Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-01-09

l.
let fall by Josephine and her aunt, or
it may have arisen simply from the
fact that She was widow. All single
women and most married ones think
that the widow should take her place
on the funeral pyre, beside the body of
the husband, after the Indian fashion.
When the fishing party had departed,
the next morning, the colonel betook
himself to the bowling-alley, whittier
none but few old enthusiasts ever
came. At one end Of the long room,
in little a1cove, there was window
that looked out over the ocean. The
widow was fond of this quiet, secluded
spot, and on days when Josephine and
her aunt were away, the colonel usually
found her there. She had a soft crepe
shawl over her rounded shoulders, and
| she was busyyov beaded purse.
She scarcely looked up from her work
as he approached and seated himself
by her side. care you going to play?"
she asked; and he replied. according to
the regular formula: presently. May
I sit here?''
"Certainiy." She looked innocently
beyond him, toward the alley. ''Did
your daughter come down with you?"
| Miss Josephine never played.
"She has gone fishing with her aunt
and the rest of them. Why didn't you
go too?"
AS a matter of fact the widow had
not been asked. II do not care for.
fishing" she said and as she did so
she baited her hook with sweet
smile and threw it out toward him.
The coloners old heart gave a youth
full jump, and his hand trembled lit
tie, as he readjusted his eyeglasses.
you were to be of the party" said
he: "and when found you were not
going, I decided that I did not care
for fishing, myself"
This was nibbling at rather close
range, but the widow pretended not
to notice it. She did not lift her
long eyelashes even the hundredth
part of an inch, which gave the colo
mel all the better opportunity to adj
mire them. And through the whole
morning he circled round and round
the bait, but he did not bite, perhaps
by reason of an instinct that had
come down to him from the gay days
of his youth, and perhaps because she
wa: not ready to land him yet.
It is about half mile from the
boat landing to the entrance of the
Balboa. AS the fishing party walked
this distance one small detachment,
consisting of Miss Josephine and Mr..
Grandin, fell so far behind and moved
SO slowly that even the sympathetic
Aunt Harriet glared fiercely at them
as they came upon the steps.
Mr.. Grandin was another who did
not care much for fishing. He was
saying: "People were altogether too
thick in that beastly little boat. I
have not had word alone with you
all day"
"Anything to say?"
"Only the same thing"
"You may say it just once"
II love you.''
"Walk faster; I can see my fa+her
looking at us from the corner of the
piazza"
"And the widow is with him-your
step-mamma that is to be-"
Don't you dare to say it. If I
thought so, I would marry the first
man that asked me.'
II will be the first"
ooh, Mrs. Fuller, we have had such
lovely day. Mr.. Grandin and I
stopped to see if we could arrange to
have all the fish we caught sent to
the poor people,
Next morning letter and a news
paper lay beside the colonel's plate
when he came down to breakfast
little in advance of his daughter and
sister. He recognized the same ad-
dress on both-that of his attorney
in the eastern city where he resided
and he broke the seal of the letter
with some eagerness:
my Dear Colonel: got the stuff print
ed in the Times, just as you asked, though
they would not use your name. It points
to you plainly enough, however. I don't
understand the game, but you probably
know what you are doing Is there a hen
on In the Blue Elephant? Should buy or
sell? Sounds funny to read that the fall
ure of the mine will affect your fortunes,
remembering, as 1 do, how cleverly you
sneaked out of it unscathed year ago.
"As you requested, have started an in
quiry about the young man Grandin, and
Will be ready to report on him in a few
days. What is the matter? Another moth
at Josephine's fame? My dear fellow, 7:
have told you a thousand times that YOU
are too supicious.
"Yours, - A. G.. w."
Then the colonel unfolded the news
paper srd, finding the marked pas
sage, read as follows:
politics Is Money-It is ,rumored that
the true reason for the sudden withdrawal
Of a well-known citizen from the sena-
torial race, and his departure for California.
was not at all his friendship for the gov
@ernor, as was alleged at the time. but
the disastrous failure Of an enterprise in
which he was financially involved to a
very considerable extent. When the Blue
Elephant went to pieces, the event was not
supposed to have any political Significance.
but its largest owner was known to be q
certain colonel who is now suddenly out o.
politics. II costs moneyto be a senator in
this state, and the pastime is well enough
for millionatres. but fortune that IS re-
duced to bare bones, and which perhaps
scarcely exists at all. will not stand such
strain s,...ys<, q IA .#.sss
. The colonel smiled grimly as he
read the article, and several timex
during the course Of the breakfast,
VIII he ate by himself, without
waiting for the ladies, he chuckled, as
though something on his mind was
zailt11orFding him great amusement.
When Miss Josephine and her aunt
came into the room he drew a long
face and handing his daughter the
paper with the marked portion ex-
posed, he said: 1T is out at last.