The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-09-03
BILL SMILEY AND THE WIDOW,

Dill SWiIEI AMI ne WIOSWI
"Wife," said Ed Wilbur, one
morning as he sat stirring his coffee
with one hand and holding a plum
cake with the other, and looked
across the table into the bright eyes
of his little wife, wouldn't it be q
good joke TO get Bachelor Bill Smi-
ley to take Widow Watson to Rob.
inson's show next week ?"
"You can't do it, Ed, he wouldn't
ask her, he's so awfully shy. Why,
he came by here the other day when
l was hanging out the clothes, and
he looked over the fence and spoke,
but when he saw me shake out a
night gown he blushed and went
away"
81 think 1 can manage it," said Ed,
but I'll have to lie just little. But
then it wouldn't do much harm un-
der the circumstances, for l know
she likes him, and he don't dislike
her /; but, as you say, he is so shy.
Pll just 60 over to his place to bor-
row some bags of him, and if 1 don't
bag him before l come back, then
don't kiss me for week, Nellie"
$50 saying, Ed started, and while
he is moving the fields, we will take
a look at Bill Smiley. He was rath.
er good looking fellow, though his
hair and whiskers showed some
grey hairs, and he wore a set of ar.
tificial teeth. But every one said he
was a good soul, and so he was. He
had as good a hundred acre farm as
any in Norwich, with new house
and everything comfortable, and il
he wanted q wife, many a girl would
have jumped at the chance, like a
rooster on grasshopper. But Bill
was 80 bashtul-always was-and
when Susan Berrybottle, whom he
was so sweet with, though he nev Ell
said boo to her, got married to old
Watson, he just drew in his head
like a mud turtle into it's shell, and
there was no getting him out again
though it had been noticed thai
since Susan had become a widow
he had paid more attention to biz
clothes, and had been very regular
in his attendance at the church the
fair widow attended.
But here comes Ed Wilbur.
Good morning Mr.. Smiley"
"Good morning Mr.. Wilbur
what's the news your way ?"
"Oh, nothing particular, that ]
know Of" said Ed, "only Old John
Robinson's show that everybody is
talking about, and everybody and
his girl is going to. was over 10
old Sockriders last night, and sec
his son Gus has got a new buggy
and was scrubbing up his harness
and he has got that white-faced col
of his as slick as a seal. l under
stand that he thinks of taking widow
Watson to the show. He's beer
hanging around there a good deal o
late, but Ed just cut him ont, so
would. Susan is nice little woman
and deserves better man than tha
young pup Of fellow though
would not blame her much either i
she likes him, for she must be awfu
lonesome, and then she has to LEI
her farm out on shares and it is moi
half worked, and no one else seems
to have spunk to speak up to her
By jingo ! if l were single man I'd
show you trick or two"
So saying, Ed borrowed some
bags and started for home to tel
Nellie whathe had set in train.
About five o'clock that evening
they saw Bill go by with his horse
and buggy on his way to the wild
ow's. He logged along quietly
thinking of the old singing schoo
days-and what pretty girl Susar
was then, and wondering inwardly
if he would have the moral courag,
now to talk up to her, until at dis
tance of about quarter OF a mil,
from her house he came to a bridge
over a large creek, and it so happen
ed that just as he reached the mid
die of the bridge he gave tremen.
dous sneeze and blew his teeth on
of his mouth, and clear over tn
dashboard, and striking on tn
planks they rolled over the side O
the bridge and dropped into the wa
ter.
Words cannot do justice to poo
Bill or paint the expression of hi
face as he sat there, completed
dumbfounded at that startling piec
of ill luck. After while he step
ped out of his buggy, and gettin;
down on his hands and knees look
ed over into the water. Yes, ther
they were at the bot ON, with
crowd of little fishes rubbing thei
noses against them. His beautifu
teeth that had cost so much, and tn
show coming on and no time TO ge
get another set, and the widow, an,
Sockrider. Well, he must try an,
get them somehow, and no time t
lose, for some one might come alon,
and ask him what he was foolin,
along there for. He had no notioI
of spelling his good clothes by wad
ing in with them on, and beside,
he did that he could not go to tn
Widows that night, so he took a lon,
look up the road to see that no on
was in sight, and then quickly M
dressed himself, laying his clo,he
in the buggy to keep them clean
Then he ran down the bank into tn
icy cold water. His teeth did no
chatter in his head, he only wishe,
they could. Quietly he wade,
along SO as not to stir up the mud
and when he got to the right spo
he dropped under the water an,
came up with his teeth in his hand
and replaced them in his mouth.
But bark ! What noise is that
A wagon and a little dog barkin,
with all his might, and his horse
starting.
"Whoa whoa you brute, stop |!
But stop he would not, but went O
at spanking pace with the unfortr
nate bachelor after him and the littl
dog yelping after the bachelor. Bi
was certainly in good running Cos
fupoa hut tbouoh b. ,+ro;nod o,or