The Republican., 1900-09-13
Romance Of Two WidOWerS
EMUEL BICKETTs was a widower.
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between the two fellow feeling.
The wife of Lemuel had arisen one
day in fit of i'll temper-justifed per-
haps, so far as i'll temper is ever iusti-
fed and repaired to lawyers office,
where she stated her complaint. Lem
uel had not treated her with due con-
of her. He was old enough to be her
father. No woman, she said, could pre-
pare from nothing three meals day
and still retain her self-respect. The
lawyer admitted the truth of the state
ment. He inquired whether or not
Lemuel had ever treated her with
physical cruelty. Yes; he had made her
split the wood. Very good. At the next
term of the district court she was de-
clared free of the bonds which had
bound her to Lemuel.
But the case of the wife of Emanuel
was a sadder one. She was of long
suffering sort, and the thought of di-
vorce had never entered into her blunt
ed mind. She did the best she could
for Emanuel. When nothing to eat was
Forthcoming she boiled dandelion greens
anu GU tilC CIlllClSlils VI
Emanuel in silence. In the end she
stretched herself upon the bedding
which had constituted her dowry and
peacefully repaired to another world.
1t was severe shock to Emanuel.
When the funeral had been over for
several hours, and the two children had
been fed upon milk furnished by kind
naiubhnr ED1an1ia1 cfrol1a6 oVar. IN non-
dole with Lemuel and to be condoled
with. He found Lemuel sitting discon-
solately upon the front step of his resi-
dence. The two older children were be-
side him. His wife had taken the baby.
Good evenin'," said Emanuel in a
tone of sorrow.
Same to you," said Lemuel. He arose
to the full limit of his awkward, I'M
calmly six feet four inches and extend
ed his hand-he had but one, the other
having been removed with the arm at
Fourth of July demonstration. Glad
to see you. How're you feelin'?"
''Bad-bad," said Lemuel, hollowly
How're you?"
bout the same" replied Lemuel.
''The world looks mighty glum to a
feller that hain't got a woman"
ut does that" said Emanuel.
"What're you goin' to do?"
Dunno. What're you?"
Dunno"
Nothing more was said for time.
Then Lemuel cast off the abstraction
which was upon him and spoke.
Il reckon somethin's got to be did for
the kids; they've got to have somebody
to look after en-
You're right" agreed Emanuel;
''the-the kids must be took care Of"
And nothin' but woman can do il"
said Lemuel.
"Nothin' but a woman repeated
Emanuel.
Then"
"Yeah?"
"The thing to dos to get a woman"
81 reckon"
Women is plenty enough in the
world. We'd have no trouble, you and
me, gettin' one if we was prettier
I'm lopsided, and you've got impedi-
ment in your gait"
Emanuel by some prank of nature had
been gifted with knee action at the
hips and with hip action at the knees,
producing an effect at which some
people laughed. 1t was a tender point
with Emanuel, and he fared up a bit
at Lemuel's words.
you're a Ii" he began, but Lemuel
held up his great, over-developed
hand,
Don't get excited, Man." he said
Don't forget that she's only been
dead little while. You owe some
respect to her memory-though L
s'pose," he added. refectively, she's
bout as dead as she ever will be-"
81 s'pose," sighed Emanuel
Then Lemuel sent the children into
the shanty and approached Emanuel
glancing about him cautiously as he
did so.
'Man," he said, in a whisper, "I've
got the-the dangdest best thing you
ever seem
what is it?' asked Emanuel, sus-
piciously.
Lemuel drew dirty, wrinkled pa
per from his pocket and unfolded it,
Look at that" he said, triumph
antly, holding up the sheet, "Cupid's
Dart. More'n a hundred beautiful,
wealthy ladies wants husbands-dy-
in for em, Man, dyin' for EN-"
Emanuel gasped. DIDO they mean
it?' he asked, incredulously.
'Why, o. course they mean it-any-
way as much as any woman ever
means anything. l found this here
paper kickin' round in the road yester-
day. Dropped out o some wagon,
s'pose. l never knowed before that
such things was printed. It's like
like manners from Heaven, amt it?"
Kind O.. Are you goin' to write to
one of emp"
"Am I? Well you bet your life I'm
goin' to write to one of 'em. I've got
her picked out"
"HGw're you goin' TO do it? Coin
to learn how to writer"
Lemuel smiled shrewdly mo, I
amt goin' to learn how to write, but
I've got it figured out clear enough.
You know young Spriggs-him that l