The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-09-05
Copyright. 1893. by barley parsl

NET her at Waterton. / can't remem-
Ter who first told me she was a widow,
but il was 2 self-evident fact. and
there Ver. not two opinions in the
house on the subject. The house was
small hydropathic establishment was
U'fe Tor my health, but most of the
visitors were there for pleasure; the pre-
Csc OBJECT Of the little Widows presence
utre. unless it was TO make fools of the
men and enemies OF all the women, / do
not know
mere she was, and she had not been a
week IN the house before three OF us
stronger vessels were at her feet, met
@pHoTlcally, if not literally. But this IL
anticipation for the little widows career
d Nalertoa CEly lasted ten days.
Hhe was not N her first youth; the men
guessed her age TO be Internationally. the
women SAID shc was thirty if she were a
cay Sac Was not the prettiest woman |
nave known, ror the cleverest. nor the
I'si dressed and yet she was by far the
mist charming. Asked in what her. spe-
ca. fascination consisted, / reply l don't
AEo". Ii might nave been her dimples,
"Leh were delicious, or her Irish eyes,
when Wcr- mGddening. or her laugh,
"Alch Vas charming, or her delightful
NSh accent, CT her Wit, which was most
l'-'dhl, or IL might have been all these
4ul together, plus the browning charm OF
'HgNho5I, perhaps her subtlest claim 10
Ptlar''y Her popularity was limited
d "ds bounded by sex. The women hated
''I ID varying degrees; the men-there
"'Ie eight OF us-Nere crazy about her,
"e cTdziest we're young Warren, old Dur
nam and myself Warren was a doctor,
"-o until the arrival OF the little widow,
.-l he,n flirting desperately with a SHY
Ate married woman named Morgan; but
re transferred his attentions 10 Mrs. Cliff
o'l-'hdt was the name of the charmer-
~t hrst evening she arrived.
Ar. Durham was a parson. a very shy,
Ferrous retiring man. completely under
NE thumb OF his maiden sister, a dread
IL woman. whom We all cordially hated.
ne was between fifty and sixty. rather
'e... with round shoulders, and a stoop,
{ 1aa head with a little fringe Of thin
-4| round HIS scalp, and a few struggling
"''sEars, he vas very meek. and spoke
= d low voice. In very precise language;
,- Haa rather a sly expression, he never
-.Ael any one straight In the face, and
,'.lsni.y lived IN terror Of his sister. who
..--hiea suarl over him and shielded him
,.sA Tie attractions Of the other ladies.
DTS. clifford. however, soon proved herself
e-' loo many for Miss Durham, and there
.@s war 90 he knife between them from
-' beginning, and the beginning was af-
dinner, he day Mrs clifford arrived,
--. Truth Obl!ges me to confess she pro-
ErGa4 a.
---s barhan asked for tho evening pa
- which % the annoyance OF everyone,
~. -. always appropriated and dosed over
y" s', when she dragged her brother OF
i'lr sistsr-in-law has IL; will go and
"a Der FOR H." said Mrs. CLIFFORD,
- s.stc--in-law"' exclaimed Miss Dur
Nh a2hasf with horror
los. thar lady in pale blue Is Mrs. Dur
''A. Isn't sheF' said Mrs Clifford. glanc-
' az Mrs Morgan. VINO ! mad told her
N'Hh~r. Tor she sat next me, was Miss
'-iiam. bete-uOire
certainly not, she IS no acquaintance
ours. Moreover, my brother Is a cell
Dee viii reyer marry" said Miss
-'"in. looking grimmer and steTnei
az "as her won't which is saying a
E'rft deal.
c an you quite sure Of that?" said Mrs
..-IL. Dob such a beWitehing and al thu
eA.s Ia such d meaning manner