The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-11-23

on the Office floor as he paced hurriedly
to and fro.
'sThe old skinfint p he muttered.
''Jest as if [ didn't see through him like
a book He wants to convert the widow
into Mrs. Grimp number two, and if she
amt willin'-maybe she's refused him
already-he wants me to make her think
she'd better be. That's what he wants.
Ha, ha I reckon there's a widowe1
that Widow Barney or any other woman
would jest be proud to git; he's not a
thousand miles off, neither"-and the
Squire paused smilingly before a small
mirror, adjusted his collar, and smooth
ed the few hairs carefully over the bald
spot on his head.
"Not so old, after all and a sight
better looking than old Grimpl Guess
| he didn't know who he was coming to,
did he /? And he wants me to serve a
writ on Widow Barney. George I'll
sarve it myself, and git in ahead of him.
Big joke it'll be on Grimp Ha, ha !''
In the main the Squire was correct in
his cogitations. To secure the lively.
pretty, sensible young widow as help
meet III place of the ''late Iamented, :"
was precisely what Mr.. G. desired. He
had at different times made advances in
that direction, but receiving only mega
tive replies, he concluded to try little
mil a 10 l.,
senses as he inwardly called it. Now,
singularly enough, the Squire also was
widower, and he, too, was matrimoni-
ally inclined toward Widow Barney. He
had never made any propositions to that
lady, thinking in his conceit he had
only to offer himself to be accepted at
once, and she would be glad of the op-
portunity.
But there was incentive to immediate
action. There was chance-it might
happen-that the widow, being ignorant
of the Squire's Intentions, might throw
herself away on Mr.. Grimp. The Squire
did not like the thought, and as above
intimated he resolved to serve the writ
and ''pop the question at the same
time. He would not delay about the
matter, either. He would do it that very
evenlng-that he would and then see
the longitude Mr.. Grimp's face would
assume. The idea pleased him greatly.
He chuckled over it all through the day;
chuckled over it on his way home in the
! evening, and at tea time chuckles inter
spersed themselves throughout the meal,
much to the wonderment of the old
housekeeper. Indeed, her looks betok-
ened 50 much curiosity that the Squire
| noticed it at last, and after he had swal-
lowed tue last morsel and laid down his
knife and fork, he said
"Mrs. Crandall, I'm goin' to git mar
ried.'
"WelI, now, really r' exclaimed the
old woman, almost dropping the tea-cups
in surprise. sMay I be so proud as to
ask who she may be2'
"Widow Barney"
"What! Widder Barney2 Sakes,
y
81 don't know yet haven't asked her
yet. Coin to do it, though, tonight. %
''Maybe she won't have ye," observed
Mrs. Crandall, rather douh fully.
"Won't have me? Me Squire But
terfeld?'' exclaimed the Squire, surpris-
| ed out Of all measure ut so extraordinary
a suggestion. ''Td like to see the wo-
man that wouldn't jest jump at the
chance-jest jump at the chance i''
81 Dunno" said the old woman, shak-
| ing her head with mournful increduli-
ty; these ERE widows are very oDsartin'
specially the young ones-and there's
no telling what they'll do. Sides, there's
that young lawyer, Tom Harwood, see
| ing her about good DEAL
ooh, that amounts to nothing" said
the Squire, complacently. ''He boards
at her house, and takes her to meeting
and singing school just out of polite
ness"
Mrs. Crandall made no further re-
| marks, and the Squire went to his room
to gather himself into his new Sunday
| clothes.
He decided not to call too early upon
the widow, lest she might not bo ready
for visitors, and therefore he delayed
until the clock struck the hour of nine /;
then tall hat, drab trousers. blue,
brass-buttoned ''swallow-tail, an over
coat-and Squire Butterfield contained
somewhere within-passed out to the
| road. 1t was clear, cold, moonlight,
no one was out on the street, and the
bright home lights from various windows
shone upon a face assured and possessed
as he moved along.
s'Faint heart" to win 'sfair lady' did
he carry2 Not at all. But with firm,
confident step he passed over the crisp,
we'll -trodden snow that creaked loudly
under his feet.
1t vas not very long walk, and he
soon reached his destination. The wild
ow's house was small, two-story frame,
quite back from the road, and surround
ed by forest of shrubbery and fruit
trees. From the gate a path wound up
| to the house under these trees, and the
Squire had to move cautiously, as the
moon gave but faint light through the
foliage.
He reached the house safely, however,
and glanced up at the second story, the
corner room of which was used by the
widow as sitting room. He saw it was
| we'll lighted. the window cr1rtains not