Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-03-09
THAT CORSET.

widow McDonaghue would have caus-
ed less surprise in sociol circles il the
circumstances which brought the
courtship TO q close had been more
generally known. But both the
iances had been discreet. IL was
known that Ted had been keeping
company with the wealthy widow, but
what had induced her to depart from
her oft expressed determination never
to give Pat McDonsghue successor
was mystery.
II Ted had been young and hand
some her choice might have been ac-
counted for. But he was fifty il he
was quarter OF an hour, and when
he dropped q nickle in the slot the
arrow did not stay its motion till it
had passed the point vf 26O. HIS
circumference was longer at the equa.
tor. Form that line il tapered up and
down. Like so many other San Fran.
oiscans, Ted had once been rich, but
having in an i'll advised moment re-
solved to get even with that grasping
bonanza firm he had left most Of his
coin on the bleak shore of Pine street,
and was eking out q small remainder
Of his fortune by precarious jobs as
real estate insurance broker. His
symptoms as homeopathist says, in
dicated marriage with woman of
means. And Teddy, who was jovial,
good tempered and full of fun, did
not despair of carrying conviction to
the mind of one of the many California
widows whose husbands had been ju-
dicious enough to die before they
lost their money.
After much accommodating he had
fixed his glittering eyes on Mrs. Nc
Donaghue, whose husband had been
killed in the Bloody Bootjack mine
just after he had stuck pay ore; the
widow sold her interest In the mine
for a round million, and had lived
sumptuously on the interest ever
since in roomy house in the Mission
She had no children, but she could al
ways find girls to accompany her to
the park, or to the theater, or to the
watering places in the season. Like
Ted, she had run to adipose. None
but the defendants of Longitharm
could clasp her waist. Few chairs
could sustain her weight. Her favor;te
seat was sofa.
When she became aware that Teddy
was paying her attention with view
to matrimony she told him that he
was ridiculous.
'Misther O'Mara, said she, there is
no carriage built in which we two
could sit side by side. If we walked
the streets arum and arum, we'd push
everyone into the gutter.
'Misthress McDonaghue,' said he,
'av l could hold your warrum, plump
hand in moine. the whole worruld
might pitch into the gutter for any
thing I'd care
But the widow had been SO long
weaned from thoughts of love that
she laughed at Tedd'ys gush, and he
made but little progress. He brought
her flowers, which she shifted without
the least sense of gratitude to the do
nor. He brought her candies, which
she gave to her girl friends. He
brought her theater tickets, which
she accepted on condition that he was
not to accompany her. Dye want,
she would say, 'to have us taken for
freaks from the circuis-the fat couple
from Oireland imported at great ex-
pinse 2
She was always glad to see him,
asked him to dinner, and gave him
old sherry which the late McDonaghue
had laid ina sound wine which that
rogue Ted loved, but when he tried
to broach the subject of his hopes, she
made fun of him. After long cam
paign he succeeded in obtaining the
privilege of holding her hand, 1t was
a pudgy hand, with short stubby fing.
ers; his own was fat, very fat, so that
when he held hers the clasped hands
looked like two obese mollusks glued
together.
There were times when he despair
ed. But his circumstances were not
improving, and he would not give up
the game SO long as he had not been
actually shown the door.
One day when he called he was
told that the widow had gone to
Santa Cruz.
Happy thought Why should he
not 60 too ? The sea air opens his
heart. At watering places ladies pine
for adoratino. There is no business
there. Every body flirts, when there
is anybody to flirt with. Women
have nothing to do but to listen to
words Of love. He would 60 to Santa
Cruz in brand new outfit of clothes,
and would push his suit with ardor.
If the widow had any heart at all he
would find 1t. He was good swim
mer, he might have a chance of saw
ing her life. At any rate he would
show her what he could do in the
foaming breakers. He would prove
to her that he vas not too old for love
or for any other manly exercise.
1t did not take him long after his
arrival to ascertain that the widow
bathed daily, and that she had several
bathing suits, of different colors, which
she had brought down with her. AT
the hour she was expected he appeared
at the baths and demanded bathing
suit. The man who dispenses those
garments looked at him doubtfullv