Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-06-14

ana SOoQ lempereu, anu tue asonOJ
had sent her the names of three rich
men who wanted just such wife as
she would make. If the old maid
hadn't been so proper she would have
opened correspondence with all three
of them. As it was, she decided that
one was enough. She didn't even de-
eide that until she had struggled
with her feelings for three long days.
Curiosity and romance finally got
the better of prudence and propriety,
and her letter was duly mailed.
During the next FIVE or six days she
gave herself away to her slster.ln-law
in fifty different ways, and even the
hard.headed brother was compelled
to notice that change had taken
place.
"What do you think it is, Dan?
asked the wife as he sat on the milk
stool again.
"Durned if l know, Lucy. Has
Deacon White or any other widower
been spooking around here2"
"No, not a soul. y
"She keeps primping and looking
in the glass and blushing, does she? ?"
"Twenty times a day. l heard
her humming love song upstairs to-
day, and she's taken to going to the
postofice every night and morning.
Dan, l tell you we've got to keep our
eyes open. Suppose some rich man
should come along and coax her to
elope with him"
81 guess you and Han are both
safe from that" he laughed in reply,
and again the subject was dismissed.
Next day the old maid had her let
ter. 1t was postmarked Boston, and
never in her life did the way from the
postofice home seem so long.
1t was from Quincy Livingstone
Lapham, who had got her address
from the agency. Quincy was forty
years old, retired capitalist and
widower, and he wrote letter full of
sentiment and desire to please. If
he didn't know hash from Goldfish he
at least knew how to touch an old
maids heart, no matter what prop
Ell person she Was. By the time she
had read it three times over Hannah
Wray had gone back on her thirty
FIVE years record. She mentally
pronounced him darling of man,
and she got ready to answer the epis.
tie. After she had written and mail
ed it Dan wiuked his wife out into
the woodshed and whispered;
"Got any ginger In the houDe2"
mo. WhyP"
"I'll go down to the store and get
some. I've been watching Han, and
if she amt in for time with the bill
lious collie then l cant read signs.
Nonsense. l tell you she is in
love"
I'm love with what-the COW p"
"She's in love with a man, you
idiot, you. Do you spose she'd be
humming love songs and standing
before the looking glass for a cow ?"
But where's the man ?"
That's what l can't tell you-not
now. But I'm going to find out if |
lose my head"
She was several weeks in making
her words good, bat there came day
when she laid hands on all Hannah s
correspondence. She had received
six letters from Quincy Livingstone
Lapham, and FIVE Of them treated of
love and romance and his desire to
see her. The sixth announced that
he would visit the village, which was
familiar to him, and walk up and
down a certain shady lane until she
joined him
"Well p asked the wife when she
had told the contents of the letter.
"I'll be in that shady lane my
self, replied Dan.
And he was. 1t was in the after.
noon, and the village seemed to be
asleep. Quincy arrived. So did
Hannah. SO did Dan. Dan waited
until Quincy declared he could not
longer live without Hannah and that
she must draw her money out of
bank and fee with hin, and then he
made his appearance and admins,
tered kicks and cuffs and punches
until Quincy was beyond his reach.
When he got through Hannah had
vanished. She kept to her room for
the next three days, and she might
have made it three weeks had not