The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1874-02-20
SaistaIIaneOas Solutions.
THE WIDOW WOOD.

l don't say brother Ben's widow
wasn't good looking for her age and
lsize. Then, too, she had q pretty
penny left her. And she might have
married well if she Wanton TO change
her condition, but you see, Margaret
Ann was fool-she was a widow OF
forty-to set her cap for young Sam
Spencer, who was only tWenty-four
If Was her brother-in-lsW, and il
Ben had said to me, as he did, erich
ard, always be kind to Margaret
Ann,". l 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 that age was
the only obstacle. Sam was 8 good
young man, above selling himself to
woman old enough to be his moth
er, for her money bags. Sam was q
clerk in the store. l was poor Ben S
partner. I'd tried to buy the widow
ont. I'd said over and over again,
margaret Ann, you have plenty and
to spare, why do you not retireT
but you see she wouldn't drop it.
After while 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 every
thing up and giving no end Of troub-
lie.
You see, couldn't help it. The
concern paid, and widow Wood own.
ed Just as much of it as I did. If 1
said, "Margaret Ann, go home" she
could have said, "I've right here"
That was it. She never waited on
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
often of late.
Well this went on for nearly 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, bald headed, stoop-
shouldered man with solemn ways
about him, but she'd been his wife
for twenty-three years, and though
I'm bachelor l know what feelings
ought to be. And Ben was my bro
ther, too. ! hope it wasn't wicked
of me to mako up my mind to put an
and to her captors, 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,
l knew that, but Margaret Ann had
not seen her.
"Margaret Ann" said l one day,
''we will have q new cashier today.
We need one, and I have engaged
one"
Well" said Margaret Ann, ''per-
haps we do. l hope he's a nice
young man and good looking. Good
looks attract CUSTOM"
81 am glad you coincide with me-"
says /, and laughed to myself, for l
knew Margaret Ann was thinking Of
somebody else to fiirt with. But /
ssid nothing.
1t was fun TO see her change when
she saw Lilly behind the counter
next day. And she gave it to me in
the private office, 1 can tell you. She
hated females about a store, and she
didn't like Liily's looks. l could
laugh at her, however, there. had
good references with Lilly, and sign
ed written contract with her for six
months. She was to be cashier, you
know, as 1 told you. Margaret Ann
couldn't help her self, and suppose
she knew it, for she said nothing af-
ter that. and Sam and Lilly were as
happy as young birds. 1 believed
he proposed to her behind my cOun-
ter; knew he did it somewhere, and
knew he was accepted.
"Lord bless you" says to myself,
Sand help you to build your nest.
I'm not crusty, if I am an old bach
elor."
A few days after found Margaret
Ann in the office in towering rage,
with her face flaming.
Richard" says she, ga woman is
always right about another woman.
Men admire q pretty face, so they
are always blinded by it. 1t was al
ways so with Mr.. Wood. Many
time he's thought a woman every
thing that was splendid until I've
proved that she.wasn't by telling him
things. Now I've found out about
your Lilly Rathbone. She's exactly
what I tho't-exactly."
swell, what is it?' says /.
"Not what she should be-" says
Margaret Ann. 81 saw her kiss Sam