Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-05-29

conner was a handsome fellow-hand-
some enough for any widow To enjoy
gazing at. Though his mustache and
imperial were snow white, his form, six
good feet In height, was erect and Wig
orous and he walked with stride that
II it did not show the elasticity OF
youth at least betokened n liberal sup
ply of vitality. The widow Clark got
to peeping through her blinds at her
neighbor as he walked past and then to
wondering when She should make his
acquaintance.
But Captain Mageddon (for that it
seemed was his nane) did not display
any anxiety TO make acquaintances.
He lived all alone in his little house and
seldom went ont Of IL. A colorcd boy
made his bed and did his cooking. He
was scrupulously courteous and polite
TO the inhabitants Of the little country
town. He exchanged greetings with
the postmaster every day In the cheer
lest manner possible. He was quite
favorite at the resort known as ''the
store" whittier he went every day to
order his supplies, and where he was
wont at times 10 rcgalc the assortment
of prominent citizens there assembled
with story or two.
Now, though the widow Marjorie
Clark was fifty-two good summers old
Though she might have prevaricated If
questioned on that subject before n
Judge and jury, and though there were
streaks Of silver here and there In the
locks that had once borne the hue Of the
ravens wing, she was a decidedly
wholesome creature 10 look upon. She
had round, plump, white arms, as any
one could sec who watched her lfnead-
ing the dough on baking day She had,
moreover, smooth fresh checks, with
the tingc Of ripe snow apples in them.
She had not an unsound tooth In her
head, and her laugh was Hike the ripple
OF thin stream of water over pebbles.
She wore neat black gowns with leecy
lace rufIlcs at the wrists and throat.
Many were the SWANS who had sighed
at the feet Of the comely widow for the
last ten years; but the number who
had gone away borrowing matched pre-
cisely the number Of those who had
sighed. Mrs. Marjorie Clark she re-
manned, and Gecmcd to be perfectly
happy so.
Perhaps IL was memory Of her van
ished girlhood that caused the widow 20
feel a triAc piqucd ut the captains
obvious Indifference. Other tenants Of
that house had-but why call up har-
rowing rccollcctions? And here was
the captain, next door neighbor for
six months, and he had never even
called on her. True, he bowed with II
grave courtesy whenever they met, and
often exchanged verbal halutations
with her respecting the condition Of the
weather and 20 on. But IL was all done
with cold politcncBs that harmonized
very III with the widows neigh borly
fcelings. II anyone had told her she
had fallen genuinely in love with that
soldicrly hYure and earnest manly face,
che would have been vastly indignant.
She grew more and more cSaaperated
ht the captain's unaociability nevcrthe-
less.
But there came a day when this kind
ly interest 90 call it by no warmer
nanc) was changed into something
closely resembling dislil.e, and n very
stormy interview took the place of any
plcaaantcr one for which ihc lady may
have wished Deep down Ia her heart
Mrs. Clark cherished n passionate rc-
gard for lot OF tat hens that she kept
fenced IN In her trim backyard.
One morning the captains big re-.
tricvcr, . shaggy brute with n matted
coat and no conscience, burst through
the fence, put three - the futtcat hens
% death and 20 ctc3nally ecariagd the
others that they could do nothing but
lie down and gasp for air. The widow
caught the brute IN the net. She forgot
ho was Captain MaReddon's dog forgot
everything except the wanton slaughter
he had wrcalsed. She grabbed him
pluclaily by the collar, armed herself
with broom handle and Ia two min
utca the dog, having been dragged onto
the Widows front porch, was being be-
lnborcd with lustiness that caused
him 20 fiji the mir with bis howla.
In about ten seconds Capt MaRcddon
descended his front steps and walked
across the lot that separated tho two
houses. MADAM" he said rather
brusquely, "why on earth are You beat
Ing my dog2'
"BccauGc," rctortcd the widow, angry
for being caught Ia 30 ridiculous sit
uation, "hc killed my hcnal Eecausc-
take that, you brutc!' With final
thump as the dog flew between his
masters legs and crouehcd there,
trembling.
81 nm sorry, madam, responded tho
old soldier Rraycly, that he kiiledyou
hens, and win pay you for them, glad
". lie deserved the beating, and !
hope you1l excuse my teatlncsa, but yon
lec that dog aud Lax colored boy. Tom.