The morning call., 1891-05-28
MY BROTHERS WIDOW


don't deny but that my brothers widow
is a good-looking woman for her time of life
She ought to look well, however. for my
poor brother Bob left her all he possessed
and she is pretty wei fixed" as we say
down in our part Of the country.
Other people think her good-lookinG
whether l do or not, and she might have
changed her condition in q very short time
if she had felt in the least inclined, for I've
been told that the doctor, the schOOlmaSter
the lawyer, and even the preacher himself,
all gave her a chance to do so while she still
wore the widows cap. and before brother
Bob had been gone a year. But no, my
sister-in-law is fastidious, aud nothing would
do but she must set her cap" for David
Moore, the young man who clerked for US.
He is not a day over % while she owns tC
being %, and will never see 40 again, in my
opinion.
If poor Bob hadu't said to me before he
died, John, do be kind to Maria and give
her good advice" l would only have
laughed at her foliies and let her go on. As
il was felt sorry, and so one day l said:
maria, why don't you sell out your share
of the store and 20 travelling, or live at ease
on the income of your property p
But she laughed at me and would not
hear Of such a thing, so what could | Go?
You see she had as much right there as
anybody, for Bob owned half the store, and
left bis share TO his widow,
David Moore is a nne-loOking, noble
young man, and he has been with US since
he was small boy. He is one OF those
fresh, rOsy-faced blondes, who has a kindly
smile and a very winning way with the
women folks, always courteous and defer
entail, and it is no wonder that Maria liked
him. for he is a favOTite with all the ladies.
1t was because David was there that she
liked to come sailing down the store in her
rich black silk, and was always finding eX-
cuSeS TO "help us" In waiting on our Gus
toners, in handing down the dry goods aud
mixing things up generally. In fact, she
gave no end of trouble, but we could not
help it If l advised her TO go home she
would cry and say she was so lonesome"
so that David began to pity her and to call
me hard-hearted.
Well, things went on in this way for
nearly a year. Bright eyes flashing at
David, sweet smiles, bouquets of flowers
and all sorts of kind attentions. l used to
wonder how my brother Bob would feel if
he could know how things were going on.
To be sure, he was an old man when he
died, bald-headed, stoop-shouldered and
near-sighted. and he always made regular
baby of Maria.
But | knew how TO change the looks of
things l had a suspicion that David was
in love with a very pretty little girl who
was boOk-keeper with the firm across the
way, so one night l called him and said:
David, We need a new bOok-keeper. |
think l would like a lady this time. What
do you say to trying Mary Owens? The
modest young fellow blushed and said: II
am sure, sir, she would give satisfaction"
So next day Imet Maria and said Maria,
J IL
we viii have a new bO0k-keeper to-day"
"Is that SOP" said my brothers widow.
"Well, hope he Will prove a success, and
help 10 draw custom"
l could not help smiling when / saw the
meeting between her and our new book
keeper" that afternoon. But didn't smile
much when she came into the Office and
gave me "piece Of her mind"
What did you do that for? You know
| don't like women about a store. You'll
see if your beautiful bO0k-keeper doesn't
get You into trouble" and so on, and so on.
But she had sense enough TO know that
it was Of no use to sc0ld, aud SAID no more,
but kept a Gloss eye on David and Mary.
Meantime those two young creatures were
as happy as spring robins. l always have
thought that David proposed behind the
counter, and, at any rate, II happened some
where, aud somehow, and he WAS certainly
accepted Even q old, cruSty bachelor Ike
myself could see how hlissful they looked,
aud could not help calling down blessings
on their heads.
And somebody else soon saw the state of
things. Maria came to me one morning in
a rage: "NOw, John-what did | tell you !?
Didn't know that Mary Owens was no bet
ter than she should be? Didn't | tell you
she would beWitch David Moore and keep
him from his work? | wonder what you
would say if you knew what l saw this
morning."
"Well. Maria, and what did you seeP''
why, sir, saw Mary Owens Kiss Dave
Moore behind the shOp-do0r this very morn
ing"
"0h, sister-and l suppose Dave didn't
want her TO do it and called for help. didn't
"Ah! you know what fools men are. Of
course ne had to pretend that he liked it.
OF course he kissed her back, said Maria.
spitefully.
"Well, it is too bad-but after all, Maria,
David is not the first young man that has
kissed the girl he was Engaged to marry"
Engaged to marry. l don't believe it,
you mean thing. You are only saying it to
provoke me-"
1t is the truth, if l ever told it, said /,
but she didn't even stop to hear me, but
ti0unced out Of the store, too angry to speak
another word. 1t was nearly week before
she tdDlt DdCh, anu 10. she was all SUlleS
and pleasant looks She took special pains
to stop ard smile at Dave and talk to Mary,
and even JOked and chatted with her cross
old bTother-n-law. And as she left she in
Vited Mary to come and see her soon.
What A sweet. pleasant lady your sister
in-law isp' said Mary. and how young and
beautiful for her age"
! am glad you like her" said !, but all
the time l wondered at the change in Maria's
conduct.
That night, as we were closing up the
store and putting things to order, Mary sud-
denly found that she nad lost her door KEY
We looked rywhere-unrOlled packages,
peered into boxes, poked behind dry-g0ods,
and lett no corner uDSearched. " am sure
I hung it on this nail, said she. Il always
keep little black ribbon tied through it,
and there is deep notch in the handle, so
that l would know it anywhere"
Mary and her sister kept house together
in two rooms, and she felt so sorry to think
she could not get home in time to have
Ruth's supper ready. al always get there
first, she said, land when Ruth comes in,
all tired from teaching, she has nothing to
do but rest"
Suddenly one day Maria's little messen-
ger-boy came running uD and said his mis-
tresS wanted me to "cOme quick" OF
course | naStened TO the house and there
found great commotion. My brothers
widow was sitting in her easy chair, with
hair disheVeled, eyes red, and weeping most
bitterly.
ITO be concluded
"
A LARGE FAMILY,