The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-03-08
WIDOW WIcKEI1's WINDOWS.

Mr.. Tibbetts was riding slowly along
the road. thinking, for once in a way,
what brief life this was, and how
quickly we left it behind us. He had
Just been making out Mr.. Parkman's
will. and it was doubtful if old Mr..
Parkman would live until night. The
pompous. bustling, dictatory man was
dying, and the world would get along
we'll enough without him, as it would
without any of rs.
One person would grieve for him,
and that the very one who would be
benefited by his death. Years ago
Mr.. Parkman had picked up in the
streets Of New York, on a cold winter
night, poor little Italian boy, who had
been sent by his padrone to scrape the
| violin on a bleak corner. Mr.. Parkman
had found that the little fellow was ILL
treated, and had taken the legal meas
ures to release and adopt him, and this
boy, now grown to be II years old, was
the old mans great pride and comfort.
Il want to give everything to Ludo-
vico," he had said to the lawyer.
"He deserves it, and love him. My
nephew, Ralph Vcnnor, would pounce
upon everything if left no will. No,
l should make one, even if l had never
found this boy. should leave all to
some charity. Ralph is brute-rich,
greedy. contemplate. Ludoyieo will
carry out my ideas and do good with
his money"
So the will was written, and it was
now in the lawyers breast pocket, to be
carried to his office and locked up in q
| certain box.
Il may live for years." said the old
man, "and Ralph would make no bones
of destroying the will, He's bad fell
Iowa very bad fellow"
But Mt the door Mr.. Parkman's man
had told him that the doctor had said
his masters hours were numbered; that
he would not see the next sunrise. No
wonder Tibbetts felt that this was an
| uncertain sort of world.
But the boys down in the hollow be.
side the road on which his horse slowly
trotted, who were making the most Of q
holiday, and some tire-crackers and
other gun-powdesy playthings, such rs
one might fancy Satan had invented fol
his offspring. We're troubled with nc
grave thoughts or solemn emotions
The black figure Of a lawyer, long ani
lean, seated on his quiet horse, instead
ofawakening awe in their small bosoms
aroused them to deeds of mis-
chief Suddenly an invention resem
bling homb-shcll, though smaller ant
less destructive, hurled through the air
hit Mr.. Tibbetts in the small of the
back and exploded. Mr.. Tibbetts
started: the horse reared. and in mo-
ment more Mr.. Tibbetts was on his
back in the hollow. the horse mile
away mp the road, and the will sticking
in the solitary gooseberry bush that
decorated the Widow Wickett's front
door yard.
Now the Widow Wicket was one OF
tn Sc people who are always wretch
edlv poor. no matter what is done for
them, and. though she had more given
her than any other person in town, she
always had broken panes of glass in hel
window. and was always patching them
with pasteboard, tin pans and straw
hats.
Tod,lling about after the accident, oi
which she heard nothing, being dowI
cellar Mt the time, she found fine piect
of stiff parchment sticking in her bush
and, as it was just tile size of two pane.
of glass, appropriated it at once, fas
tening it well on with many tacks. Al
she could not read writing, the names
on the sheet never struck her eye, ant
rs for the red tape, she used that for |
shoe string Immediately.
Meanwhile, down at the hotel =
which he was carried, Mr.. Tbbetts cam
to himself, found he was not greatly in
iured, expressed his opinion of boys il
general, and waitel for his clothes
which were being brushed for him.
"And, by the way" cried Mr.. Tibbetts
sbring me the document in the wais,
coat pocket, William, it's very valua
ble."
William could not turn pale; he wa
the color of charcoal; but he stared q
> Mr.. Tibbetts.
"For dc Lord, massa, your watch, al
pocket-book, an penknife, and care
case, an handkerchief il all, dere WASH
, no dockyment dar!"
"A paper-a parchment" explaine
Mr.. Tibbetts.
- "Sartinly. is aware what n doe
ment am, sah," replied William, wit
= proper dignity; but there wasn't nom
sah."
Vain search was made on the roas
in the hollow-everyw The vi
was gone. Sore as he himself was fro
L..