Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-05-11
CHARMING MRS. HILLWAY.

-'i.1 IIillNdS I4Cti 81 IidliN dIIllIItI:
that young ladies who We're of tn,
social circle which she adorned wer,
sometimes heard to say they might Il,
Will make up their minds to live ano
die old maids. The reasons We're few
aud simple. Mrs. Hillway was ;
pretty widow vino had hot seen thirty
winters. she owned two or thre,
i!ouses besides that in which she lived
AID She had 10 children to demanC
part of her time and income
She would have been desirable hat
She been rich III personal charms
or poor only III appearance. but with
bDth beauty and money she seemed
to two score oi men the most inter
csting woman that had ever lived.
Mrs. Hillway enjoyed her popu
larlty far less than young women who
enviei her supposed. Tho most
persistent adorers of rich and pretty
widows are somehow a class by them
s"ivt- and not one that is particu
larly intrr5:ting to ladies who have
had experience in masculine gender
can be DISPOSED of by a lady when
they propose. bat Mrs Hillway found
as many lady i'll similar circum
stances had learned before her. that
men who lay scige to Il pretty widow
with plenty of money are never
abashed by single no" so before
she had been out of widows weeds a
year she WAS not at all satisfied with
the class of men who haunted her
parlors. None of them were rude or
presuming; all of them dressed well
and tiled to talk of whatever inter
ested their hostess; still they were
we'll. they We're what Mrs Hillway
came to call widow huuters."
Two pleasing exceptions to the rule
were Captain Baylord and Doctor
Whyde. The captain was old enough
to be the doctors father. but he was
ST. robust. manly, handsome and cour-
tcous that many lady much
younger than Mrs. Hillway would
have tavorabiy entertained Il proposal
from him. As for the doctor, he
simply writhed with anguish when
he thought of the splendid fellows
advantage over modest, awkward
young man like himself.
He wished that the captain had
been killed during the war: he wished
the war had never existed, to teach
the fellow to carry himself SO splen-
dldly and gain official title that set
him far above civilians in the estima
tlon of ladies. And tho fellow
confound him.-was a widuwer. SO of
course he knew women's ways; that
must be the reason that Mrs. Hillway
always greeted him more cordially
than she did other middle aged men :
besides people said the two had
known each other when Mrs. Hillway
was girl.
And yet the doctor, when not
wholly given over to jealousy, could
net deny that he himself was treated
very graciously by tho charming
widow. She never snubbed him as
she did many others, and he fancied
she never was on guard against him
as she seemed to be when some other
men were talking to her. He really
thought himself worthy of her CON
sideratlon. for. although almost as
bashful as boy, he was year older
than Mrs. Hillway; he had income
enough to support two people, and
his life was pure and his tastes re-
fined. But how was he to make Mrs.
Hillway know all this? How among
SO many men more brilliant and
prominent, could he ever summon
enough courage to propose?
He trembled over the matter until
one New Years day; then, by making
anumber of calls, and taking a few
glasses OF wine from graceful fingers,
he became SO emboldened that he
resolved to propose that very even
ing, come what would. He would
delay his call upon Mrs. Hillway
until the very last; then the chances
would be in favor of his finding her
alone, as she seldom was, and of her
having seen enough stupid and heavy
fellows during the day to be more
than usually able to listen kindly to
a gentleman.
The doctor rang Mrs. Hillways bell
only few minutes before ten. As
he entered the parlor his flushed
check paled and his throbbing heart
seemed to stop beating, for in front
of the lady sat the captain. Toyoung
ladies received with Mrs Hillway.
!, and the doctor was obliged to be
Holite to them: but he was sure he
was\ not succeeding at all, for it
seemed to Lin his spirits had de-
parted aRd forever.
Fortunately trio of very young
men dropped in, and the doctor, EN-
boldened by %ine. deliberately
endeayored to distract Mrs. Hillway's
attention from the captain.
I'VE were talking about you.
DOCTOR said the captain. with a faint
smile.
Mrs. Hillway looked bit confused.
and then gave the captain an appeal
ing glance. She did it quickly. but
the doctor noticed it and ragged in
wardly. What could they have said ?
He was sure his rival could not have
uttered one pleasant word about him.
Never mind: he would bully the ras
cal. SO he said in q tone that was
intended to wither both:
Il suppose you found the subject
OF conversation very intcresting?"
The qnizzical look the captain
gave the hostess, although expressed
in the slyest way in the world. made
the doctor almost crazy with rage.
especially as it seemetto annoy Mrs
Hlllway. The lady's cheeks flushed.
her eyes dropped; she could not help
biting her lips. Perhaps she had
sad something cruel about him. but
no matter; he loved her so dearly
that she was welcome to cut him in
pieces If she cared to and no one
should tease her about it either.
lie was wondering how, when and