Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-06-25
BILL AND THE WIDOW.

"Wife," said Ed. Wilbur one morn
i,;; as he s:.t stirring his coffee will, OH.
hand anil holding Il plum cake OIL his
knee with the other, and looked across
the table into the bright eyes Of his
little wife, "would'nt it he Il good joke
to get bachelor Bill Smiley to take
Widow Watson to Barnuln's show next
week."
''You can't Il" it, El; he won't ask
h.r; hos s." awful shy. Why, he came
|y here the other morning when | was
l,n%inS ont the clothes, ami he ln'l1c.l
over the fence and spoke, hut when ]
shook ont u night gown lie 'i,,Silcd like
Il girl and went away"
81 think 1 can manage it" said FL. j;
''b,t I'll have to lie just II little. But
then it wouldn't be much harm nn,lcr
the circumstances. for know she likes
him, and he don't dislike her; but Just
as you say, he's $" SHY. I'll just 20
over to his place to borrow some bags of
him, and if I don't bag him before 1
come back, don't kiss me for a week,
Nelly"
So saying, Ed. started, and while he
is moving the fields, We will take IL Look
ut Bill Smiley. lie was rather n go~l-
looking fellow, though his hair and
whiSl>crs showed som" gray heirs, and
he hal got in u set of artificial teeth.
But every one said h. w;,s Il goo,l soul,
and 81 he was. He had as good hun
drcd acr" farm us any in Norwich, with
Il now house AMI everything comfort
able, and if he wanted a wife, many I,
girl would hive jumped ut the chance
like IL r'rs'tcr on - gr;rs*I'"rpcr. But
Bill was 50 ln.shful always was-:,'l
when Susan BerryIuttlc, whom Inc was
s., sweet on, though II" never said
''boo" to her, got married to old Watt
son, he Just drew in his head like IL mud
turtle into his shell, and there was no
getting him out again, though it had
been noticed that since S,,sal had H.
come widow he had paid more attcn-
ton to his clothes, and had been very
regular in Attendance ut the church the
fair widow attended.
But here comes Ell. Wilbur.
"Good morning., Mr.. Smiley"
"Good mcrning, Mr.. Wilbur, what's
the news Your way?"
"Oh, nothing particular, that know
Of" said Ed, "only Barnum's show
that everybody is talking about, and
everybody AMI his girl is going too. 1
WAS over to old Sockridcrs last night,
and 81" his son Gus. has got IL new
buggy, and was scr,,hbing up his har-
ness, and he's got that whitehead colt
of his as slick us Il seal. L understand
he thinks Of taking widow Watson to
the show. He's been i: hanging around
there q good deal of late, but Id just
like to cut him out, would. Susan is
II nice little woman, and deserves II bet
ter man than that young pup Of !, fell
low, though I would not blame her
m,,cl, either if she takes him, for she
must bc drcadfully Lonesome, aud then
she has to lot her farm out on shares,
and it isn't half worked, and no one
else seems to have the .punk t. speak
up I" her. By jingo! If I were Il single
man I'd show you II trick or two"
So saying, E,l. borrowed some bags
and started around the corner of tho
barn, where he had left Bill sweeping
and put his car to Il knot-liole and lis
tened, knowing the bachelor had Il h"bi
of talking to himself when anything
worried him.
"Confonnd that young hagri,ler =
said Bill, "what business has he there
I'll like to know? Got II new buggy
has he? Well, SO have 1, and u new
harness too! and his horse can't get i,
sight of mine and 7 declare, I've hal
- mind to-ycs, I will f! l'lIgo this yer,
night and ask her to 20 to the SHOW
with me-. I'll show Ell. Wilbur that
.in't such IL calf as he thinks I am. if
did let old Watson get the st;,rt Of Ill
in the first place -
E'l. could scarce help laughing out
ri,l,i, but he hastily |itcl,cd the ba:.
on his shoulder, and with Il low cl,,cki
ut his success, started home to tell I'll,
news to Nelly; AMI about five o'cl,n
that evening they saw Bill 60 by wit
his horse and buggy on his way to Il,
Widows. He logged along uuietl,
thinking of the old singing school day
anil what Il pretty girl Susan Was the
and wondering imwarlly il he woul
have more courage now t" talk up t
her, until 1T II distance of about Il mil
from her house llo came to q bridge
over a large crcek--and it SO happcnc
that just as he reached the middle 1,
the bridge, he gave a trcmcnln,,
sncczr, AMI blew his teeth ont OF hi
mouth, and clear over the dash -l,oar
and striking on the planks they role
over the side of the bridge, and droppc
int" four feet Of water.
Words cannot Il" justice to poor Ri
or paint the expression of his face as !,
sat there completely dunlhf"uml"l I:
his startling piece Of i'll luck. Aft
awhi'" he stepped out of nix buggy an
getting down ." his hands and knee;
looked over int" the water, eyes, tlrr
they w"r'',' at the bottom with
Of little Il 'llc:; rulA.:.
against them
) ness; -