The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-11-27
9aasrsoa yutelligeafsr,
WIDOWS AND poKERs.
The courtsbIp Of Will w0odhOuse.

Mr.. William Woodhouse was natu-
rally very timid man. Not that he
was lacking in moral and physical
courage. but he was afraid Of the wo-
men. On all other occasions he was
usually equal to the emergency, be it
whatever it might, but place him tete-
a-tete with woman, and, to use a
vulgar but expressive phrase, he was
done for.
His mother had long ago settled
down to the uncomfortable conviction
that William would never marry and
the girls had arrived at the same con-
clusion. 1t had become quite the
thing to say, in making comparisons,
AS great fool as Will Woodhouse y
: For-take note, bashful young gen
tlemen-however much ladies may
admire modesty in the other sex, they
invariably despise man who has not
heart enough to say to the girl Of his
choice, IT love you.
Will admired all the girls in his
way, but he looked upon them very
much as sensible people do upon a
hornets nest, as curious piece Of
architecture but not safe to be
familiar with.
So he kept his distance, and in the
meantime arrived at the mature age of
%. Then he met, for the first time,
at pic mic party, Adelaide Browne.
We believe people with the stoniest
hearts fall in love at pic MICS, and
from that hour poor Will had no COM
fort in his life. Sleeping or waking,
his dreams were full of the beautiful
Miss Browne. Surely there never
was another of the numerous Browne
family like her Blue eyes, white
muslin dress, with knots Of pink rib
bon--brown hair, red lips, pearly
teeth, snowy hands-all danced to-
gether in miscellaneous I'all hands
round" before his distorted vision.
Adelaide, all unconscious of the
trouble she had caused, went her way,
the hearts of most of the
young gentlemen in Highbridge, and
trying hard to fracture the few that
remained whole.
She was visiting her Aunt Hooper,
and it isian undeniable fact thatiladies
always take best where they are not
known. This is no libel on the sex
no indeed! for with gentlemen this
truth is still more applicable.
Mrs. Hooper was widow lady of no
small personal attractions, in her own
estimation, and if she was not so
young as she might have been, she
thought she was, and behaved accord
ingly. though some envious individuals
believed that she was anxious to sup
ply the place Of her dear deceased as
soon as possible.
For week after meeting with Ade-
laide, Will bore up bravely. The
second meeting destroyed all the stock
of composure he had been boarding up.
He took desperately to the Muses., and
walked the whole night away, toathe
Infinite destruction Of shoe leather and
the infinite disgust of his practical
papa.
BE met adelaide now quite fre-
quently. Highbridge was very gay.
There were nighsly gatherings Of the
young people, as well as excursions to
the surrounding hills-for itwas early
autumn, and Nature was in her robes
of state.
There was an excursion to Mount
Giblo one fine day, and there Will had
the ecstatic pleasure Of treading on
Adelaide's dress, thereby throwing
her headlong into pile of brush (; and
while Laura Blake picked her up and
helped her repair damages, he stood
by, frightened clear out Of his wits,
and momentarily expecting the noun
tain to open and swallow him up.
From that time he pined rapidly.
His appetite was a thing of the past.
His mother thought him in quick
decline, and dosed him with hoarhound
and patent pacific pills. He grew
worse and worse.
At last, thinking himself near his
end, he confessed to his mother. She
was thunderstruck at first; but after
ward, like sensible woman, she ad-
vised him to put on his "other
clothes," and go right over and lay
the case before Miss Browne. It
couldn't kill him, she said, and then
if she refused him-why;; there was as
good fish in the sea, etc.
Will took three days to consider,
and at the end of that time his mind
was made up. he swallowed a double
dose of blackberry cordial, donned his
best suit, brushed his hair tillit shone
like ebony, and made the best of his
way to Mrs. Hooper's.
Not that he intended to ask Ade-
laide-but Mrs. Hooper. If he could
only get the aunt won over to his
cause, and employ her to state the
Of his heart to her niece, he
should be happy. He felt assured
that he never could live through con-
Tossing himself 10 Adelaide and if he
did, and she should say no, he was
satisfied he should faint rightaway on
the spot.
AS good fortune would have it, he
found Mrs. Hooper alone, in her best
gown and her best humor. She was
charmed to see him, and treated him
to nuts and older, and seat on the
sofa so near herself, that poor Will
was at his wits ends to frame the first
word Of his errand.
They talked of the weather and the
crops till the clock struck 10. The
widow tried to make him think it was
only 9; but he was not SO far gone
but that he could still count. He felt
that the terrible moment could no
longer be delayed. He must make
beginning.
HMrs. Hooper" said he, II came
over this evening =" he hesitated.
"Yes, WILL" said she, encouraging
ly.
IT came over--I came over to ask
great favor Of you p
"Well, you couldn't have come to
that would be reader to do
you a kindness, William"
''Thank you" The sweat stood on
his forehead in great drops. 'But
this is very delicate business; very.
I came to ask you to-to-to-"
"Go on. Don't be afraid. I am
listening