The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-09-25
miscellaneous.
The Widow Puzzle.
by SHIRLEY BROWN.


pshaw It's round ten years too late for me
to think of that sort of thing"
"It's never too late for good thing" said
DR.. Dow, sagely. "And the Widow Puzzle
would be prize for any man."
"Pm afraid O. widows" said Riggs. EITHER
they're pious and apt to be close in the house
keeping,-or else they're always comparing
you with their dear first husbands"
"Some widows, l grant you" said the
doctor, chuckling. But not the Widow
Puzzle She's a trump card !"
"Han't doubt of it" said Mr.. Riggs !;
"hain't doubt of it But Pm rather too old
to be trying experiments, yc see."
In the meantime the Widow Puzzle-whose
real name, although much corrupted by the
freaks of popular pronunciation, was Mary
cup of tea by Mrs. Post, the minister's wife,
on the subject of Mr.. Riggs himself
He'd suit you exactly, dear" said Mrs.
Post, dipping her spoon gently into the glass
dish of strawberry preserves which her hos
tess had just handed her.
ooh, get out !" said the Widow Puzzle.
"rll allow he's queer" added Mrs Post ;
"but my husband says he's as good as gold"
LA !" said Mrs. Puzzle ;"as iii mattered
to me
"But you ought to marry again. Mary"
gently urged Mrs. Post. with this great
farm on our hands,-and all that woodland
on Cherry Mountain"
"Thats all nonsense" said the widow Puz
zle. But she colored up little,-as Mrs
Post was not slow to observe.
81 don't believe but that she likes the idea
after ALL" said Mrs. Post to her husband.
at wouldn't be such bad notion" observ-
ed the clergyman "but Riggs never would
harr tha fnr IVn'o rhtyo
a hare"
ave no patience with your shy people,"
said Mrs Post, with energy.
"Perhaps they can't help it, my DEAR" said
the parson.
Hell need wife more than ever, when
he gets that hotel built on the top of
Cherry Mountain" said the lady.
Suppose we let him decide that point for
himself" mildly suggested her husband.
The summit HoteP' was very nearly COM
pleted. Mr.. Riggs had worked diligently on
it all the summer and autumn-and now, as
the dreary winter storms set in. there was
every prospect that they would be able to
open it early in the ensuing season. 1t was
rather a nice idea, this of building hand
some structure on the slightly" crest of the
fine old mountain. City people enjoy air and
prospect. They would like to wander on the
cliffs and drink from the ice-cold springs,
when the thermometer at the city drug store
stood somewhere in the vicinage of hun
dred and fifty degrees But the head painter,
and the boss carpenter, and the master mason
were not so actively interested Just now
Neither was the man who had the electric
apparatus in charge, and who did not relish
climbing the mountain just to see where he
was expected to go to work when the next
spring came.
"SiX months hence would have done just
as well" said he.
81 generally like to plan little before
hand what Pm going to do" said Mr.. Riggs,
jovially.
Hadn't you better drive little faster ?"
suggested the boss carpenter. 9TH be dark
before we know it."
THE roads are pretty slippery" said Mr..
Riggs. "And the cold amt sharp. Oh,
we're making pretty good speed, Mr.. Ham
mer."
The head painter sighed deeply. ut serves
us right" said he, "ior consenting to go
up Cherry Mountain such day as this"
whats the matter with the day p said
Mr.. Riggs. Couldn't be finer one"
"Why, it's showing now" said the SILVER
ing master mason, as he crouched down in
the bottom of the wagon and slapped his
hands across his chest to keep them warm.
"Snowing? Oh, pshaw!" said Mr.. Riggs,
"whats an odd flake or two"
The electric man grOaned. II can't see my
hand before my face" said he.
"Well, what We want to see IL for 7" chuckled
MIR. Riggs. "For my part, I'd deal rather
see the lights O. Squank Village"
And he laughed so good naturally that
even the melancholy artisans were compell-
ed to emile little in reply.
But the December night closed in, dark
and stormy. The "colts," sober old stagers
of ten and twelve years old, continued to
wa nder out of the way, and even Mr.. Riggs
became bewldered, land the first they knew
the wagon was tipped over on the edge of a
glen. All scrambled up without bodily harm,
however.
"Shaft's broke, eh ?" said the boss carpen-
ter. "And harness split to ribbons Well,
we are fixed now p
II see a lightW said the electric man, who
had been staring helplessly around him, Won
dering perchance if there were any bears left
in the Cherry Mountain Woods
"It's will-o' the-wisp," said the master
mason.
IA will.o'--the. wisp At this time of year :
Nonsense said Mr.. Rigg. "It's the Wild
ow Puzzles kitchen window,-that's what
it is p
"a kitchen window, ell ?" said the head
painter. "Come, that sounds cheerful Let's
60 for ii -
"But we amt none of us acquainted with
the lady" freely objected the electric man.
ooh, hang ceremony p said the master
mason. "She can't very well put us out, un-
less shes'worse then the Witch of EndOr. And
my nose feels exactly as if the end was fro
| zen"
Mrs. Puzzle was getting tea when the little
assemblage came up to the door, leading the
| tuo ItcnlIa y ,uhich had hnnn cnt frnn nrn,,