Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-04-11
MY WIDOW. !.

elor-fold me man past forty simply
made o fool Of himself by matrimony.
Tewksbery, man who is notorious
for never nainding his own business,
told me she had q love affair with Har-
ry Birmingham before he went South.
Allen shook his head, and said Clara
Myers might be very, pretty, but he
liked somebody maturer and settled. IN,
&. He married his housekeeper the
next week, and she is mature enough
for Methusaleh himself.)
Everybody thought I was trying a
dangerous experiment; but didn't pre-
tend to suit everybody, so simply suited
myself. I went quietly to church with
Clara Myers, and married her one glori.
ons January morning when the old ST..
Paul's was frnged with glittering icicles,
and the brisk wind was freighted with
the PARTICLES Of flying snow, like bat
fallion Of diamonds on a double
quick. It was crisp white r
morning, but the keen air only made il
all the more exhilarating, and just the
day and occasion to make ones spirit ex-
uberant and happy.
She was nineteen, and was nine-and-
thirty. She was as beautiful as d rose
bud; was u rough old codger, sound
at heart but, like q winter apple, I'M
promising on the exterior.
In short, we were as unlike as May
and November; and the good natured
world shook its head, and said, "No
good could come Of such an unequal
match" But she said she loved me,
and J. believed her. Nobody could look
into Clsra's blue eyes and not believe
her, you see.
The next day made a will and be-
queathed all my property uncondition-
ally to my wife.
Are you sure you are doing wise
thing, Mr.. Follot?" said MIR. Mardyn,
the lawyer, pushing his blue spectacles
up on his forehaad, until he looked like
an old bald gnome, with q double pair
of eyes. "You see she is very much
younger than yourself, and"
please be so kind as to mind your
own business!" said /, brusqucly.
Don't be offended, Mardyn, but really
people seem to suppose [ am not able
to attend to my own affairs.
"Just as you please" said Mardyn in
rage. II ain tool in your hands. :"
'That's it exactly" said I. So I
signed the will and went home to Clara
,''Oh, Paul! you must not die!" said
Clara. with o scared look, when told
her what had done. s'Nobody ever
loved me as truly as you have done, and
don't know what I should do if you
were taken away"
"There was q young Birmingham, if
all reports are true" mischievously
began; but the curl on Clara's lip
stopped me.
"a mere butterAy!" she sighed
haughtily, without either brains or pm
ciple. Paul! Paul J. have found a
shelter in your true, loving heart, and
mean to nestle there always"
And then she cried-this foolhis soft
hearted little wife of mine.
Jones and Tewksbery might havo
called this policy. Farnum would have
said it WAS acting. But it was very
pleasant, and felt more than ever like
a man who has found some precious
jewel and wears it like an amulet on
his breast.
So things went ON until the firm Of
which [ was managing partner needed
to send some one to Calcutta to see If
ter q turbaned scoundrel of an agent
who had absconded with more money
than we could we'll afford to lose.
Morrison was old and feeble; Hewitt's
wife lay very i'll; SO 1 was the one to go.
[ kissed Clara goodbye as cheerfully
as could, fully expecting to be back
in three months Ga so.
had to follow the agent up into the
those burning, climatic fevers in the
bungalow Of an old native priest, and the
months flew by until it was more than q
year before | found myself on the deck
of the "Blne-eyed Mary" steaming into
New York harbor.
And all this time Clara had not heard
word from me. I had written to her
to prepare her for what seemed almost
my rising from the dead; but I had
afterwards found my letters in the
pocket Of the neglectful native servant
who had undertaken to deliver the mail
to the Calcutta office. "But it dom t
matter so much now" thought: "she
will be more delighted, poor little girl ~
And then cold chill seemed to creep
through all my veins, like November's
winds suddenly breathing across a bed
Of flowers. ,...
Clara had heard nothing of me for
nearly fifteen months. What might
have happened in that time? All that
Tewksbery and Jones and Allen and all
other prophetic ravens Of my acquaint-
ance had said, REQUIRED to my mind like
the burden Of an uneasy dream. I had
been counting the hours and the very
minutes, until we could touch port; but
now that my feet rang the pavement Of
my native city, + actually did not go
home! I turned into a downtown res
taurant, whereI had won't TO so in the
dnys Of my bachelorhood and skunk into
that dark corner. The twilight was just
fulling, and Twas sheltered by the par
tition. Hush! that was Tewksbery's
voice--harsh and Earring as of old. 1.
Just what might have been expect-
ed," said Tewksbery. Pretty and
young widows don't go begging in this
lnarketW s3 4a 'ssss @
"Folliot might have known It'll"
growled old Farnum. Poor: Z olliot!
There are some good points about him.
too. Sad thing that, very sad thing 7"
eve must all die, /" said Tewksbery
gravely. Nj Isl sjs ss...
Yes; but u fellow would naturally
prefer diving in his bed to being carried