Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1873-12-10
OUTWITTING A WIDOW.

fool-she was q widow of forty-to set
her cap for young Sam Spencer, who
was only twenty-four. If / was her
brother-in-law, and if Ben had said to
me as he did, "Richard, always be kind
to Margaret Ann" / couldn't help
seeing that. The fact of the matter is,
that, as a general thing, widows do
make fools Of themselves oftener than
girls.
In this case admit the age-was the
only obstacle. Sam was q good young
man, above selling himself to q woman
old enough to be his mother. for her
money-bags. Sam was a clerk in the
store. I was poor Ben's partner. I'd
tried to buy the widow out. 1 said
over and over again, Margaret Ann,
you have plenty and to spare, why not
retire?" But you see she wouldn't.
Ben had left his share of the furniture
to her, and she wouldn't drop it. After
awhile I found out the reason. 1t was
Sam Spencer.
That is why she liked to sail about
the store in her dead black silk /: that is
why she was always finding some excuse
to hand down that part of the stock he
had in hand, mixing everything up and
giving him no end Of trouble.
You see couldn't help it. The con-
Germ paid, and widow Wood owned just
as much as did. I'll said, Margaret
Ann, go home," she could have said,
"I've q right here" That was it. She
never waited on q customer. She never
did anything but bother and pry. She
had no children to occupy her, and she
brought her white poodle along with
her. $50 lonesome, she said she was,
in the big house opposite and that was
why she had us come to tea so much of
late.
Well, this went on for more than a
year. Big eyes at Sam, sweet smiles.
soft peaches / used to wonder whether
old Ben knew how soon he had been
| forgotten. To be sure he was sixty
when he died-a bald-headed, stoop-
shouldered man, with solemn ways
about him but she'd been his wife for
twenty-three years, and though I'm a
| bachelor know what feelings ought to
be. And Ben was my brother, too. l
hope it wasn't wicked of me to make up
my mind to put an end to her capers,
as far as Sam went, and tell him that
We wanted young lady as cashier ;
and why not? and if Lilly Rathbone
could leave Grigg & Crater, I'd give her
the place. Sam was in love with Lilly,
knew that, but Margaret Ann had not
seen her
Margaret Ann" said 1, one day, Eve
will have q new cashier to-day. We
need one, and have engaged one."
"Well, said Margaret Ann, perhaps
We do. 1 hope he's a nice young man
and good-looking. Good looks attract
custom"
81 am glad you coincide with me, i"
says /, and laughed to myself, for l
knew Margaret Ann was thinking of
somebody else to firt with. But 1 said
nothing.
1t was fun to see her face change when
she saw Lilly behind the counter next
day. And she gave it to me in the pri-
vate Office can tell you. She hated
females about store, and she didn't
like Lilly's looks. 1 could laugh at her,
however, there. had good references
with Lilly, and signed q written con-
tract with her for six months. She was
to be cashier, you know, as 1 told you.
Margaret Ann couldn't help herself,
and 1 suppose she knew it, for she said
nothing after that, and Sam and Lilly
were as happy as young birds. ! be-
lieve he proposed to her behind my
counter; ! knew he did it somewhere,
and knew he was accented
"Lord bless you," says TO myself,
"and help you to build your nest. I'm
not crusty if am q bachelor"
A few days after 1 found Margaret
Ann in the Office in towering rage,
with her face flaming.
"Richard," says she. "a woman is
always right about another woman.
Men admire q pretty face-so they are
always blinded by it. 1t was always SO
with Mr.. Wood. Many time he's
thought a woman everything that was
splendid, until proved that she wasn't
BY telling him things. Now I've found
out about your Lilly Rathbone. She's
exactly what thought-e1actly."
"Well, what is ?" says l.
mo better than she should be" Gays
Margaret Ann. 81 saw her kiss Sam
Spencer behind the counter this blessed
morning."
"And he didn't want her to, suppose,
and hallooed for help? 2" says L
"You know what men are, says she |;
"of course he kissed her back"
Didn't he kiss her first 2" says I.
"well, she let him, anyhow" says
she.
"well," says I, 81 suppose You used
to kiss Ben after you were engaged, II
not before?"
"What has that to do with it ?" says
she. "Why, they-at least-did he
propose her coming here, Richard ?"
NO" said I 'but they are engaged,
Margaret Ann"
"Don't believe it." says she.
Its gospel truth, says l.
And then-well, 1 didn't mind it; it
didn't hurt me q bit-but that woman
turned around and slapped me In the
lace, she was SO hopping mad.
"Such actions in q respectable store
You depraved brute !" says she, and
marched out and didn't come back for a
week, for which was truly thankful:
When she did come she was all smiles
and amiability and she talked to Lilly
and smiled at Sam, and she really did
come out beautifully, considering. Lilly
took great notion to her.
what q nice pleasant lady Mrs.
Wood is u she said, as we were folding
things MP that night; land 80 pretty
for her age think she is splendid.
"Glad to hear it. T"
sDear me r. she said, with her head
under the counter.
'Sister-in-law, you know" said ;
zone of the family; it won't do to
praise her too much"
"Oh, wasn't thinking of what you
were sayingr' said she. I'm sur
prised about my key, I'm sure hung
it here. A little brass door-key, with a
nick in the handle and piece of pink
ribbon tied to it. can't think where
it is gone"
Well. we looked everywhere. We
unrolled packages and peeped into
boxes, and poked down cracks in the
I L. <ynAt