The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-02
THE WIDOW srCLANE.
ter Than No Husband at All.
BY Zoe Anderson Norris.

Copyright 1898.
"If that's you, Elvira.% said the Widow
McCiane, don't stand there with the
screen door wide open. Come on in. Do
you spose 1 want to be shooin' flies out
of the house all the rest of the summer"
Elvira hurriedly shut the screen door,
but she was too late. A fly had flown in.
The widow laid down her sewing and,
| advancing cautiously, Topped her blue
checked apron. The fly, retreating, light
ed on the screen, where he buzzed defiant
| ly. With her left hand the widow opened
the door an inch or so and with her right
she made covert passes at the fly Her
outstretched fingers travelled stealthily
across the screen and up and down, while
her large mouth sympathetically worked
| itself open and shut. From the street she
| appeared to be affected with a sort OF
mild insanity; but when a fly was in
| question the Widow McLane cared little
enough for the opinion of the people on
| the street.
| After some further effort she succeeded
in corraling the fly, flung wide the screen
door. spread out her fingers and let him
| go. DaZed by his sudden release from i'm
prisonment, he remained suspended in
mdair for a drunken moment, then
winged his way straight into the sunlight.
The widow fastened the hook with q vic
| ious clamp.
'"There! she exclaimed, returning to
her chair by the window and taking up
| her sewing, IF there's one thing in the
world I hate above another, it's flies,
I'm sorry 1 made so much trouble. -
said Elvira, wistfully twisting the corner
of her apron.
"'Twa'n't no trouble" responded the
| widow ar on mo 4
Elvira. You make me nervous enough TO
fly to the moon, standin there fidgetin'."
Thus admonshed Elvra timidly en-
sconced herself in the nearest rocker.
from which vantage ground she flrtIvely
watched the widow, whose grim, weather
beaten face now bent over her work. Her
needle moved uneyenly back and forth
until the thread shortened itself to a fin
gers length. Taking two or three deci-
sve stitches one above the other, she
drew out the needle and bit off the re-
naming thread.
Then she spoke.
well, what is it, Elvra?" she inquired.
A faint flush rose to Elvira's eyes, creep
ing thence to the roots of her hair
IT'S about joe she stammered.
$50 he's asked you to marry him, has
he?"
Yes" assented Elvira, the flush grow
ing more vivid under the sharp scrutiny
y
"If you've come to ask my advice" said
the Widow McClane, Il say marry him. "
"He amt much account accordin to
what people tell me-" ventured Elvira
apologetically.
Hes as much account as the ones that's
talkin about him. 1 reckon" retorted the
widow. "They amt any of EN- worth
shucks as far as / can see; but that amt
here nor there. He's man, an any sort
of man Is a protection to a woman IL he
amt any better than just a ecarecrow,
hung up to keep away the hawks. The
worlds full of hawks on the lookout for
| wilder women, waitin' to peck 'em to death
the first chance they get I've bin Wild
der nigh onto twenty year, an 1 know"
She attempted to thread her needle, peer
ing nearsightedly through her glasses in
search of the eye She bit off the thread
again and again, twiried 1t into smallness
between her forefnger and thumb and
made additional thrusts; but II persisted
in travelling past the eye and threading
the atmosphere. Al last she gave a Sigh
Of relief The feat had been ACCOMPLISHED
"My old man was like joe" she said
returning to the subject In hand. "Ht
| wasn't much account, kinder proiec' In
around at first one thing an then an
other, an not dom much of anything
after all, but he kept off the hawks Pore
Teller, he had asthma. You could hear
him most a mile off wheezin' an a.
WheezIn. sometimes tnought 1t would
set me plumb crazy the noise he made
but manys the day since I'd bin glad
enough TO hear him wheezin' agin That
there asthma kept him from dom pretty
much everything he Oughter done. Ht
couldn't chop wood for II or bring In the
kindnn', or make the fires. j had TO dc
all that. He got SO after a while ht
couldn't do nothin' but set in the chirnney
corner an nod; but slong as you've col
to work anyway, it's kinder good to know
you've got somebody settin' ia the chin.
ney corner a-noddin' TO sort OF keep you
company while you're at it,"
| She did not allow her "reminiscences ID
l Interfere with her work, The movement