A WIDOW FROmAFAR
Concerning the Love Affairs of a
Father and His Son.
By GRACE KERRIGAN.
(Copyright, McClur Newpapr (Syndicate.)
When a farm passes to other bands
It is an event of Importance to farmers
for five miles around. If the buyer
1b a stranger In the county It Is more
than an event If the buyer is a wid
ow who has come all the way from
Kansas to buy a farm in Ohio, It is
an event outranking a cyclone in which
20 barns are overturned.
Yes, James Sheldon had sold his
farm.
He had sold it for cash down.
He had got his price for it.
Yes, he had sold It to a widow from
Kansas.
Yes, she was going to farm it her
self. Yes, she thought she knew her busi
ness. The Ingham County Sun gave
these particulars, and it was a coun
ty paper to be depended on. It bad
never predicted the coming of the
grasshopper or the tater bug but that
the Insects showed up on time. True,
the Sun, while on the subject, might
have stated whether the Widow Dar
row would get married agpin if she
had a good chance, and whether she
was homely or handsome, but it was
silent on those points.
Farmer Sheldon moved out and the
Widow Darrow moved in.
The day she moved in about fifty
people passed the farmhouse. The ob
ject of each and every one was to
catch sight of her, though every last
one of them had seen widows by the
dozen.
The farm adjoining on the west be
longed to Joab Waycroft, a widower
with one son. His name was Moses,
and he had hinted around that he
should marry soon after his majority,
if be could find the right party. His
father was not quite fifty yet, and
though he had thrown out no hints be
intended to double up again when
chance came his way.
Of course the Sheldons had told the
Waycrofts that they were going to
sell, but they could tell nothing about
the widow, as she had bought through
an agent, and was not to arrive until
a certain date. The evening previous
to the date Mr. Waycroft carelessly
remarked to his son: "So the widder
arrives tomorrer."
"Yep," was the reply.
"I wonder what time?"
"She'll be in Medina on the early
train, and by the time she drives out
here it will be ten o'clock."
"You seem to know a hull lot about
It, Moses."
"Ain't It my duty to keep track of
the widdera?"
"Don't be a fool!"
After this admonition there was si
lence for five minutes.
"She comes as a stranger and I
'pose I orter go over there and bid
her welcome to our midst," the father
aid.
"Oh, there'll be at least a dozen
there."
"Who said so?"
"I've heard 'em say so, and I Bhall
be one of 'ein."
"What in punk you goln' fur?"
"To take her by the hand and wel
come her, of course. That's only
manners. We don't want her to think
we are a couple of heathen."
"Moses, 1 run this farm!"
"You do, dad."
"And this house!" s
"Yep."
"And our manners!"
"Not disputed."
"It's for me, as head of the house,
to go over there and welcome the
widder as a naybur, and for you to
finish hoeliig that patch of corn."
"Hut you orter put a new handle
In that hoe," protested Moses.
"Never you mind about me, but do
as I tell you."
"I wanted to see her the first thine
and warn her ugln gome of the old
widowers around here who are half
crazy to marry anything that comes
along."
"Moses, do you mean me?"
"Of course not, dad. You are neith
er old nor would you marry again,
even If a princess offered herself."
"Well, you had best be a little more1
careful of your words."
Nothing further was said that night
nor until after breakfast next morn
ing. Then the father observed: "1
s'pose others will be there, and I had
bettor wear my Bunday suit."
"For sure, dad. You'll probably
have quite a talk with her. Will you
mention me?"
"What for?"
"Why, tell her your son will call
oon."
"You may not call for a year. Get
the chorea done up and then go for
that corn."
Farmer Waycroft had an hour's
work yet to do before he could leave
the bouse. He had been to the Til
lage a couple of days before and pur
chased a bottle of hair dye. Tnu
must go on to bis gray whisker to
knock Ave years off his age. There
was an odor of bad eggs and sulphur,
but the farmer stood it for the sake
of result. When the Job was fin
ished and be surveyed himself In the
(lass be smiled and nodded.
"Mose will notice It, of course,
but I'll tell him that I upset a bottle
of Ink on my whiskers. If be says
be don't believe It I'll turn to and
lick him. old as he Is!"
Tbe widow hud arrived by the time
the other farm was reached. She
thanked everybody, but hadn't much
time to talk. Farmer Waycroft was
aware that she glanced at his whis
kers with a Bmile, but whether of
approval or not he couldn't exactly
make out. He found her to be a brisk
little woman of less than forty, and
he did some pleasant thinking as he
walked home. Moses was hoeing corn
most furiously, and the father sus
picioned something, but waited till eve
ning to ask:
"Moses, did you go over to the
widow's?"
"Why, I jest ran over to see If she
got here safe."
"But I told you to keep away from
there."
"Look here, dad, I'm not a kid. I'm
twenty years old. I'm working for
you as a hired man, but you mustn't
try to boss me about outside things.
If I can marry a nice widder with a
nice farm I'm goin' to do it."
"But thiB one is ten or fifteen years
older than you are."
"I have read that true love takes no
account of years."
"I'm a-telltn' you agin, young man,
to keep away from the wldder's!"
almost shouted the father. "I'm not
goln' to see a son of mine make a
fool of himself if I can help it."
"Thanks, dad, but what about them
whiskers of yourn!"
"Moses, can't a father spill Ink on
his whiskers without beln' insulted
about it! I he can't then you had
better draw your wages and dig out
o' here!"
That was the beginning of a thing
that lasted three months and caused
much rancor. Moses refused to be
convinced that a young man of his age
shouldn't have matrimonial designs
against a widow even ninety years
old, and the father kept his whiskers
colored a Jet black and put his best
foot foremoBt There was hardly an
evening but that one or the other
called, and by tacit consent they di
vided the evenings. One sat -sulking
at home while the other was absent,
and when the absent ono walked
into the house he was greeted with:
"So you hung on until the widow
had to kick you out!"
"On the contrary, she wanted to
know what my great hurry was to
get home."
"I'll bet she hoped you'd never come
again!"
"Why, she asked why I didn't come
oftener!" ,
Their habit had been to work to
gether in the field to sit and smoke
and talk together to take turns about
cooking and . to eat together, but all
this was changed. Both went to Farm
er Oxford at different times to ask a
favor. When It was the father he
said:
I want you to talk to Moses. That
boy Is making a perfect dum fool of
hisself. He Is In love with the Widder
Darrow, and he thinks she is Idiot
nuff to take up with a boy of his
age. Talk to him and make him un
derstand what a ninny he Is.
And when It was Moses he would
say:
"You have noticed dad's whlBkers,
of course?
"Wall, yes, I've klnda noticed 'em."
"And smelt 'em?"
"Jest a whiff or two now and then."
"What d'ye 'spose he dyed 'em fur?"
I don't know."
"To make the Widder Darrow think
he is ten years younger'n what he 1b!
Talk to him and tell him what a fool
he is. By George, but when an old
man gets giddy what a circus he
makes of hlmBelf! Talk to dad. Tell
him to wash off that dye and go to
reading his Bible and prepare for the
grave!
. This state of affairs continued for
weeks, and after a bit the widow
uarrow had knowledge of it. She
had a vein of deviltry, and she helped
It along in a way. She kept both
father and son from talking love, but
was charmingly friendly and time
went on until the father said to him
self one day:
"I am goln' right over there to
night and pop the question."
And, curious coincidence, Moses
thought and said the same thing.
They dodged each other at the house
and met at the widow's gate.
They glared at each other. They
Dreaiuea nara. t ney breathed harder
They were about to clinch In deadly
conflict when the widow came trip
ping down io say:
"When I left Kansas I was engaged
to a nice man. He will be here to
morrow, and we are to be married
the day after. You are both Invited
to the wedding.
Looking Ahead.
The weather Is capricious on the
Bay of Fundy and weatherwlBe ones
are in demand with summer tourists,
"And can you really tell what the
weather will be tomorrow?" Inquired a
lady of an old salt
"No, mum," said he promptly, "if
as much as I can do to tell what the
weather will be today.
That's Right
Clancy was somewhat amaied when
be saw the throng that came to attend
poor Casey's wake.
"Bsgorra. musea uancy, "a man
never knows how many friends he bat
until they come to bis funeral."
Forty Years,
Marie That's a beautiful gown you
have onl
Molly Do you know that lace Is
forty years old?
Marie That so? Make It yourself?
Effect and Cause.
"I saw John eating In one of those
serve-self places today."
Ye. He sent me a large buncb ol
America! beauties last evening."
ntFf
g
Hill
F
OR 14 years England has been
laughing over the kaiser's bar
gain when he traded vast Ger
man claims in eastern Africa
for Heligoland, a tiny little tri
angle in the North sea. The English
men boasted over their good bargain
md said the kaiser was crazy, and
that in a short time it would be
washed away by the sea.
One famouB English author some
years ago wrote a book on Germany,
and In it he devoted a chapter to
Heligoland, mostly making fun of the
kaiser. He says the only reason the
kaiser wanted it was bo that it would
so down in history and be taught in
the public schools that Wilhelm II had
annexed something during his reign,
ind that the kaiser would swell with
pride every time he looked Into a
German school text-book and read,
1890, Wilhelm II annexed Heligo-
and." The whole article was written
as though the joke on the kaiser was
one of the best ever pulled off, and
the chapter ends: "Poor little Heli
goland melting away In the German
ocean."
But the kaiser did not let his little
Island melt away. He got to work
md bolstered up its sides and patched
t and built new and wonderful forti-
Icatlons, and today England 1b la
menting her loss and would give her
vast African territories and much
more beside if she had hung on to her
Heligoland and had not done so much
boasting.
Cosmopolitan Population.
Today Heligoland is counted as the
second strongest fort in the world, be-
ng second only to Gibraltar. Hellgo
aud lies opposite the mouths of the
Rivers Elbe and Weser and guards
he harbors of Bremen, Hamburg and
he Kiel canal. Even the shape of the
sland, that of a triangle, helps it in
ts strategical position, 'ine town is
lullt on one corner of the island and
in a small plain on one side at the
:oot of the cliffs, and a new landing
place has been built since it has come
nto the kaiser's possession.
The population numbers between
.wo and three thousand people, and
One View of
hey are a queer mixture of English
uid German blood. In fact, every
hing about the place is a mixture of
hese two nations. For Instance, the
impress of India hotel stands side by
ilde with the Deutsche Reichs Adler,
ind O'Brien strasse crosses Kaiser
itrasse.
The principal industries are fishing
ud running hotels for the summer
oarders who cross from Germany
ach year to spend the summer, for
:ho climate Is very fine.
The Ilellgolanders themselves are
well enough satisfied with the German
rule, for although they cannot be law
'ess under the Germans, they can bet
ter market their fish in Bremen and
Hamburg, and they are much cleaner
ind more prosperous. Order, cleanli
less and prosperity are three things
that follow German rule. On this Is
land Richard Mansfield, the great act
or, was born when his father was
tatloned here as an army officer.
Kiel Is the home of the German
navy, the seat of the commander of
the navy, and the Imperial Naval
icademy. A better natural harbor
than Kiel's would be hard to Imagine
a narrow bay cutting deep Into the
and. Magnificent harbor fortifica
tions have transformed It Into a model
sarbor for ships of battle.
Kiel also guards the eastern end of
the Kaiser Wilhelm canal that was
built In 1905 from Kiel to the Elbe
tcross Schleswlg-Holsteln'e neck. The
building of this canal was a strategic
rather than a commercial enterprise,
ind It makes It possible for the war
mips to be transferred from the Bal
llo to the North sea without going
iround Denmark. The whole thing
, a very good example of modern
i fill
. - ut $ "i. i V
I-
an technique and hydraulic ea-
am
glneering, and cost the kaiser $39,000,
000. The canal is 113 miles long, 67
meterB wide and nine meters deep,
making It possible for the largest war
ships to go through.
Since the Germans obtained pos
session of the island, enormous sums
have been spent upon fortifications,
and so on, including $30,000,000 spent
on protecting the coast from erosion.
Probably It will never be known
how many millions Germany has
spent In strengthening the place. But
it is known that a million and a half
was spent in Improving the harbor
as an anchorage for torpedo craft.
Millions have been spent In forti
fications and the construction of pow
der magazines, while refuges have
been built for the inhabitants as a
protection against the island being
shelled by an enemy.
Two hundred feet from the water
there stand a series of big gun bat
teries and armored turrets.
For purposes of protection, a cliff
of granite was built, so that now the
island to a large extent possesses
cliffs which are purely artificial. In
addition, hundreds of tons of cement
were used to strengthen the face of
the' natural rock.
Most of the people depend for their
livelihood upon the lobster and other
fisheries, together with their harvest
from the summer visitors. They live
to long years, and have as their na
tive tongue the North Frisian dialect.
Once Overrun With Smugglers.
In 1807 Great Britain obtained the
island from the Danes. When she
took possession of the island. It was
the "jumping ground" of a horde of
smugglers; there being practically no
room left on the Island which was
free from kegs and human beings.
At the time the island was traded
to Germany there was great dissat
isfaction Bhown in each country. It
was recognized by many far-BeoIng
men that so long as we possessed
Heligoland the Island was in the po
sition of a menace to Germany.
Those Germans who objected to the
bargain were sore that Germany did
not obtain a much larger territory;
Heligoland
even Bismarck said they had ex
changed a pair of trousers for a mere
button. It was then that the plateau
was fortified.
Quite recently some of the most
massive guns produced by Krupps'
were placed there, while provisions
were. laid In sufficient to withstand
siege of three years. Money, in fact
was spent like water that the Island
Bhould become the North sea store
house of the German fleet.
Activities of Women.
Japan's empress is making bandages
for the Red Cross nurseB.
Queen Elena of Italy Is an Ideal
true wife and mother.
The Swedish parliament has re
jected the woman suffrage bill.
Paris dressmakers are now busily
engaged In making hospital garments.
Several hundred women Industrial
workers In the state of Washington
have asked the labor commissioner
for permission to work for less than
the minimum wages prescribed by
law.
Mrs. Laura C. Kellogg, a full-blooded
Indian, acts as a lobbyist for her race
in Washington and always sees to It
that the Indian gets a fair hearing
before congressional committees.
Tbe percentages of failures among
women students at Leland Stanford
university ts only from 1 to 1 per
'cent, while that of the men range
from 11 to 13 Vi per cent
Sure.
"Isn't It foolish for people to drink
out ot bottles In the dark without
knowing what they contain?"
"Yes, but before the pure food law
went Into effect people were always
drinking out ot bottles without know
ing what they contained."
SAVING ON LAUNDRY bills
Frequent Pressing Will Do Much To
ward Preserving Appearance of
the Thin Garments.
The woman whose ambition It is to
always look well dressed will pay spe
cial attention to the pressing cf her
garments. A linen shirt waist or suit j
should be pressed after each wearing.
All thin waists and dresses can be
worn twice as long before being laun
dered if they are pressed often. They
are UBually more mussed than soiled
when put In the wash. Garments which
must be pressed on the wrong side,
but which need a touch on the right
side, may be pressed very nicely pro
vided a piece of smooth tissue paper is
used to protect the goods from the hot
iron. When Ironing silks and ribbons
the uee of tissue paper will prevent
them from becoming shiny.
A white frock or blouse that is soiled
in places, but not enough to require
laundering, may be much improved
by the following method: Dissolve
some gloss starch In warm water,
moisten the soiled portions with this
mixture and press carefully. The gar
ment will look almost as good as new
and may be worn several times with
out laundering.
Lingerie waistB will not get mussed
nearly ae soon and are much easier to
iron when subjected to the following
method: Wash as usual, but do not
starch. When dry, dip In borax water,
using one tablespoonful of borax to
one quart of warm water. Wring out
and fold In a towel for a few hours,
then Iron dry,
VARIOUS USES FOR HERBS
All That Are Grown In the Garden
Have Their Peculiar Qualities
That Should Be Understood.
Save:
Mint, for meat sauces.
Angelica, for flavoring cakes.
Lavender, for oil and distilled water.
Sage, for Bausage and meat dress
ings.
Sweet fennel, leaves used in fish
sauces.
Dill, the seeds are used to flavor
pickles.
Borage, leaves boiled as dandelion
or spinach.
Thyme, in gravies and dressings of
stuffed meats.
Chives, leaves used for flavoring
soups and salads.
Borage, balm and catnip are useful
where one has bees.
Tarragon, leaves useful In giving
flavor to vinegar and pickles.
Coriander, fennel and caraway seeds
are used for flavoring fruit sirups and
cakes.
Among those having medicinal value
are arnica, hops, catnip, bene, penny
royal, belladonna, sage, rue, horehound,
marshmallow, wormwood, hyssop and
peppermint. -
Fig and Nut Jelly.
Wash a cupful of pulled figs in cold
water. Put over a slow fire with twn
cupfuls of cold water and stew figs un.
cu tenaer. skim out figs and to the
juice add one-half cupful of sugar and
boll until it is like thin sirup (there
should be one cupful of liquid). Chop
figs and one-quarter cupful of shellnd
pecans not very fine. Soak one-half
box of gelatine In one cupful of cold
water for half an hour. To the gela
tine add one-half teaspoonful of lemon
juice, and to the flg sirup add one-half
cunful of boilintr water. Strain thmirh
fine sieve or piece of cheesecloth.
When nearly set, add nuts and figs.
Turn Into molds and set In onnl niano
for three hours, Serve with whipped
cream.
To Peel a Tomato.
The tomato season Is with us, and
many a housekeeper would be glad to
know how to slip the skin off without
the use of boiling water. Press the
back or blunt part of knife against the
tomato, keep pressing around from
center to core, two or three times,
without breaking the sklni then strip
off, with the same result as using hot
water. This la easy to do and Is espe
cially nice In summer, when you prefer
tomatoes cold for salad.
Creamed Celery,
Remove the leaves and small stalks
from two heads of celery, wash and
cut in half-Inch lengths. Boll in salted
water until tender. While the celery
Is boiling make a sauce of one cupful
of cream or thick milk and one table
spoonful of butter mixed with flour.
Boil the sauce until It is smooth and
thick. When the celery Is ready, drain
and place It In a dish, pour over the
lauce and serve.
Keeping Lemons.
Lemons may be kept soft and fr.w
for some time either by keeping them
In a Jar of water or by coating each
lemon with white of egg. Two or three
whites will be sufficient tor a great
many lemons. Roll them In the white
ind let them dry. When they are re
quired for use rub the coating oft with
rour nanus.
T Cook an Egg.
Have the water boiling rapidly, then
break the egg Into It and set It on top
at the stove, or where It will keep
warm for three minutes; then serve.
The egg will be Jellied all tbe way
through. This Is the beat way to cook
It tor a little child.
Jam and Marmalade Hint
When making jam or marmalade)
idd a piece of butter about the six ot
in egg before removing !t from the)
lire. This makes the fruit look clear
rUhout skimming it
PREPARING THE SALAD
IMPORTANT POINTS THAT MUST
BE, REMEMBERED.
Flavor Should Be Varied, and That la
by No Means a Hard Task Mix
the Dish Immediately Be
' fore 8ervlng.
Avoid giving all salads the same
taste by flavoring them with some
condiment one is perhaps over-fond
of. Variety 1b the main spice of
salads as of life. While connoisseurs
all agree that pure, fresh olive oil Is
the best for salads, there are people
who prefer the fat smoked bacon and
relish Its flavor above all else.
It Is well to remember that we
should know how to substitute ona
condiment or another,, if necessary,
md not go saladlesa for want of one
particular flavoring material.
Salt is perhaps the one indispensa
ble seasoning, and of all flavoring
lubstances the onion Is the moBt valu
able and enjoyable to all, even to
those who would not willingly eat
the salad if they knew the onion had
been used. For use In salads, how
Bver, the onions must be mild In flavor
ind their presence cunningly con
cealed. Salads of all kinds should be gently
handled. That Is, they should not be
heavily turned, but mixed In a very
large bowl, by running the fork and
spoon down the sides of the dish and
then gently tossing the salad with an
upward movement, letting It mix as It
falls back.
In mixing a plain lettuce or 'other
green salad It Is well to put the oil on
first and then carefully toss the leaves
iibout until all are covered, In every
part, with a thin coating of the oil.
Then add the other Ingredients and
toss again. A small quantity of oil
Is sufficient when this method of thor
ough mixing is observed.
Lettuce should always be very care
Tully cleaned several hours before it ia
wanted and then wrapped In a wet
iloth and put directly on Ice until it is
wanted.
A salad should never be mixed un
til Just before It is to be served.
The various accompaniments of a
Balad add much to its attractiveness.
One thing full of possibilities is the
wafer. These should always be crisp,
and If they are damp they can l
irisped in the oven. Small wafers
flavored with cheese are delicious with
salad. Sp are thin salt wafers dotted
with butter and sprinkled with pep
per and browned in the oven. These
3hould be served hot. ' .
Then there is the cheese of various
sorts that is served with salad. Im
ported cheese, naturally, is going up
In price because of the war, but noth
ing Is better than Philadelphia cream
jheese, made into little balls and
rolled In ground nut meats, or with
two halves of walnuts or pecans
pressed Into the Bides of a cheese
ball.
American domestic cheese sprinkled
on wafers which are heated in the
oven is also decidedly appetizing.
! Stuffed Cucumbers.
Peel the cucumbers, cut them In
halves lengthwise and scoop out the
seeds. Mix together equal parts of
finely chopped cooked veal and ham,
add half the quantity of fine bread
crumbs, moisten with melted butter
and season with pepper, salt and a
few drops of onion Juice. Fill the
cucumbers, place the halves together
and tie with soft twine. Put them In
a baking pan, pour in one cupful of
stock and bake until tender. Remove
the twine, put the cucumbers on a hot
platter, thicken the gravy In the pan,
pour It over and around the cucum
bers and serve.
Clean Up Rubbish.
If you, the housewife, get a wee hit
tired of the dally round sometimes,
vow a vow and keep It.
Each housecleanlng time throw
away or give away or sell everything
that you do not need. Let all the
rooms have nothing superfluous, but
be particular to have the sleeping
rooms bo simply furnished that five
minutes will suflice to set one in order
and one hour to clean it thoroughly.
Evaporated Apple Pies.
One-quarter box of evaporated ap
ples and one half pound of rhubarb,
to a pie. Soak the apples over night
Peel and cut rhubarb in small pieces.
Use the usual amount of sugar for ap
ple pies, a pinch of salt and a few
bits of butter. Can use a little spice
If you like. The rhubarb gives the
Davor of green apples.
Cauliflower Au Parmesan.
Cook the cauliflower In boiling salted
water until tender and break it intn
small branches. Butter a baklne dish
put in the cauliflower with stems
down, cover with white sauce, sprinkle
with two tableipoonfuls of grated
parmesan, cover with buttered crumbs
and bake until brown.
Broiled Green Peppers,
Cut young green peppers Into quar
tars, remove the seeds and partitions
place on a greased broiler, cook over a
clear fire until the edges curl, sprinkle
with a dash of salt, dot with bit of
batter and serve on cooked beef.
For Fin Collar and Cuff.
Before washing fine lace or muslin
collars arid cuffs always baste them
onto a pice of heavier muslin. You will
and It excellent to prevent their tear
ing or stretching In the process ot
laundering.