Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-04-23
A CASE OF PRE-EMPTION

; l am an architect, and a few years ago
was charged with the erection of build
, ing in Boston, in the construction of which
! [ used a considerable quantity of granite.
/ [ bought some of the stone of down east
/ woman, whom | knew as Widow Haley.
/ One day 1 called my assistant, Mr.. Benja-
| min Barker, into my room and said: II ook
here, Barker, you've got to go down to
! Widow Haley's. She sent word that there
! Is some stone ready for US, and want it
looked over before it is shipped, especially
| those pillars for the entrance"
] every well, sir,' replied Barker, It'll
/ take the first train tomorrow and be back
+ tomorrow night"
! NO" said I, "don't do anything of the
sort. Sit down and write the old lady that
7 you'll be down to the place Saturday, and
! then she'll meet you at the train. Besides
! that, she'll kill yellow legged chicken for
: your dinner
| 1t was about 1880 o'clock when Barker
/ reached Agamenticus, and when the train
had gone he was like the world renowned
Robinson Crusoe-"monarch of all he sur
! veyed'-and be felt, to slight extent, as
Mr.. Crusoe felt when he found himself all
! alone and ''a long way removed from any
/ where" But he was not great while left
! to his meditations. 1t was not more than
five minutes before his attention was at
tracted to a cloud of dust rising through
the trees in the direction in which the high
! way leading by the station seemed to run
The cloud of dust came nearer very rapid
ly, and suddenly a powerful bay horse,
hitched to Concord wagon, bounded into
! view, and when Barker saw that woman
! held the lines he con ectured that the
woman was Widow Haley, and she was.
| The horse approached the station at a
! smart pace, and was brought to a stand
still with suddenness that must have
/ given shock to his nervous system.
! Good morning, madam" said Barker,
lifting his hat and at the same time NOV
ing toward the wagon. He had been stand
ing in such a position that the woman had
not obtained fair look at him, and as he
moved out into full view she seemed to see
something in him which had at first es-
capped her attention. Barker noticed that
she gave start, and that she had to pause
little before she spoke. But when she
did speak it was with directness and with
out embarrassment.
! "I'm Wilder Haley" she said. 'Be you
the man from Architect Billiards. that was
) to meet me?"
Eyes, Pm your man." Barker answered
"Shall | climb in?"
Mrs. Haley gave her assent, and when
! Barker was seated by her side she hit the
horse vigorous slap with the ends of the
lines, and he was soon pulling his load
briskly over the road which he had recently
Travelled in an opposite direction. It was
about four miles to the quarries, and
though Barker made several attempts to
engage the widow in conversation he got
very little out of her more than yeses and
noes until the ride was almost completed.
But he was conscious that the widow was
greatly interested in him, for he could see
that she was AL the while, as openly as she
dared, engaged in looking him over They
were well along in the last mile of the
road when Barker, turning sharply around,
caught the widows eye while she was gaz-
ing earnestly upon his face.
"Well," he said good naturally, swhat
is it?''
The woman blushed and turned her head
away.
81 s'pose [ was rude" she said when she
had thought out her reply, "but I couldn't
help it. You look so much like him.
"Who's 'him?" demanded Barker.
"My husband"
"The late Mr.. Haley?"
eyes. He's been dead an gone these
twenty years, but when [ see him last he
was as much like you as peas is like peas''
At the quarries Barker heard corrobra-
tive evidence as to his resem blance to the
defunct Mr.. Haley. Two old men stopped
hammering stone and looked at him, and
he heard one of them say to his mate, "Did
you ever see q man look so much like an
other as that teller looks like Rufe HaIey?"
1t was understood when Barker and
Mrs. Haley left the quarries that the for
mer should not return to Boston until
Monday, for there was a certain stone
quarreying which would not be ready for
examination earlier than Monday morning.
II guess you'll git along all right over Sun
day." the widow said You kin climb the
mounting an go gunnin' and p'r'aps Efie
will take you out a-ridin' in the AFTERNOON"
"Effie; that's girls name, is it not?"
eyes, EfIie is my daughter, an if I do
say it, nobody amt got no better girl than
she is"
"Of course not"
''She was jest year cid when her father |
died, an I've had to bring her up all by
myself, but [ amt ashamed of her. 1 think
she's a pretty likely girl; Idon't know what
you'll think Of her,
"Oh, Pm sure that shall like her." said
Barker, laughingly.
Upon the wall of the room into which
Barker was shown on arrival at the widows
house was large photograph of the late
lamented Haley. Barker no sooner set
eyes on this picture than he was ready to
share with the widow and the two quarry
men their astOnishment at his resemb lance
to the man who had been twenty years
dead. When dinner was served Barker
found the yellow legged chicken which had
been promised him and sundry other
things good to eat. He enjoyed his dinner
very we'll until the servant spilled quart
bowl Of hot pudding sauce down his neck
and back. When that happened he felt
uncomfortable for minute, which, of
course, was perfectly natural.
you'd better take the coat off an have
it cleaned before the stuff dries in" said
the widow
But" objected Barker, ''I can't go
around in my shirt sleeves.''
"Would you be within" asked the
widow, ito wear one of Rufus coats?"
Certainly, madam" said Barker
The widow hustled off up stairs and was
soon back again, holding out a long tailed
shiny black coat Barker took the coat,
and after regarding it for little while as
it hung suspended from his thumb and
foreinger by the back of its neck put it on
and finished his dinner. He was still wear
ing the coat an hour later, when the wild
owls daughter Effie arrived home from
North Berwick
Now, it happened that this coat was the |
very one which the late lalnented wore !
when the photograph. as taken OF which |
mention has been made and cla6 in it !
Barker looked more like his prototype in |
the picture than before. When the widow |
presented him to her daughter the young
woman caught the resemblance as quickly |