The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-10-11
Higgins and the Widow:

! oluCo ana SAT QOWD without word
For some minutes he sat still, watch
ing me intently as if he was trying to
make out by the sound of my pen
what l was writing.
''Squire," said he at length, "did
ever tell you about my scrape with
the widow Horny, mp here on the
river9"
"Never did," said I, laying down
my pen, "let's have it,"
"They're curious creatures, widows
is," eaid be in a meditative tone,
sand the more you study about 'em
the more you don't know about 'em.
What was this thing I've read about
in Egypt, or some other country, that
nobody could unriddles"
"The Sphinx, probably" l replied.
"Well,' he continued, shat was
widow as sure as you ever had a
granny. Everything else in the
earth has been found out but them,
and they're as much q mystery to
day as the length of the North Pole
You may read the history of the
world from Genesis to Revelations,
and you'll find that widows has been
ut the bottom Or top of five quarters
of all the devilment that's been cut up
Was you ever in love with one2"
"Lots of them," said I.
"You're great gander-that's
what you aro,' said he. "A man that
loves one and gets over it won't new
or get bit by another, if he's got as
much sense as a ground hog. 1 don't
consider I've got any sense at all, but
Pm little grain too smart to let
another Of them got all the trumps on
me. The widow Horny that l was
speaking of, is little the handsom~
est woman | reckon that ever looked
II man into fits, and l ought to be a
judge; for Pvo seen lots of pretty
womon in my day, She w about as
twenty-five years old when l went up
there to work, just in the bloom of
her beauty and as full of deviltry as
three year old mule colt. There
was a ball over at Jenkins, and of
course | " ent, for l always 60 where
there's any fun going on, and gener
ally act the fool before l get away, of
course. Tie widow was there, dres.
sed as fine as Solomon's lilies, and
flying around as trisky as q young
lamb in a rye patch. got intro
duced to her and asked her to dance
with me, and when sho flashed her
eyes at me and said "yes," I jumped
up like I had set down on q griddle.
You may talk about sensation, but
when she took hold of my hand and
| sortor squeezed it, | felt a sensation
as big % load Of wood, and it kept
running up and down my back like
q squirrel with hawk after him.
am very fond Of dancing; but III be
hanged if know whether I enjoyed
it that night or not, for every time
she took hold of my hand I'd com.
mence feeling curious behind my ears
and up and down my back again, and
then I wouldn't know whether was
on earth or in a balloon, or on com
ct, or anything about it. 1t was un-
doubtedly case of love at first sight
and powerful bad case at that. For
wonder got through the frolie
without making myself conspicuous
or cutting up any ex~ras, as l am in
the habit of doing when 1 20 into
public. I'd set my pegs to 60 homo
with the widow after the ball, but Just
as | was fixing my mouth to aek her,
up stops a big, long, leather faced
doctor, named Mabry, and walked
her right off before my eyes. That
riled me little, but l kept my tons
que still, inwardly swearing to break
his bones the very first opportunity
that ,,raeantnd ;taolf eo,D tI.