The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-07-02
WINNING a WIDOW.
EVERYBODY WAS AT THE WEDDING
EXCEPT MSS BECKETT.

A Story Of n Village Courtship from In.
diena--The Wedding Excited q Deal OF
Interest because the Groom Was au
Undertaken, Who Had Buried Many.
Undertaken Samuel Pavey and Mrs.
Sarah Milliken, who has been known in
Aristotle, Ind, for twenty-five years as
Achilles or Kill Milliken's widow, were
married recently In the presence Of
everybody in this village except old Miss
Beckett. Miss Beckett would have been
present II she had not left her sick.
bed last week to call on Mrs. Milliken
and inquire into the particulars of the
engagement. After this imprudence she
had a relapse and has been unable Ia
leave her bed. She was propped up Of
the window all the afternoon, however
and saw everybody that went in or out
of church.
Undertaken Pavey has buried all Of
the dead here for the past sixty years,
He is now tall, thin man, with close
cropped white hair and smooth shaver
face. and always dresses In black, as be-
comes an undertaken. Only the oldest
citizens can remember when he looked
any different from the way he looks
now. His wife died forty years ago
and he has kept shy Of oil maidens and
widows ever since. Years ago he was
abandoned by the most persistent match
makers as hopeless case.
/ The widow Of Kill Milliken is an est
mable lady, great maker Of cakes 70,
the church festivals and clever at Gro
cheting worsted tides, with o large
humber of which the chairs and the sofa
in her front parlor are adorned. Al
there has been good deal Of curiosity
about her engagement and marriage
she has consented to a public statement
She is short, fat woman, with hair oil
a peculiar shade Of yellow, which she
got by using the hair dye which was ad
vertised extensively in connection witt
her picture and letter of recommends
ton. She says that Mr.. Pavey had never
shown any signs of preference for hel
whatever, nor had she thought Of hin
as the successor of Kill until ten day.
before the marriage.
| About that time he knocked at hel
front door at half past II in the morn
ing. 1t wRs Wednesday and the
Widow Milliken was deep in the dough
as that is baking day through this whole
town. She looked out through tn,
blinds Of the window next the from
door and saw who it was. As she ha6
known Mr.. Pavey so many years sh,
just wiped the flour off her hands upor
her apron and opened the door.
! Mr.. Pavey went into the parlor ant
sat down int the caneseat rocker witt
the green worsted tidy with blue rib
bons through it. He set his tall ha
carefully on the floor beside him ant
then said:
] "Good morning, Sarah Milliken."
"Good morning, Mr.. Pavey," said Mrs
Milliken. She said that she accented
the Mr.. so that Mr.. Pavey might under
atand that she had noticed his not call
ing her Mrs. Milliken, as he was accus
toned to do. Mrs. Milliken also say
that she had sort of premonition thai
something was coming.
at can't be that the Gompers girl Il
dead? she said anxiously.
NO." said Mr.. Pavey. "But life Il
uncertain, Sarah Milliken."
mo one should know that better thar
you, Samuel Pavey," said the widow
with one of her sly laughs.
But Mr.. Payey did not laugh as h,
went ont
"Sarah, you are getting along IL
years. You will soon be in need of my
services"
II haven't even sent for the doctor
yet, and won't need you till he's done
with me-" said the widow, bridling and
pouting.
"Do you remember the first Mrs
PaveyT said the undertaken, paying nc
attention to her and pursuing his OWE
gloomy reflections.
81 was q little girl when she died, i,
said Mrs. Milliken.
Eyes" said Mr.. Pavey, "you had Just
married the late Mr.. Milliken five years
Before. You remember that she had the
best funeral this town ever saw, not ex
cepting old Captain Lander's funeral
which cost five dollars, as should know
if anybody. AS said, Sarah, you are
getting old. If you marry me / will dc
as we'll by the second Mrs. Pavey as
did by the first"
"You always would have your joke
SAM" said the widow. "What will
everybody say?"
"We are both getting DID," said Mr.
Pavey, still paying no attention to what
the widow was saying Life is uncer.
tain. There is no time to lose."
So Mrs. Milliken said, "All right,
Samuel; whenever you say"
Ten days is long enough. I'll see
the pastor this afternoon"
Then they shook hands, and Mr.. Pa.
yey put on his hat and went away, look
Ing quite gay and clipper as soon as the
door closed on him, for he did not know
that Mrs. Milliken was watching him
through the blinds. Two minutes after
ward she had called Mrs. Meek, her
next door neighbor, to the back fence
and had told her all about it. Ten min
utes afterward by the clock on the court
house Mrs Meek, having left her bakery
IN charge of her daughter Lizzie, had
on her bonnet and shawl and was bear
ing down the street, telling everybody
she meteor. New York Sun.