Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-04-22
BILL AND TINE WIDOW.

BILL AND VUk WvUVWs
WIFE, raid Ed. Wilbur one morning, ~ no
sat stirring his coffee with one hand and holding
/. r,,m c,Lo an b,s l,a. v;,h tha o.bar and
p,uw 'AAo ou n.' ."se WIN s.s o.no'' ~u.
looked ACROSS the table into the pfight eyes OF
Of his little wife, ''wouldn't 1t be good Joke 10
.,.. h.,,.,,r nil, s,,;,.v =, ,.La w;do- w.t.o,
, o'
10 nAshu" Sho" no7e "eeA'
You can't do IL, Ed; ho won't ask her ; he's
no awful sbv. Why. he came by here the other
,,,-,;,- ~, ~. h.rc,,. ort ,h. o,o.,,..
uo'n"S Nue. "A' A."s.'e ous ""e .''Ie ,
and he looked over the fence and spoke, but
4 girl aud went away,|
ar th,,k "a, manage n " said IA. ..but ri
49,. 49,.
nave 70 lie Just h'tAe. But theh IL ~ou'dnt
be much harm under the circumstances, for
know she likes him and he don't dislike her
,,,. ,,., a. ,o,, ..u 49,. :, ,,,,, IN ,,., ~
ou' lust ~ you say nes ~ sny' l" JUS. 70
over 70 his place TO borrow some bags OF him.
ana II don't Dag MN nefore come oack, doht
kiss me for week, Nelly"
10 saying. Ed. started, and while be is NOW
ing the heldSt we Will tAko . look a. Bill smiley
He was rather . good.looking fellow, though
his hair and whisksrs showed some gray hairs,
and he had got IN set OF artihoAi teeth But
every one said ne was good soui, Ana 80 he
was lie had ~ good hundred acre Iarm as
any in Norwich, with new house and every
thing comfortable, and II he wanted . wife
many girl would nave Jumped ~ the Snsnce
like rooster on . grasshopper. But BILL was
NO bashful-always was-and when susan Berry
bottle, whom he was 30 sweet on, though he
never said "boo" to her. got married to old
watson, no Just drew IN his head IKE mud ttr-
tie into his shell, and there was no getting him
out again, though IL had been noticed that since
Susan had become widow he had paid more At
tention to his clotLes, and had been very regular
in attendance at the church the fair widow At
tended
But here comes Ed; Wilbur.
"aood morning, Mr. SMILEY
"dood morning, Mr.. Wilbur, what's the news
your wayf'
"Oh, nothing particular, that know Of, said
talking about, And everybody and his girl IL 60.
ing TOO. was over to old socxnoers . laAt night,
and see his son GINS: has got new buggy, and
was scrubblng up his harness, and he's got that
whte-faced colt OF his - slick - seal. un-
the show. He's been hanging around there
good deal OF late, but I'd Just like TO cut him
out, would. Susan is moe little WOMAN, And
deserves better man than thst young pup OF .
fellow, though would not blame her much ell
ther II she takes him, for she must be dreAdful-
ly lonesome, and then she has TO let her farm
out on shares and 1t isn't half worked, and no
one else seems to have the spunk to speak up to
her. by jingo il were . single man Id show
you trick or two" ..I.
30 saying. Ed. borrowed some bags and started
around the corner Of the barn, where he had left
Bill sweeping, and put his ear to knot-hole
and listened, knowing the bAcdelor had habit
Of ts6ng to himself whom anything worried
him. ...
"Confound that young bagrider y said Bill
what business has he tn ,re, Id like to know?
Got . new buggy, has he ? Well, so have l, and
new harness too and his horse can't get in
sight Of mine and declare, I've half mind
tO-yes, / will I'll go this very night and ask
her to 60 to the show with me, III show Ed
Wilbur that amt such calf - he thinks am,
IL did let old Watson get the start OF me in the
first place "
Ell could scarcely help laughing outright, but
he hastily hitched the bags on his shoulder, and
with low chuckle At his success, started home
that evening they saw Bill go by with his horse
and buggy on his way to the widows. He
logged along quietly, thinking OF the old sing
ing school days-And what . pretty girl Susan
WAS then and wondering inwardy il he would
have more courage now to talk MP to her, until
ct distance Of about mile from her house he
came to = bridge-over large creek-snd it 30
happened that juat as he rcached the middle Of
the bridge, he gave tremendous sneeze, and
the dAsh-boArd and striking on the planks they
rolled over the ride Of tho bridge, and dropped
into four feet Of water.
Words cannot do Justice to poor Bill or paint
the expression Of his face as he sat there-com-
pletely dumbfounded Vt his startling piece OF
III luck. After awhile no stepped out of his
buggy and getting down on his hands and knees,
looked over into the water, Yes, there they
were," ut the bottom with q crowd OF little hshen
rubbing their noses against them, and Bill
wished TO goodness that his nose was ~ close
for one second. His beautiful teeth that had
cost him 30 much, and the show coming on and
no time to get another set-And the widow and
young sockrider. Well, he must try aud get
them some how-and no time to lose, for some
one might come along and ask him what he was
fo0ng around there for. He had no notion OF
spelling his good clothes by wading in with them
on, and besides, if he did that he could not go 70
the widows that night 90 he took = look up and
down the road TO see that no cue was in sight,
and then quickly undreased himself, laying his
clothes in the buggy to keep them clean. Then
he ran around the bank and waded into the al
most icy.cold water, but his teeth did not chat
ter in his head-he only wished they could.
Quietly he waded along 20 ~ not TO stir up the
mud, when he got to the right spot he dropped
under the water and came up with his teeth in
his hand, and replaced them In his mouth. But
hark What noise is that 7? A wagon, and .
little dog barking with all his might, and his
horse is starting. whoa! Who's Stop you
brute vou stop ~ But stop he would not, but
went On II spanking ,pace with the unforlu-
nate bachelor after him and tho little dog yelp.
ing after the bachelor. Bill was certainly IN
capital running costume, but though he strained
avery nerve he could not touch the buggy or
reach the lines that were dragging Oh the
ground.
After awhile his plug hat shook off the seat
and the hind wheel went over it. making it ~
tiar as pancake. Bill snatched it az he ran, and
after tanning his fist into it, stuck it, all dusty
and dimpled on his head. And now he saw the
widows house on the hill, and what, oh what will
he do? Then his coat fell out lie slipped it on, and
then making q desperate spurt he clutchsd the
back Of the seat and scrambled in, and pulling
the buffalo robe over his legs, stuffed the Other
things beneath. Now the hoi 30 happened to be
one that he got from Squire Moore, and he gO
il from the widow, and lie took it into bis hest
to stop at her gate, which Bill had no power tG
prevent. ~ he had no possession OF the reins
besides he was too busy buttoning his coat uI
TO bis chin to think Of doing much else TIL
widow heard the rattle of the wheels and looket
ont. and seeing that it was Smiley, and that h,
didn't offer to get out, che went to the gate Il
zee what he wanted and there she stood chat
ting with her white arms on the top Of thu
gate, and her face right toward him
While the cold chills ran down his shirt
Iees back clear to his bare feet beneath the buf
fslo robe. aud the water from his hair and th
dust from hls hat had combined 10 make som
nice little stream OF mnd that came tricklin
down his face. She asked him to come in. Nc
he vss in hurry, he said. Still he did not OF
fer TO 90, lie did not like to ask her to pick u
his rein, for him. because hs did not know wha
oxcn .a m make for not doing il himself, The