Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
WINNING A WIDOW.

WINNING A WIDOW.
GOTHAM - quoth Mr.. Wiggleton, to
his chief farm hand.
Well, what's wantin' ?" lazilv re-
sponded lothian Hardcastle, with half
masticated straw between his teeth, as
he looked up from the bit of harness he
was mending.
1.-THE Widow Palmleaf has taken the
cottage at the foot OF the lane.''
"Tell me something / didn't know
afore," said lothian, with more freedom
than reverence in his manner.
g If she sends up to borrow the rake,
or the hoe, or the spade"
'Well, what then ?'
'sTell her she can't have 'em. Women
are always borrowing. | knew Hobart
Palmleaf when he was alive; he was a
chronic borrower. [ don't want any
thing to do with his widow"
''All right" observed lothian, philo-
sophically, and his master resumed the
perusal of his newspaper once more.
Gotham % said Mr.. Wiggleton, about
ten days afterward, as be came in heat
ed and out of breath from walk. (Mr.
Wiggleton wasn't as spry as he had
been before his fve-and- ortleth birth
day, and the Locust Hill was pretty
steep ascent
We'll, what now ?''
81 wonder if that was the Widow
Palmleaf I saw gathering black berries
into basket by the south wall of the
cottage garden?"
Kind O. slim and tall?
Eyes"
'Blue eyes, and hair as shiny as sat-
imp
eyes"
"And a little white parasol, lined with
pink ?''
Yes
Reckon likely it was," said lothian.
"But,' persisted the puzzled land
owner, s'she doesn't look at all like
widow"
There's as much difference in wild
ows as there is in otner folks, observed
lothian, dryly.
Mr. Wiggleton was silent for minute
or two.
"Jo.hamr' he finally said.
"Well."
HAS she sent to borrow anything ?"
''Sent yesterday forenoon-asked if
we had a screW-driver to lend-the
hinge was comm loose on the garden
gate"
And what did you tell her ?''
"Said my order was contrarywise to
lendin' or borrowin'."
lothian, you are fool.'
"Tain't the first time you've said so,
and faint the first time you've been
wrong" said lothian, with a calmness
of demeanor that was beautiful to be-
hold Hard words is considered in
the wages, and I amt the man to find
fol1
Yes, but lothian, never mind. the
next time she sends, let her have what
ever she wants.
''Said somethin' about wantin, man
TO come and hoe them early potatoes.
Be to go?"
Certainly-of course. Neighbors
should act like neighbors, especially in
the country"
And Mr.. Wigeleton sighed and
wished that he was not too corpulent
and unused to labor to hoe the Widow
Palmleai' s cary potatoes himself.
But he did the next best thing; he
went over to look at the field after
lothian had hoed it, and gave the widow
good advice concerning a certain rocky
uphill bit of sheep pasture that be-
longed to the cottage.
81 d lay that down in winter rye, if
| were you, ma'am," said Mr.. Wlggle
ton.
Il am SO much obliged to you," said
the widow, sweetly. "Since poor, dear
Hobart was taken away | have no one
10 advise me on these subjects"
And Mr.. Wiggleton thought how soft
and pretty her blue eyes looked as she
spoke.
"Oh, pshaw !" said lothian, leaning
on the handle of his hoe. winter rye
amt the sort O. crop for that spot
Spring wheat's the only thing to grow
there."S
Hold your tongue, lothian !'' cried
his employer, testify.
eyes, sir, WILL said lothian, with a
broad grin over Mr.. Wiggleton's shining
bald head.
"And about these hyacinth beds,
ma'am," said the latter, recovering his
equanimitv, cpl come over this even
ing, if you will allow me-
II shall be delighted" interrupted
the widow, with smile that showed q
set OF teeth as white and regular as
pearls.
''This evening, ma'am," repeated Mr..
Wiggleton, with a bow, "and We'll
sketch out diagram. Hyaclnths have
to be humored, Mrs Palmleaf."
$50 | have always heard" said the
widow
That evening, after Mr.. Wiqgleton had
returned from discussing the momen-
tous question OF sandy soil, dubious
roots. and crescents and circles, he
found lothian on the front porch con-
tentedly breathing the fower-scented
air.
"a very pretty woman, that Mrs.
Pa.mleaf, Jotham," said the employer;
not because there was any special con-
geniality OF soul between himself and
his farm hand, but because he could
have talked to the gate posts If lothian
hadn't happened to be there.
well, nobody doubts that, as ever