Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-04-10
DAILY SHORT STORY
A WIDOWS WAY.
IOriginaI i

little widow, Joanna Van Setback.
Most of the Dutchmen jof those days
were not gifted with quick intelligence
with which to penetrateiab prob
lens. Indeed, to usej common phrase
of today, they couldtnotIse through a
milestone. But Joanna Ivan Setback.
though she appeared ash stupid as the
rest. was quick wided. She had been
married at sixteen and now at thirty
four had a daughter of seventeen
years. Katrina. Both mother and
daughter were comaly-the mother in
bloom, the daughter Hn the bud.
There lived also int New Amsterdam
in those days "a young man. killian
Van Horn. Killian, was six years
younger than JoannaiVan Setback and
eleven years older tLan Katrina. Until
Katrina was sixteen he paid attention
to the widow, andlit was thought there
would be q matchS between them, but
when the daughter budded the young
man instead of being ambitious TO be
her father concluded he would, like to
be her husband. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
away from his firstNlove andi took up
with the second. He was a year in
shifting. at the end of which time he
mustered up courage to ask Joanna for
her daughter. Conscious of the posi-
ton he occupied between the two wo-
men. he approached the mother shame
facedIy. But TO his surprise she ig-
nOred his former attentions TO her and
treated his offer for her daughters
hand as matter toi be disposed of i'll
the usual practical Dutch way Unfor-
IN 20
prosperous, while the widow possessed
u snug farm on the banks of the Hud-
son river and had a number of gold
and silver pieces carefully put away
in a wooden stocking. When killian
admitted that his sole possession was
q small sloOp, with(which he brought to
market clans and ioysters, the widow
declined his proposition for her dangh-
ter, and he wentl away much cast
down.
From this time forward Joanna
kept her daughter under suIch strict
watch that Kfllian could not even com
mmicate with her. His trouble be
came known to several of his friends,
and one night when'they were drinking
together at tavern,One of them, Peter
Gansvoort, said:
"Why don't yOu run away, with
Katrina, KiIlian?'
Il can't get near enough to her TO
arrange a plan" replied Killian.
I'll give YOU a PLAN" said Peter
"The mother and daughter go to church
every Wednesday evening. We fell
lows when they are going home may
set upon them and carry them both off.
you taking the daughter and the rest
of us the mother"
The friends all agreed that this
would be a fine lark, and Killian was
persuaded to enter into it. All agreed
to put the plan in practice the next
Wednesday evening.
When the evening came the friends
and the lover stationed themselves
midway between the church and the
widows farm. The night was dark,
which they considered fortunate. The
friends listened and soon heard voices
which they recognized as those of the
persons they waited for AS the two
women passed the men sprang out and
threw n sheet over each. Killian whis-
pered to the one he held: katrina.
don't be afraid. 1t Is !, your Killian."
soft pressure Of the hand was her re
ply. and, picking her up, he carried her
away to the dominieS.
Now, though 1t was scarcely 8 O'Clock.
most of the people IN the village were
in bed, and so was the dominic. Kill
liam knocked on the door. and the domi-
ME came down and let him in. At that
time the method Of getting a light was
by flint struck with steel. The dominic
g. 70 hut
not find them. Killian. who was inn
patient and feared delay might spoil
his plan, told the dominic that all he
wanted was 10 be married and the knot
could he tied as well in the dark. The
dominic assented and performed the
ceremony.
Killian's plan was to take his bride
home to her mother and implore for
givenesS. She tacitly assented, and
they walked down to the little farm
house When the gate clicked behind
them the door was opened, and there
in the lighted opening stood a figure.
Your mother has returned" said
KllIian. Now, my dear, brace your
self for the ordeal"
When the newly welded pair entered
The house II seemed to Killian that
somehow he had got turned round. The
woman beside him with whom he had
entered was Joanna Van Setback. The
other whom they found there was Ka-
trina. Killan looked from one to the
other in a daZed way. then it began to
dawn upon his stupid brain that he
had married the widow.
What does it all mean, mamma?
I'm so glad you are safe! And, coming
with Killian, l presume you have not
been robbed"
Go TO bed. Katrina"
The girl knew by her mothers tone
when implicit obedience was expected
and went at once TO her chamber, leav-
ing her mother and her stepfather to-
gether. What transpired between the
groom and.h bride does not appear in
any OF the chitchat about the people Of
New Amsterdam, but Killian never