The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-05-12
WIDOW APPLEDORE's ROMANCE.

WIDOW APPLEDORE'S ROMANCE.
"a man that thinks of nothing but
pep'mint oil an the price of wheat! No!
Emma Jane; my life has been humdrum
enough without my ending it with Dea-
con Bliss. / shan't have him!''
"Well, well, Rosetta, if you won't
don't knows anybody's goin' ter try an
make you," chirped plump, rosy Mrs.
Phlox, looking up from the stout blue
WOODEN sock she was knitting. Ct s'pose
the Deacon thought he'd right to ask
you, seein' it's free country. Caleb
Appledore was a awful nice man, but
SOS the Deacon. Lone wimmen are put
on. Job Whittamore neglects your gar
ding, an just see what work you have
with your fires winters an keepin' roads
broke out"
I'm not going to marry just to have
some one to tend the garden and do the
chores" said Mrs. Appledore. "rve
never found fault with them that's dead
and gone, but 1 know what it is to live
with person who does not care two
pins for the things do. and if 1 ever do
marry again it will be some one who can
sympathiZe with me. can't say swal-
low all 'Lias Bradshaw says about the
marryin' of souls and affinities, but there s
some truth in it you may depend. Be-
sides I'd like little romance in my life
before 1 die.''
Romance is all WELL huff" said
Mrs. Phlox, "but you're thirty mine next
March, Rosetta, an sech man as Dea-
con Bliss don't grow on every bush.
Bein' good provider, an splendid
farmer, an deacon, an piller in the
church may not be romantic, but they're
good recommends in q man you're
thinkin' of marryin'. I hope you'll think
twice."
"I have thought, and shan't marry
the Deacon" said Mrs. Appledore de-
eisively; ''an' if that's being romantic
I'm not ashamed of it,
The little widow did not look romantic.
Her complexion was dull white and
her hair was dull brown. Dull, too,
were her large gray eyes that blinked
behind short-sighted glasses, but her
form, though meagre and devoid of
curve, was not without grace, and she
had clear. sweet soprano voice which,
though it was unframed, she could use
with taste and feeling. The Harmoni-
cum, the Dixville musical association,
made her the head of all their commit
tees, and relied upon her to sing all the
solos. Indeed without her it could not
have existed. The wheezy melodeon
which was a dozen years old before it
became the property of the society had
ut last collapsed under the energetic
fingers of Professor jackson Jones, who
did the accompanying, and they were
trying to buy q piano. They had given
concerts and had had oyster suppers till
Dixville was tired, when DR.. Ollapod
suggested lecture. It was whispered
that the doctor had expected the COM
nittee to invite him to read one of his
papers on the Semitic tongues; but if he
did he was disappointed. They CORE
sponded with many popular lecturers,
who all declined to visit Dixville on the
plea of engagements, and the committee
1t last invited q certain Professor st.
Clair Smith, about whom they knew
nothing save that he had lectured in the
neighboring villages with acceptance. to
address them. The Professor had sud-
denly appeared in Dixville mounted on
. fine gray horse. The next day he was
seen to enter the postoffice with green
bag on his arm, and the gossips imme-
diately reported that he was wealthy and
had come from Boston. He at once &C
eepted the invitation of the Harmonicum
Committee, and announced that his lee
ture would be on the PHILOSOPHY of
Art" The meeting house was hired,
and Mrs. Appledore with select few
began practicing some music for the
occasion.
It was the afternoon before the lee
eure, and Mrs. Appledore had invited her
lister to spend the day with her. Do
nestle duties seemed to be Just what
Mrs. Phlox was made for. Her husband
md sister usually did all of her thinking.
In return she served them with her hands
bat the few notions that did creep into
her round head she chung to pertinaci-
ously.
1.-The worst kind of fool is beetle
headed old one," she said after long
pause, "an' putin this an that together
Rosetta, 1 think you're preparin' with
your romancin' to be just that kind of
one."
81 don't see how sisters can be so
unlike" and Mrs. Appledore drummed
. harsh accompaniment to her words on
the middle C. of her piano; "to be sure
you are the oldest, but age need not
make ones soul q clod."
cit would be we'll for you to remem-