The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-06-10
BEWARE OF WIDOWS.

1t was typical winter day. A fine,
powdery snow was falling, and fringe
Of icicles adorned the steep gables of
barns and farmhouses. The big trees
along the roadside ratified and shook
dismally.
But in spite of the cheerless prospect,
Malvern Travers whistled cheerily to
himself as he breasted the driving wind
and made his way through the dry,
fast-falling snow towards his home.
'I'll put it under her door tonight, :"
he was saying to himself, with a smile
in his hazel-grey eyes
Here his meditations were interrupted
by the sudden opening of the door as he
reached the threshold, and by a sharp
voice exclaiming:
Hurry up, for PHYS sake, Malvern,
and don't be a-letting the snow into the
house
And Malvern obediently hurried in
as he answered with a smile:
'.No danger of that, Priscilla. There's
not a snow mountain
There's mighty nigh it, then"
growled his sister-in-law. But you
don't seem to mind a-tramping over to
Al
for nothin' I'll be bound. Git any let
ters?"
NO" returned Malvern meekly.
Il told you so, retorted Mrs. Pris-
ella in a tone Of triumph.
She was a worthy woman, and WELD
ed the domestic sceptre in her bachelor
brother-in-law's establishment with wis
dom and moderation.
But as there is no rose without a
thorn, Mrs. Priscilla's really excellent
qualities were rather dimmed by the
possession of a sharp tongue.
Il told the TRUTH" smiled Malvern to
himself as he sought the privacy of his
own apartment. She didn't ask if
got birthday card, SO of course
wasn't obliged to tell" +"
And carefully taking a large, square
envelope from his overcoat pocket, he
drew out the card and examined il
carefully.
1t was very pretty card, with fan
cy border surrounding a wreath of for
get-me-nots and Orange-blosoms. which
encircled a pair of doves with silver
wings, represented as billing and COO
ing atfectionately.
On the reverse side was simple
couplet in print.
''As to the oak tree cngs the vine,
So my true heart will cling 10 thine"
The Simije was not a very appropri,
ate one: but in Malvern's eyes it was the
pink of excellence.
He was a very bashful man-so bash.
fuI. in fact, that he passed his thir-
tieth birthday, and was still bachelor.
This fact was thorn in the side OF
his sister-in-law, and many and sharp
were the lectures she had delivered to
him on the subject; but alas! with no
avail.
He could have shouldered his musket
and gone into battle without tremor;
but when it came to making love to a
! pretty Girl. his heart and nerves both
failed him. And yet Malvern-poor
! felIow-was in love.
He had of late mustered up sufficient
courage to escort Electra Feversham
and her stepmother Ga widow TO
church. and to picnic or skating par
ty or other merrymaking on several oc-
casions.
But to his misfortune be it told he
found it easier to pay attention to the
elder lady than TO the daughter; and,
| as a consequence, the gossipS OF the
town had begun to connect his name
with that of Mrs Ignatia Feyersham,
much to their own amusement
| Now Electra was the prettiest girl in
/ the village. with her sloe-black eyes,
/ and checks that matched the scarlet
chrvsanthemums she wore in her nut
! brown hair. while her stepmother was
! a snowy and not uncomely woman,
with sharp eye to the main chance,
! and no decided objections 10 adopting
some other name in the place of Fever
! sham.
Malvern Travers, though bashful
was not wanting in decision, and he
] had recently determined that If he
could only be reasonably well assured
that Electra would not refuse him, he
would manage to make her an offer
in some fashion.
1t was the morning before Electra:
birthday. and Electra was baking hare
in the kitchen.
Her stepmother believed in early
| breakfasts, and Electra was up befor.
! daylight on the short winter mornings
The savory odor of broiled han
greeted Mrs. Feversham as she came
briskly clicking down stairs, a plaic
breakfast shawl hugged tightly around
her shoulders.
'.Ahem! is that snow sifted under th,
! door?" she asked herself. as she reached
| the bottom step.
a closer inspection assured her it wa
not
"Why, it's-it's birthday card"
And hastily seizing the missiye sh'
stepped into the parlor to examine i
| privately.
For Electra! Well. | declare! Who
it from | wonder? There's no harm il
opening a birthday card, so I'll just Sc
what it is.
And carefully prying open the Ell
velope, Mrs. Feversham beheld a taste
fully-decorated sheet of rice-paper, o.
the inner side of which We're som