Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-10-25

5oung widow say the other day that MI
bachelors were bears and that YOU were
the 'Ursa Major of the lot-thc bin~cst
bear of all.
"IIumph! Hang widows, sayr
" es, she said that any man who
would live II bachelors life in such =
pretty place ms yours and put up notices
on the grounds warming Off trcspasscrs
ought TO be caught in i'ap and put out
of their misery"
"Well, you can tell her for me that |
think the nativc East Indians the most
sensible people in the world. When -
married man dies there they burn his
widow on Il wood pile and ret rid of her
at once If that were in the law here
we would all be more comfortable. I
dctcst widows, anyhow"
Squire Burnham reported this conyer-
sation, with Il few rhetorical additions.
ut the tca-tablc Of his sistcrin law. n
pleasant faced maiden lady, who ckcd
out rather narrow income by talinu
half dozen summer boardcrs. Urr
house, long and low and old fashioned
anu shaded by grove Of ancient cherry
trees, was one OF the oldest in the pretty
iittie village of Edgcwood, but it de-
lighted all strangers by its picturesque
surroundings.
The show place of the village was The
handsome stone mansion of Mr.. Pinlllc-
Derry, who was rcputcd TO be the richest
man in the township and who. ms the
neiShborS said with disgust, had "nci,hcr
chick nor child to leave his money 10. +"
10 speak more truthfully, his would have
been the show place if he had permitted
visitors within his gates, but he never
entertained any strangers Mt his house,
thc notices against trcspassing which were
conspicuously posted up over every en-
trance to his grounds kept away those
who would have been glad of nearer
view oi ms residence and of a sight of his
household furnishings and treasures which
common report had fabulously enlarged
and Ovcrvalucd.
All the boardcrs were present Mt Miss
Harklns's tea-tablc when Squire Burnhnm
repeated his conversation with Mr..
PInIlcbcrry. "'rhc monstcrr said the
Widow Smith, whose two spriahtly
daughters from the metropolis had made
themselves recognized at Edgcwood MS
the bellies of the season. sIIc ourht TO
be married to an old maid who would
nag the life ont of him, snid The elder
daughter, and changing would be too
good for him." chimcd in the Younger.
indeed, it might have gone hard with the
woman hitting bachelor had this bcvy of
ladies' been made the jury with power to
ADMINISTER to him such punishment as Il
feminine Judge Lynch should decide
upon.
There was one lady present who lis
.ehcd to the discussion with quiet micn
btt IN ominOus flashing of her hazel ewes.
Shc had been staying at the house for
nearly a month, but no one knew any
thing about the bright, pretty little wo-
man OF twenty-five, whose face was al
ways dcmurc, but her conversation was
sparkling and witty, except that her
name was Wiley. The fact that she was
a guest there was sufficient evidence of
hcr responsibility, and her manners gave
the best Of evidence to her GOOD birth
and breeding. But the young ladies had
aii along been puzzled to know whether
She was the rival they most feared in
their flirtations-a widow In vain they
had applied to Miss IIarkins for infor,na
ton. That lady was accustomed TO
speak, in the village vcrnacular, even of
the most venerable of married ladies MS
"hliss Smith" or ''NTss Brown" and she
answered their queries by saying: claw.
mel I've something better to do than po
asking Miss Wiley if she has ever buried
husband or mott"
1t was few days after this hcnpirp of
feminine anathemas on the head of MIR.
Pnklcbcrry that this gentleman made his
appearance at the boarding house to con
suit Miss EIarkins in reference to the rro-
posed purchase of portion of her land
which lay contiguous to his own. When
the conference had been concluded the
two walked out on the front piazza
where the pretty little widow Qor we NAV
as well confess here that "Nliss" Wiley
was ''a widow indced'D sat in a camp
chair busily crochcting in wOrstcd. Mr..
Pinkiebcrry nodded bare acknowledge
ment of the introduction which Miss
Harkins gave him to "NIiss Wiley" but
as he did so must have found the picture
presented to his eyes a most enhancing
one-and, to be sure, he might have
journeyed fifty miles without meeting a
more attractive face and figurc-for hc
paused, and, leaning against pillar,
with his hands in his pockets and his hat
on his head watched her busy, dainty
fingers for full minute before he spoke
"Stranger herc." at last asked the
rich man of Edgewood, in patronizing
fashion.
The lady looked up with surprised
rather than naughty air, and looked the
iron clad bachelor squarely in the face.