Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-01-06
SALLY COURT, THE RuxoM WIDOW.

sally COuTC WAS DuAOn WluOW
who owned freehold Cottage, nearly
two acres of land, and q mangle. She
was tempting prize for Mr.. Margets,
to win if he choose for Margets was a
blacksmith, steady and well to do,
and the freehold would just have suit
ed him-but he was twenty-five and
she forty-two; there was the hitch.
Nevertheless, Margets more than
once or twice was observed to
sneak down the lane after working
hours, and it is undeniable that for
a period of weeks, or even months, he
had frequently and regularly Called
on the lady, and stopped for tea"
After while he waxed cool. Inter
est drew him one way, but love
proved stronger, and it ended by Mr.
Margets leading another lady to the
altar. and one who was younger, not
older, than her spouse. Widow
Court brooded over her wrongs-they
ranked in her bosom. She couldn't
hold her peace He's false black
guardw she cried one day-for in
her wrath she was nice in her Ian
guage-" apdtif an i'll wish can hit
him he shall have it. He shan't come
to no good as / can do himw Poor
Margets had one child; but a
little while after he met with
serious accident His right
hand was caught in ma
chine and dreadfully mangled-he
had to lose his arm. 1t preyed upon
his mind, he got into a desponding
condition, and dended by hanging him
self. ] am sorry to say Mrs. Court
was jubilant, but her hate was not
yet appeased nor her vengeance sat
isfied. She proclaimed that no Child
of poor Margets would come to any
good, and she gloried in the boast
that Margets had been hit by an i'll
wish.n and the wish was hers. AYE!
and the brat's under it now, and it'll
never be took of, neither!" AS i'll
luck would have it, few months after
this the poor child, in the absence of
its mother, was playing with some
sticks in the fire, when its cloths
caught alight, and il was SO severely
burned that it became shockingly dis
figured and must continue to be SO.
Mrs. Court exhibited quite fiendish
Joy, and went about loudly declaring
that she'd serve any one else the
same and worse that came courting
her on'y to fool her." Of course she
had we'll earned her bad pre- emil
nence, and though suitors fought
shy of her, yet it is said that in the
dark hours men and women from all
quarters came and knocked furtively
at her door, and rumor said it was
not for the loan OF her mangle. The
road ran~ just under her garden, and
once young farmer riding by, and
seeing an apple tree loaded with
fruit hanging over the edge, sidled
his horse to the fence and picked q
rosy apple from the bough. He had
scarcely secured it when the animal
he rode reeled and dropped as if it
had been shot. The young fellow
was overwhelmed with terror: he had
been thrown over the horses head,
but, getting up as best he could, he
rushed into Widow Courts cottage,
fell on his knees and begged for
mercy, confessed his sins, and prayed
that tie Judgment might stop there.
Missus Court, don't ye hit me no
moro. Ye may ha' the saddle and
the bride and welcome, but don't We
hit me, not for an applew "Get
along wi ye," said the old hag, for
by this time sheswas old and miserly;
~ don't ride them things! I shan't
do you no harm. On'y don't ye
meddle wi my apples no morew The
young man, when he got out into
the road, found his horse, to his i'm
mense Joy and greater surprise,
standing quietly waiting for him.
Nothing on earth will convince him
that Widow Court did not first kill
that horse and then raise it from the
dead. i The Nineteenth Century.
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