put to the test and bad refused. She was buxom and good natured, and Widower Skeen had no moral or legal right to come bothering. Hut be did. He mude up his mind one day to ask her to be bis wife. He expected to be refused, but that didn't worry him. The widower was hoeing corn In a' lot next to the widow's house. He was barefooted and had on a torn stilrt, a pair of overalls and an old strsw hat. Five minutes sfter making up hla mind he dropped hla hoe, climbed the fence and appeared at the widow's back door. She was scour ing a milk pan. She had polished her nose as well as the pan. "Ixiok a here, widow," said Mr Skeen, "what's the matter of me and you getting married?" "Lord save us!" gasped the widow ss she polished her band Instead o! the pan. "Jars you, eh? Well It shouldn't! A widow ought to be ready for a pro iiosal any minute." "And a widower ought to have hit ears cuffed for making one! Marry you, Jim Skeen? Why, I wouldn't think of It for a minute!" "Oh, yes, you will. You'll think of It a great many minutes. Widow Faber, you are going to be my second wife as sure as corn grows and string beana climb!" "I never will, and you get out of here and back to your corn!" Mr. Skeen went back to his work whlatllng. The widow was as good aa hla. He let a week elapse and The Widower Waa Hoeing Corn. then he met her on the street as she waa going to tbe postoftice and stopped her to say: "lleen thinking that thing over, of course? When will you be ready!" "Never In all my born days!" she replied. "Oh. yes. you will. Widow. I'm a determined man. We are golcg to be married. I as Just wondering why I didn't marry you two years ago" "You pester me and I'll have the law on you!" she almost shouted. "You can't make It pestering to ask a woman to marry you. Jog along, widow I'll mine for you when work slacks off a little. Two weeks later the widow saw Mr. Skeen approaching the house and ahe shut and locked all the doors. He was In nowise put out. He stopped at sn open window, and with his head Inside and hla body out be cheerfully Inquired: "Shall we go before the squar. widow, or to a preacher, I'm willing you should have your way about It " "Neither squar nor preacher, snd you get out of that window!" was called to blm. "Oh. It'a got to be one or the other, you know. Think It over." "I won't do It!" "Rut vou'l! have to. Widow, fm lot. and wnen I'm sot that s the end ot It. You are going to be Mrs Skeen So. 2. You can tell all your friends " Til have you arrested before aun-iown! aun-iown! I'll go right off now and see he constable!" She was as good as her word. She rnteied the presence of that official with tears In her "eyes to say: "Zeke Parsons, you are a coo-liable." coo-liable." "Yes. widow. have reached that high pinnacle." "Ain't there a law against pestering I body?" "There sure Is" "Then I wsnt Jim Skeen arrested snd Jailed." "Whew! Why. Jim Skeen wouldn't pester a fly." "Put I tell you be to pestering met -Po! Howr "Asklnx tr;e to marry blm wbea 1 |
