The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-11-03
A CAPTAINS S WIDOW,

Wnen Matllda darrloy was ~
years of age and living not the hap
piest OF lives with q Grabbed old
aunt, who had brought her up, there
came into the village Of Rudieigh,
where she had been born, and which
she had never left since, dashing
sea captain of 36 or 38, who spent
his money freely enough to make
an acquisition to the enc hotel of
the place, and who was SO. far from
bashful that before he had been
there week every woman in Rud.
leigh had either been "stared att or
followed quite home. my dear -
The young chambermaids had
each been kissed, the landlord g
daughter had been chucked under
the chin, and the landlady herself,
striving to blush and failing be-
cause no red rose could be redder
than she was already, declared that
a little more and she must really
mention it to Mr.. Landlord. -
AS for Captain Waters, he consid-
cred all this the proper thing for a
man Of spirit to do and continued
the. general admirer of the fair of
Rudleigh until, falling one day in
to the society of Matte Hartley, he
became at once her particular slave.
He oourted her one week, proposed
the next and married her the third.
He was well enough to do TO retire
from seafaring life, was owner
aHq hitherto Captain of the Amanda
apd was, moreover, a widower, his
first wife having taken advantage of
his absence on a voyage to elope
with Frenchman, who, so report
ran, had poisoned her.
This he told, with grave face, to
little Matte before he popped the
question.
'If thought women folk were all
alike, ia fight shy Of them, / can
tell you," he said. "But I'm sure
you have q heart. and a true one,
Matte"
And sc Matte gave MIN her heart,
and her hand with it.
For year or two they were hap
py; then the Jolly, red checked cap
tain fell ill, and in his illness a baby
that had come to them, boy of q
few months CID, was stolen from q
perambulator, which q careless
nurse had left standing by the road
side while che ezssss..lG sss.l =ith beau.
There had Baen s.es;s;;a {. band. oa gypsies
in the neighhorhood, and suspicion
naturally fell ON them, but they
were followed in vain, and none of
the rewards which were offered.
threw any light on the anE;iact.
The sgitafion did the captain great
harm and probably hastened his
end. He died in a few months, and
poor Matte, broken hearted and
'desolate, prayed to die also. What
good could come to her now that
Frank and baby were both gonea In
Vain the old clergyman preached
submission and spoke OF tempting
Providence by rebellion. = 40
Matte heard: none of the stereo-
typed phrases that were poured into
Aer ear heard nothing until cne
day q tall, bold faced woman
walked, unannonnced, into her pres
Ance and bafore the old Clergyman
Aisassif announced the fact tlSas she
was Captain Waters widow--that
her children and his were atithe 1io-
tel, and that Matte was a mere
usurper. s
That reused tho widow ct last.
Her; Frank SO vile a creaturei Her
Frank deceive her sol She could
NOT, woulf not believe it, and no one
else would. She ordered the woman
out Of the, house. and the woman
went, but only to q lawyers hard
by Ils e:.s 6!s :. @ @xoiius5ed proofs that
were conclusive cert tificate sigued
by q well known clergYIhan and
letters from the captain, and in d
certain church q register, was found,
all that Yves necessary TO- esfabliah
her claim. *
Matte asseverated In vain that the
ceptain' q first wicked wife was dead
that this woman was an; ;;impostor
and that she did not. believe one |
word of an the story. Other people |
believed 1t, No one knew the cap.
tain previous to his snddsn appear
ance at Rndleigh and seafaring |
men are not always surprised 60 Sc IS
too gIan, especially in: quiet in1and |
towns, to have q; dozen wives apiece.
The end .of all fhia was x1af Tha |