Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-12
WEB HAWLEY'S COURTING
He Took a Long Time to Get to the
 Question.

Question. s'I never told you about Web Flaw ley and the schoolma' am, did I?' said Uncle Daniel Sanford. s'Web was about the bashfullest feller on earth in them days. He was boardin' with us that summer, and l seen by the way Web used to come down to talk things over with me that he was just trying to get a chance to shy around her, but I never let on. He'd come evenin's and want to know what I thought was the best way to handle sick calves, or mebbe he'd ask if I'd rather put out buclzwheat on low ground, or something of that kind. One evening when we were settin' on the front steps talkin' about it, out comes the schoolma'am, and I might tell you that she was one of the beau tifulest creatures I ever seen You ought to of heard her play on the me- lodeon, too She could almost make you think it was heaven, turnin' and lookin' at you with them eyes of hers every little while, and never missin' a note. l went in and left them talk in there, but all could hear was her voice, with Web kind of drawlin' oh, I dunno,' once in a while, till it got so late I went to bed and forgot all about lem. Web come the next night, and she went out on the porch again, and I left lem there and it went on that way night after night for a month or two, and him never gettin' a bit further than he was right at the start, with his Oh dunno.'
 do olo T of goin' home up in town, she stayed over at our house. and Web he came around pretty soon with his best clothes on. They sot out on the porch, and was inside near the open winder, where I couldn't help hearin' what they said, and them 'sposin' all the time that 1 had went to church with maw
 "After they'd been kind of quiet long time, she says:
 " What did you say?'
 ""Nothin',' says Web.
 "'Oh,' she says, I thought you spoke'
 " 3No,' says Web.
 "'Well, you were just going to, though, weren't you? she says
 "'Oh, dunno,' says Web.
 'S'posing,' she said, that you had been goin' to, what would you have said?'
 "'Oh, dunno says Web
 Well, if you had not been goin' to speak then, but were just gettin' ready to say something now, what would it beY she asked him.
 "'Oh, dunno, says Web
 3;dr,t boor r. for a pretty long spell, and then she says:
 How would you like to have me look at your hand and tell your for tuner
 '.I could hear Web breathin' hard and short, and pretty soon he says, kind of faint and gaspy:
 sOh, I dunno
 s'Then she hitched her chair over to where he sot, and in about half a minute she commenced to tell him what was goin' to happen.
 What a queer fortune you have,' she says. You are going to marry widow with six children
 Then she stopped a Dit, but Web he didn't say nothfn.'
 She's tall and has reddish hair,' she says, and you will be very happy. but you'll only live a few years after you get married to her.
 ''I heard Web give a cough then to clear out his throat, but he didn't say nothin'
 You'll meet her very soon now she says, and you'll fall in love with her at first sight. But you don't look as though you believed what I'm tellin' you'
 Web didn't say word.
 She will be several years older than you the school teacher said, but you won't mind that. I don't believe age ought to make any difference where we love- do you?'
 Oh, dunno,' he says.
 s'You would just as lieve marry a lady who was several older than you are as not, wouldn't you?' she asked him.
 "'No,' says Web.
 Why not| says she.
 sOh dunno says he.
 By that time I felt like going out there and throwin' him off the porch and giving him good swift kick or two besides, and I guess she was dis guSted. LOO, because she didn't say any thing for quite a long time. Then at last she says to him:
 I'm afraid I'll have to get you to excuse me- and she got up.
 T heard him gettin' up, too, then, and pushin' his chair back from the edge of the porch. She said goodbye to him and he walked down the patch to the front gate. When he got there and had shut it behind him he hollered back kind of slow and solemn:
 You said she was widow, didn't you?'
 Yes she answered, with several children
 TT don't believe in fortune-telIin', says he.
 Why not?' says she.
 Cause you ain't red headed wid- ow with children says he.
 But it seemed to me he took the