The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-02-21
M Y WIDO w.
BY SHIRLEY BROWNE.


Dacneior-t"h me man past forty simpl,
made a fool OF himself by matrimony,
IeWk>bE.y-i man who is notorious TO
never mlrdlhS his own buSiEesS-told M
she had made 3 love affair with Harry ,ir
mln2 ham, before he went South.
Allen shook his head, and said Car.
myers might bc very pretty, but he liket
somebody maturer and more settled. On. B
lie married his hOusekeeper the mex
week, and she is mature enough for Ma
thuSaleh himsefD
Eyerybo lg thought WAS trying q dan
gerous KIP nrirnent, but I didn't pretend t.
SUIT eVelyb 'dy-So | simply suited myself
L went Quietly 70 church with Clara Myers
and married her Goe glorious January morn.
ing, when the caves OF old St. Paul's were
trnged with glItte,iag icicles. and the brisk
wind was freig GIFTED with particles of flying
snow, like battalion OF diamonds on the
double quick.
She was nineteen, and [ was nine-and
thirty. She was as beautiful as rosebud
with shy, pretty way, like a timd child
and am rough old cOdger, sound enough
at heart, but like winter apple, unpromis.
ing on the exterior.
In short, we were as unlike as May and
November, and the good-natured world
shook its head, and said, no good could
come of such an unequal match" But she
said she loyed me, and L believed her. No
body could l-Ok into Clara's blue ewes and
not believe her. you see.
And the next day made will. and be-
queathed all my property, Internationally
TO my wife.
Are you sure you are doing wise thing,
MIR. Folliott" said Mardyn, the lawyer
pushing his blue spectacles up on his fore
head. until he looked like bald old gnome.
with double pair of eyes. You see. she
Is very much Ounger than your self, and"
"Plea>e 10 be SO kind as to mind your
own business, said brusquely Don't
be offended, Mardyn, but really, people
suppose am not able to attend to my own
affairs
Just as you please" said Mardyn, in
rage: Il am mere tool in your hands :"
That's it, exactly" said L. So | signed
the will and went home 10 Clara.
'Oh, Paul, you must not di- :" said Clara
with scared look, when told her what
had dohe. Nobody ever loved HE as truly
and generously as you have done. and /
don't know what | should do if you were
taken away!'
There was young Birmingham, if all
reports were true" l mischeviously be
gan. but the curl on Clara's lip stopped me.
"A mere butterfly" she said haughtily.
without either brains or principle. P4uI,
Paul, have found shelter in your true,
loving heart, and / mean to nestle there al
wsys!1
And then she cried-thls foolish soft
hearted little wife ofmiue.
Jones and Tewksbury might have called
ihis policy. Farnnm would nave said il was
acting. But it was very pleasant, and |
ielt more than ever like man who has
found some precious Jewel, and wears it,
like an amulet, ON his breast.
So things went on until the firm of which
was managing partner, needed to send
some one TO Calcutta to see after a turbaned
scounCrel OF an agent, who had absconded
with more money than we could well af-
ford to lose. Morrison was old and feeble
Hewitt ; wife lay very i'll, so was the one
to 60. | kissed Clara goodbye as cheer
iuily as could, fully expecting to be back
III thrte months or SO. But-yOu know the
old French adage-" L'hOmme propose, ct
D.eu dispose -
had TO follow the agent up into the
mountains of India-I fell i'll CT one OF those
Burning climate feyers in the bungalow OF
an Old native priest, and the months flew
by, untll it was more than year before |
found myself on the deck of the :. Blue
eyed Mary" steaming into New York
harbor.
And, all this time, Clara had never heard
q word from me!
| had written to her to prepare her for
what seemed almost like my rising from the
deaI, but had afterward found my letters
IN Tie pocket OF the Deglectful native serv-
ant wno had undertaken to deliver the
mails 10 thu Calcutta office.
but II doa't matter so much nOW!" |
tnought; she will be the more delighted,
poor little girl"
Ard then cold chill seemed to creep
through all my veins, like November's
wihd suddenly breathing across u bed of
f1owersi
Clara mad heard nothing of me for nearly
fifteen months-what might not have hap
pensd in that time? Ali that Tewksbury,
and Jones, and Allen, and all the other
prophetic ravens of my acquaintance had
sald. REQUIRED to my mind, like the burden
OF an uneasy dream. had been counting
tht Gays, the hours, the very minutes until
we should touch port, but now that my feet
rang ONE more upon the pavement of my
hafiVe city, L actually dared not 90 home.
turned INTO downtown restaurant,
where had been wont to 90, in the DAYS of
my bac lelorhood, and SUNK into :, dark
coiher-the twilight was just falling, and
was Sheltered by The partition.
lush! that was Tewksbury's voice
harsh and iarring, as of old.
Jus what might have been expected"
said Tewksbury. pretty and yonng
wi7ow5 cont 60 begging in this market,'
IF. l'iou might have known it, growIed
OLD Farnum. "Po0r Follintt! there was
some good points about him, too. Sad
'h'ng that! very sad thing?"
gravely.
Yes, but fellow would naturally prefer
nyInSin is bed to being carried off by n
E.S. Indian fever and buried in the jun
gle,''
sfuddered. Had then come home to
NY own funeral as iG were?
Ana she s got to marry Young BirIuing-
nam. after all ~ added F.trnum,
me paper dropped flou NV hand,
con'd nave told Fnlliott so. when
hea, W WI ~ confomdad idiotic will he had
ms"ef 'adTewksh,lrv. So ooid has tai
nj, ht! S"io Out To-
''ayed to hear no more. bu. st-ooo..,,
on in the darkness with one leo, HT,i.,;'
thr'u my dizzy brain-lny Garry was WAS
miHe no longer. was
II was quite true, what Tewk .burv had
saii. might have anticipated some such
end She was too young, too lovely for
such I"ugh old fellow as was. Nv
widow-what a curious sensation the words
gave me as mentally pronounced them.
nder my own windows. with the ruby
rec light shining through wine -colOred dam
Eh curtnius, stood there fee.ing as Rp
sar W!n'tle might have felt In the play
nhr DEAD man walking the earth once
o'e. Nlces and lights were within. 1
ppinned The door softly, and crept into the