People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-08-05
BARITONE'S WIDOW.
How a Mercenary Lover Received
His Just Deserts.

The cool June light was sitting
through the screen of grape-leaves that
vailed the milk-room window from the
lnquisitive glare of the sun; the bunch
OF scarlet tield-lilies in the handless
blue pitcher was scarcely faded yet;
and Columbine Carter, skimming the
ieathery folds of wrinkling cream from
the broad pans, wore heightened col
or on her cheeks as she listened to Miss
Decima Johnson's words.
Twill Hamerslie going to marry the
widow Baritone?" said she. 81 don't
believe a word of it,
"lou can believe it or not, Just as
you choose, Biny Carter" said Miss
Decima, bridling; but it's as true as
the text of Parson Dillingham's next
Sunday sermon. Why shouldn't he
marry her, I'd like to know?'
Biny Carter-pronounced "Beeny"-
was fair and plump and smooth
skinned, with tender blue eyes, and
lips redder than any wild plum. Miss
Declma was sallow and specialized, with
angles enough for a new edition of
Euclid"
'One reason is" Biny answered,
slowly, that he is engaged to me-"
THAT don't make no difference, Z"
said Miss Decima, with a malicious
chuckle; "now that breach-o-promise
cases are out Of fashion men think they
can do as they please. And Mrs. Bari
tone is very nice-looking woman yet,
If she is gone sixty, and you know
there's the legacy she's Just received
from old Uncle Baritone's bachelor
brother, up in Utica. And Will Ham
erslie always did set store by money!
His father, as everyone knows, was a
miser before him"
Biny Carter went on skimming her
milk with compressed lips and a new
sparkle in her eyes. She was too proud,
before Decima johnson, to let the tears
fall, which were already obscuring her
Vision.
"Of course he can do as he pleases, "
said she.
"0h, of course. Nobody doubts that"
retorted Decima johnson. But the
main thing came for was to ask if you
were going to the donation party to-
morrow afternoon?"
NO" said Biny, shortly; father
does not approve of donation parties"
Miss Baritone and Will Hamerslie
are to be there, slyly suggested Miss
Decima.
"Are they?" said Biny. THAT makes
no difference to me-"
"Oh" said Decima; and then, seeing
old Squire Ball jogging past in his road
wagon, she suddenly remembered that
she had promised crochet pattern to
Mrs. Ball; and, taking hurried leave
OF Biny Carter, she bounced out into
the fervid summer glow of the outside
world and disappeared.
Then, and not until then, Biny sat
down by a bubbling little spring
walled up in the corner of the milk.
room and cried.
"Are ali men like that, | wonder?'
said Biny, addressing her own reflection
in the limpid pool. IF they are,
think I'll go and be nun. Mrs. Bari
tone, indeed! A woman old enough tc
be his mother! And the widow of that
drunken old fiddler who fell over the
Lime Cliffs, three years ago, and per
ished as miserably as he had lived.
And all because ola legacy Oh, I've
no patience with people!'
And then Biny cried harder than
ever, and tried to convince herself tha
the whole story was not true, but
only an offshot of Decima Johnsons
imagination.
But it icds true. In some things Mis-!
Decima Johnsons tongue had only
borne correct witness. Willard Ham
erslie had inherited somewhat of hi
misery fathers gripping, grinding TEN
permanent He was emphatically
money worshiper, and had Above,
himself to be dazzled by the widow
Baritone's legacy.
Mrs. Baritone herself was a trim
neat-waisted little woman, who locke,
many years younger than her actua
, age. People were uncharitable enoug
to say that she had become young sine
the sudden death of her husband, who's
numerous faults and backslidings ha
kept her perpetually on the ragge
edge of apprehension.
"He was trial, Baritone was" cor
fessed the widow, candidly. ''Ther
amt no denyin' that. But neve
knew how much store l set by hir
until they brought home his poor, bal
tered hat out OF the lime kiln, and toll