The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-04-17

that women hadn't no business 70 mar
| ~ again: hut be never could have fore
seen fhis Legacy. How Is poor female
i % invest e without q little adrice7
/ And, really, Mr.. Hamersiie Il % press
\ Ing; and I've lived q solitary life for
I three years. come next October. and
The last conjunction was swallowed
up In deep sigh Plainly. the citadel
which represented the widow Bari
tones heart was about 70 surrender II
discretion.
She sat there III the neatly kept
kitchen. knitting away, In her black
calico gown and black-ribboned cap.
| when Mr.. IIamcrslie came IN that AZ
ternoon. How was she 70 know that
be Ind just been closing mp that little
account In loves ledger with Colnmbine
Cartcr2 How was shc 70 dream Of
| Biny's scornfni tears, her indignant re-
lection Of the mans miserable subter-
| fuges2
You have never loved me-" said
Bfny. III you had, yon never could
have left mo In this way. 90 70 your
rich widow; !. for one. will never stand
IN your path. Nor shall stoop TO en-
tighten her as TO the trne character Of
the man she Il about 70 marry"
So Biny had dismissed her lover.
Will Hamerslie had WINGED little II
was not the sort Of parting which he
had pictured 70 himself Itrobbed him
Of all dignity and aplomb. But II
couldn't be helped Columbine was
such an impetuous little thing that she
never allowed him the opportunity TO
inter the smooth speech which he had
50 carefully committed 70 memory.
ii was awkward, but II was unsyoid-
able.
Mrs Baritone smiled broadly upon
her young woocr IS he entered her
presence.
80 you've come back again." said
she.
he satedewn and took her hand.
EDO you think could long remain
away from gou1"
That's all nonsense, said Mrs. Bar
itono. But. nevertheless, she did not
withdraw her hand.
"You promised me your answer to-
day" said he s'You can imagine how
eagerly am waiting for I'll"
well, really, don't know what TO
say" simpercd Mrs. Baritone. III
believed you really loved me-"
.can yon doubt II, Meiissa2' softly
whispered Hamerslie, thinking Of the
| ten-thousand-doll from old
Uncle Baritone's bachelor brother.
"But I'm so much older than you
are
love docs not 90 by tho calendar, =
reasoned Mr.. Hamerslie, tcnderly.
And Baritone always objected 70
second marriages" persisted the widow.
"But Baritone Is dead and gomez Inn
| patiently retorted the lover. What
can 10 possibly have TO do with it7"
just then occurred one Of those mar
velous happenings which have given
rise to the saying that Truth Is stran.
| ger than fiction. The front door
which, according to the rustic custom
Of the place, was never locked. swung
slowly open, and in the doorway stood
the wefi-lxnown figure of-old Uncle
Baritone HIMSELF
" Hello, Melissf" was his greeting
"You seem TO be enjoyin' yourself
| pretty WE'LL And who the dickens Il
this young man2'
/ Mrs, Baritone jumped up with .
scream. Mr.. Willard Hamerslie caught
up the poker and straightway reiterated
behind the coolring-stoye.
i IF you are ghost" screamed the
widow, don't come any nearer"
III you are tramp. get out OF thil
housel'' roared Hamerslie, brandishinE
the poker after the most threatening
fashion.
Il amt neither one nor the other,
said the npparition, leisurely seating
itself. "lt's mel benjamin baritone
as everybody supposed was killed ii
the limo pitsi But l wasn't. hat
the luck to tumble out OF the kilns
as I'd tumbled In, and WINS tina
ashamed. as took myself off for goot
and all, says to myself. old fellow
your wife is ashamed Of you, and so i
every body else. And you amt of NJ
use In the world, except to go fddlini
around to barn froiics and huslSinl
bees So smashed my fiddle, and
ran away but times Is hard, and
amt easy to pick up a Twin when
man gets to my time Of life, SO here
4 am back againl And I've signed tn
temperance pledge, and mean to site
to It. this time. Give me kiss, oil
girlln
And so the widow Baritone was
widow no longer.
Wont you stay to supper, youn
, manT' said old Uncle Baritone, hospit
ably, asshe saw wiz Hamerslie feelin
about for his hat under the table
but Mr.. Hamerslie declined the inyit,
! ton. IS
Mr.. Baritone enjoyed the legacy
: himself znor vas his wife altogethe
dissatisfied at the unexpected tur
which things had taken.
-.IIe always was q good husband,
!. said she. except in the matter Of n
dent spirits And in that theI
particular he's a reformed man. An
really no one couldn't imagine no,
cheerful his fiddle sounds about II
house, when I'm a-doin' Of the chores.
But WIN Hamerslie was less recol
, ciled to fate. He had lost the widow
and Columbine Carter would have notl
ing more to say to him.
II want no secondhand lover" sal
Iiny, laughing And when Hamersl
Z saw her laugh. he knew that love Wi
. fed.
y He was right. Within six month
Columbine was married To a your
lawyer who had come down from a
bany to search some title-deeds in II