| Show gabay B widow by j PAUL 5 I 1 jasons CAREW 11 Is mr 1001 by J B B 0 f j C A 9 Klc liron t aw 3 ri widow jason was the relict ot farm cr jason and she carried on the farm after alg death with even more wisdom than ho bad shown himself possessed of she was etall on the brighter elde of forty fair to look upon and was at peace with all her neighbors until tho one to the east of her sold out and a stranger moved in lie was a man of middle age named chesholm and being a widower hla elster managed the house for him if tho widow jason was one of those who wondered what sort of man he was she was the first to find it out among her alvo stock that year were a dozen hogs and it was the fault of her hired man that there were holes in the fences through which they made their way into the potato field of the new neighbor she had just finished her breakfast one morning when chesholm was announced lie had the courtesy to his hat and give his name but he also had the bluntness blunt nesa to add madam your infernal bogs have rooted up half an acre of potatoes for roe and it you cant manage to keep em home ill shoot every one of cm she looked at him and saw that he was above the ordinary and felt that had she been introduced in the conventional way she would have been pleased to make his acquaintance but ahli rude greeting angered her and being a woman with a mind of her own she at once replied 1 I can pay for nil the potatoes on your farm and it you come hero to threaten me find a woman who dont scare well you hogs at home and you keep yourself in the same place that was the first tilt the fences were mended and the bogs were in despair when a high wind blew a gate open and the drove spent the night in the same potato field next morning chesholm drove ten of them home and said to widow jason madam there are dead bogs belonging to you in my field will you have them removed or shall I 1 bury them aou killed them did you she asked 1 I did I 1 told you I 1 would and I 1 did then ill have the law on you go ahead she went to law and there waa a cult and she ingloriously beaten bosn FOUND A MAN womanlike eho felt pretty bitter over it but at abo same time she had to give mr chesholm credit for lack of any bitterness lie stated hie case in tho mildest manner and even spoke highly of her as a neighbor sho returned homo after the lawsuit she said to her hired roan josh if that raan comes on my land again I 1 want you to throw t him off icam ill do it replied the sturdy josh it a before ahls holni came he was on his way to the house when josh headed him off and ordered him bock he refused to go and josh lad hold of him to do the throwing act but found himself a licked man n about tarco minutes while he sat on abc ground with a handful of grass to hla bleeding the victor passed on to alie woman who had witnessed the fracas from the front steps lifting his hat he aid madam those hogs of yours have been at it again this kino in my corn fielland fiel dand ive had to kill another you dared to kill another of my hogs she demanded as her checks flamed and her ayea 1 I have shall I 1 bury him sir you are a scoundrel and you arc n widow she drove to town at to see her lawyer there aca 10 in tho case for him win or lose and ho advised her to sue she suil and got beaten the defendant referred to her in the highest terms but bo also proved that her v n c il i l 0 lr tho lawyer saw 10 core in it win or lose and for assault and battery josh brought lila swollen noso and black eyo into court and was beaten by several lengths ain had provoked the encounter fand if ho had pot the worst of it the law help him it waa a month before anything further happened the fences around the hog lot acro thoroughly repaired anal for four weeks tho corkers porkers bad to make the best of their bad lot then josh latt tho barn down ono night and as the widow was getting breakfast she heard tho crack of n bloc unit an hour later sir chesholm appeared to say good manluff mrs jason taoso hofia ot yours ap my garden last and this morning I 1 killed another of them if you want another lawsuit ill arho you to town in my own buggy and you youve shot another aho gasped chate then id like to shoot you you are tho meanest man in the detate of ohio cosm he replied with a bow as he turned away widow jason drove to town to consult her lawyer again there was 10 in it for him win or lose but this time mr chesholm was arrested for mall cloua persecution in his he referred to the plaintiff as that lady and exhibited no animus whatever but ho also proved that lie was the one persecuted tho widows hogs would not let him alone she was beaten again and this time a stout pen was built and the hogs were shut up the farm era had of course taken eldes some contended that chislolm Chis bolm had exhibited a mean and unneighborly spirited others that the widow had been derelict in not mending her fences arid there was much talk and discussion it occurred now and then that the two principals met on the highway or at the crossroads meeting house but while chislolm Chis bolm lifted his hat and bowed as if there was nothing on his mind the widow except for her blazing eyes beamed carved of stone that pen held the hogs for a long alx weeks but hoppens have their weak points and patience and perseverance will seek them out the hot sun warped a board and made an opening and alie industrious swano enlarged it until one night they all passed out and headed straight for the nest farm they fetched up among the cabbages pumpkins squashes melons and carrots and during the long hours of darkness they ran riot they were missed from the pen early next morning and the widow sat down on the doorstep and cried she cried because she was vexed and she cried because she was a woman every minute she expected to bear the crack of ahls bolms rifle and she fully realized that any further appeal to the law would bo wasted she was vexed at the hogs at josh and at chisholm her tears were still falling when the new neighbor stood before her and bowed and said mrs jason those blamed hogs of yours damaged me a hundred dollars worth last night and how many more have you killed she asked none ive just driven cm home but why why because I 1 see how it is I 1 must cither kill off your whole drove or build a pen myself I 1 shall come over tonight to talk to you about it he appeared an hour after supper and it was 11 before lie went home even then the talk was not finished As a matter of fact it required a great many evenings and waa only concluded one winters night when she laid her head on his shoulder and said if you are really sure that you love me then the farm the hogs arid I 1 are yours and well be married new years day |
