Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-07-09
Between Two
Stool|
By ALEC BRUCE
Copyright. 1900. by T. c. Mcclure


for the widow was in the throes of
dilemma. She had lovers. two of them,
and for both she entertained a measure
of affection and respect. In the bal
ance she had weighed them and found
neither wanting. Tip, up went Colt
lieb. down went Hans. Tip. up went
Hans, down went Gottlieb. Tip. steady;
ounce to ounce they weighed and hung.
A vcry hair would sway them.
Zach. dey both be goot vor husbands.
Vich best. hey! I don't know now,"
she unused. ''GOttlieb, he haaf warm,
dree hOndred acres, two horse. SOM
COW. SOM pig. an he work hard; he
pillow 80 much. Ach. but Hans, he haaf
harder: he pillow SO much as Gottlieb.
Elder wood do. Oh, myw And again
the widow sighed.
Now, of the well matched rivals hard
working Hans was the younger and
the handsomer but Gottlieb, II he was
older and Of coarser fiber, was more
ardent, more noticing of the small
things so dear to n woman's soul, and
If neither had popped the mOmentous
question. right cunningly had Gottlieb
approached II. Yah. yah. much nearer
than Hans had ever dared to go.
Pauline" one day he had ventured
with grin all over his vacuous face.
you make ride goOt soup. Eferey day
| wish ged mine dinner vrom you"
dat vas near. YER near, vas IL not
Ach. bud Hans! Hans vas chust so
AWFUL handsome. too, te-he he" sniy-
gered the widow. and certainly. I'm the
sheepish Chances. the frequent wise
like pressures of his horny hand. in his
own dumb way Has told an equally
fiattering tale.
''Ha, bud chust so val l might be
carevul. Won nefer knows" argued
the widow.
Truly for this caution the widow
had good cause Before marriage the
late Herr Stahl, like the present suit
ors. had been weighed In the balance
and found mot wanting" After mar
riage long, long. practical sermon he
had preached. the text OF which had
been the waste Of precious love"
And now: "LOofe. loOfe! Oh. no; oh.
no." sneered the widow. "Mit such
tings as dat l haaf noting more to do.
Nein. nein."
For her man, Gottlleb or Hans,
whichever won her hand. she would
wash close. make ride goot soup, clean
house and do chust so val as she could.
Bud lOofe- nein, nein!
In grinding matrimonial mill, to be
sure, the widow had been fiattened.
Not so Gottlieb. not so Hans, and she
forgot that. while to them the practi-
cal side Of the contract must have its
roseate hues. the loofe side still would
be the roster. Such was the case. For
the tender feminine signs which never
came each bashful lover had waited
long. and Mt last: "Ach, chust so val
Wait SOM longer. Won nefer knows;
Won meier knows" each argued in his
turn.
Now, to her name the Widow StahI
had nothing no horse. no COW. no pig,
no dot. But, worst of all. the marriage
mangle had squeezed from her that
subtle cOquetry. the magnet OF her sex,
and, try as she might to extract a pro-
posal from her cooling SWANS. they
returned only sheepish looks, hand
claps and praise for culinary skill.
O'hone, what was the matter7
The widow STEPPED her brains.
Zach, Cot. the sordid loonsw II
was dowry they were after To wash
Close. to make ride goOt soup. to clean
house, to do chust so val as woman
can. was not enough for them-ach,
nein. At last she understood.
In the old country the widow had an
oncle- Seventy years of age was the
oncle- and at seventy Oncles sometimes
die. To Gottlieb and to Huns OF that
oncle she had often spoken-yah. yah.
Eight thousand dollars she believed he
had amasseI. All. if in loofe Pauline
was weak in strategy she was strong.
Mine Colt. she had scheme!
Nv the widow of the late Auguste Stahl
NIT the undersigned will correspond OF
som't ing greatly Ia her advantage she
VIII hear In Stuttgart her aged oncle
haaf died
Four insertions such as that i'm the
Western Prairie Farmer. ana Pauline
could TAX" Ter choice Hans: Mehbe.
Gottlicb: M.':h" Ach. ch;st so val
she might he c;,revul. The less soriid
she would choose
Hey" unused GOttlieb. two weeks
later wien his gray green eyes lie
vourci -four closely printed lines In
the personal of tle Western Praitie
Farmer. Hey. Stuttgart: bat might
lie PIul;nr's ::c.c IN: :!.c comfortable
vortunc Pauline. ha. she wash close;
she make r.,ic soot so,p w not gcd
mine dinn"" ly her e:r.cy day: can
chust so ~, pay v"r TWO. Gen. haaf
more tine to work. Hey. w not: Ind
-und Ia lllnS. dat l.rtle mortgage I
could pay. Hey. w nut!"
So To the widow hastcned Gottlicb.
Pauline" III II cold sweat he ramblcd.