Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-01-29
TIE WIDOWS SECRET.

~You must be expert ma'sm. seeing
this Is the fourth time you've tried 'eni.
Hollow in Your back, as is natural TO
you--seis like ducks foot in the mud
Tie lady gave short laugh as She an-
swered in manner 10 hide the sting un-
der what she said:
Men are good creatures when women
know how TO manage them. They seem
60 incline TO some women more than TO
others.
You never had drinking husband.
ma'am, suppose.
Bless you, no. never! couldn't abide
the breath
Going TO be married fourth .ips,
not yet 40, and as plump and pretty as
ever. don't see how you manage
"Oh, that's secret
Mrs. FIFTEEN opened her eyes wide aud
slowly repeated:
a secret!H
Yes; | found it worked admirably
with three husbands, and doubt not it
viii work just as well with the fourth. +"
BLESS my heart?" exclaimed the
dressmaker, with i'll disguised horror On
her face.
"Oh, didn't kill my three husbands
They were dotingly fond OF me to the
last and left me well provided for
DO tell me your secret, ma'am, she
said.
1T isn't much, Mrs FIFTEEN, and yet
Il is secret, and its application has been,
as it were, disastrous in my case. am
sure never expected it.
Dear me! Did they all die suddenly.
poor critters?"
Quite the contrary; they lived along
rs If 10th TO 60.
"Poor critters! should have thought
you'd have felt bad !"
II did indeed, she said
"Do tell me about it. persisted the
other, with q look not sympathetic
"Your tears don't dim your handsome
eyes
Il don't know about that-I never
thought much about it--but, Mrs. Fit
tenn, first and last, I've cried good
deal
Perhaps you had a reason unknown
to the world, ma'am. But want dread
fully to know how you managed it. I"
Ours was a sort of Widow Wadman,
easily beguiIed to tears or smiles, as she
began to perceive that the astuts dress.
maker had seme latent design in thus
questioning her which she did not object
TO crafty. Accordingly she assumed the
narrative form while her auditor contin-
ued her work
My first husband was well to do, but
not rich He was what is called a model
man. We went TO church every Sunday,
aud dropped 25 cents each into tho con-
tribution box. knit his stockings aud
made bis shirts; he liked to see womt n
industrious. We went to lectures, and
now and then to party-always at
home and in bed at 10 o'clock. He was
slow and automatic in movement. Ho
had way of looking into kettles and
jars as il he expected to find them out
of order; and he did 80 find them
sometimes--it was comfort to him.
He poked over my bureau drawers and
saw all my gloves and laces in a mess
and in the mildest way reprinando me.
This was a comfort to him also. lie had
not vice, fault. an inordinate desire
used TO wish he had
"You wicked womani You didn't
know when you were well Off" ex-
'laimed the dressmaker sharply.
II know it'll didn't somehow grow
good with such man as ought to have
done, but when he was gone saw il all,
and almost cried my eyes out You SEQ
a man is good thing to have around the
house, to lock doors and look after things.
When woman is once used TO having
one around she is sure to feel lonesome
when he is gone. learned to think q
iull husband by no means undesirable
as husband. Now the second husband.
l wore my weeds the conventional Pc
.iod, though several nice men were at
tentive to me, but I shut my eyes. ]
managed to keep them from proposing,
for / rather liked my freedom, and
somehow three fine men who had known
] am afraid hated good men, wicked
as it may seem to you.
The dressmaker groaned.
slow could you? ! am sure such a
husband must be beautiful.
"That is true, Mrs. FIFTEEN, and he
thought me beautiful. You see he was
a model man, and he did his best to
make me a model woman, but it was
not in me. We women are naturally
perverse and apt to think our way as
good as any mans way"
$50 it is, only a good deal better, NUT
tered the other
II don't know about that. / am apt TO
think man is wiser about many things
than we are; but, anyway. married peo-
pie viii quarrel as rule, being so bent
upon their own way. NowI never dis
puted q husband--Dever opposed him.
But, as I was going to say, one Of my adj
mirers was OF different kind. He was
bright, dashing, high spirited, and witty.
He was not q model man. by any means.
but he was intelligent, loved books, and
had fine taste for music. He had .
mean opinion OF women In general. ana
was sometimes furious with himself for
loving me. He declared he would be
master in spite Of me, which was quite
unnecessary, for rather liked to have q
master as saving trouble and responsible.
ity. l hate disputes and fuss of any kind
and was thankful to let matters slide in
the easiest manner possible.
Il should think you might be a little
lazy, returned her auditor.
rs that the name for IL? Well, per-