The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-09-04

Mrs. Tate made no reply to this save
by q conscious smile.
"Lots Of Chances" repeated the man,
boldly.
Suddenly Mr.. Littleield began to d.
late upon the lonely condition of q
widower, ever though he lived with his
married daughter. He went on to ex-
plain that he owned the house, that he
had $4,000 in the bank, and that if he
should take another wife, he should
give her $1,000 outright. He said he
never had been mean, and he want
going to begin now.
"You don't know nothing bout me-"
he went on, speaking faster and faster,
Z" but you en- send anybody over to
Winslow, m have UNI ask all they want
to, m If things amt g l say, why"-
The speaker paused. He was gazing
at the woman opposite him, and think
ing how pleasant her face was, and
what a good housekeeper she seemed
to be, and how good her tea tasted.
"lf you amt no objections" he be-
gan again, l wish you'd git somebody
to go owe to Winslow, will you?"
Mrs. Tate was folding her napkin con-
~templatively. She glanced up at the
sturdy face opposite her.
"You said your daughter lived there"
she remarked.
Eyes; but Zenas, he's got a house,
m they en- move there. Ye see," con-
fdentially, "they've got other int'rests.
m I'm tired of bein' an outsider. I've
ben an outsider ever sence Lyddy's
mother died. The Lord seems to have
1aI NJ bara Tho 7 Arlta bod - -. - .,
81 guess III send Deacon Miller over
to Winslow some time next week." said
Mrs. Tate. Chow old be ye, Mr.. Lit
tlefeld?"
The man passed his hand over his
moustache. He hesitated an instant,
then he answered: 81 shll be seventy
three next August"
And to himself he said: $50 / shall
be seventy-three then"
He could not put that question to the
woman sitting there. But Mrs. Tate
remarked, with great apparent frank
ness:
"Tain't no use keepin' such things
hid. l was ifty-six last birthday"
She was sixty-fve last birthday.
Mr.. Little6eld came up bravely with
his rejoinder. "You wasl" be exclaimed.
otis 'stonishing how young you look"
Deacon Miller was duly sent to Wins
low to make investigation. When he
came back he told Mrs. Tate that every.
thing was just as Mr.. Littlefield had
said, only. Here he paused and
grinned.
"Only what?" impatiently.
In the meantime the widower had
paid the widow several visits, and
the counting was advanced wonder.
fully, as is the way with widowers.
"He's eighty years old-or will be in
August"
Mrs. Tate smiled.
"Tain't much matter" she replied.
So it happened that Zenas had to
take his wife to his own house before
the summer was over. He swore about
it. He said Lyddy's pa ought to be
put in an asylum. He began to say
something extremely disrespectful about
widowers, but Lyddy looked at him so
strangely that he remembered and did
not finish his sentence.
Mr.. Littleield carried himself with
the air of a conquering hero. He
talked of Mrs. Tate to every one who
would listen. He said that some folks
didn't believe that God answered
prayer, but, as for him, he was sorry
for "them kind of folks" Mr.. Simp-
son would not allow his wife to go to
the wedding. He said "it was all a
mess of tomfoolery; and, likely's not it
never'd have come about if she'd had
sense enough to have went to that con
vention with the old man."-Maria
Louise Poole, in New York Tribune.