Bradford County telegraph., 1906-07-27
Three Old Maids
and q Widow
By c. B. Evils
Copyright, 1905, by NJ. NJ. Cunningham

Miss vinton was an old maid because
she never had met with man good
enough for her. Miss Hopkins was an
old maid because tire young man she
would have married Mt eighteen was
sawed in two In a sawmill and she had
vowed to bc true to his memory. Miss
Warner was an old maid because she
was determined to marry none but a
minister. and all the ministers who
came were already provided for. The
Widow Carter was widow because
part Of a house had fallen on her hus-
band.
The old maids and the widow were
on visiting terms-in fact, they rather
liked each other. Where there are no
male candidates for matrimony con.
cerned old maids and widows can sit
down together on the same veranda
without Quarreling After the widow
had solemnly assured the, old maids
| that nothing on the face Of this earth
could induce her to be false to the
memory Of her crushed, the quartet
loved each other even more.
3 One day one of the merchants In the
a town sold out and stranger came to
Q take his place. II he haA been mar
4 ricd man the dove Of peace would have
. continued TO hover over Rose street,
hut as he was single, only thirty and
q "catch" the dove saw q hot time
= ahead
The widow let no grass grow under
her feet In calling at the store and In.
| Hx,. nd IN.
dering four pounds Of sugar all q
once. She was one Of the Four Hun
drcd Of the town. and on the part Of
the other 800 she bade Mr.. Strong wei
come to their midst. When he had
thanked her she ordered two nutmegs
and n paper of starch. In addition Il
| the sugar to let him understand tina
4 she wasn't oblised~tO pinch pennies
Il and then departed
II An hour later her reprehensible con
II duct was known to the three old maids
II and up went three pairs Of hands; 81,
II eyes were turned upward in horror ant
II three mouths opened to exclaim In che
II rus, "IIow shocking!'
III Then, during the next two days. eac
III Of the old maids made an excuse +
III call ut the store and follow the pre-
III gramme carried out by the widow
HI Each thought she was sly and slicl
III but they found each ether out, an
IN from that moment the bond Of friend
IN ship snapped asunder like AN Oi
III clothesline left out In the storms OF
III year.
Ill When women make war ON each Otl
III er they don't use fence rails to poun
iii each other on the head. In NEST case
III they go right ON treating each other
III nicely as they can to their faces, b,
using daggers and the darkness to q
Hi sassinate. The three old maids and Il
|Il widow gathered together a. Of yor
|IN but the dagger was used whenev'
llI there was the least show.
IN Mr.. Strong proved q social succea
I'M The widow gave little dinner az
I'M brought him out, but the old max
III really moncpoltzed him for the eve
IN ing. Then Miss Warner gave an Ell
bition Of her own paintings, which co
IN sisted Of a cow apparently thirty-s
. feet long and Of a river running
stream instead Of down. and the wi
- Ow held Mr.. Strong's attention for {
A.. hour while she talked about her cruz
No, cd and departed.
AT the end of six weeks the man w
|. ran the sawmill and had q mortga
AA.s on the mill dam figured It out to
wife:
lcky he's .' ~. ,,,So., -.." ,.st ~,
.S, ...- be the frst one ever heard Of"
wv" Even the small boys around town I
ticed how girly the old 'malds Wee4
o.v ,. coming. They giggled. they utter
'0S cute little screams when they turned
'u corner and found themselves face
'sas face with COW, they Uttered VII
S.. they asked for gum drops ct the
"e cery. As for the widow, she set
jaw and walked into the store two
three times week to ask the %
''s"' chant II he thought the 6eventy-s
enth National bank Of Boston was
aded fectIy sound and to sigh with rel
= on when he assured her Of bis conndel
ZOE in the institution. Sly reports "
soon afioat that Mr.. Strong was pay
y In his attentions to this or that one 0f
hem' four. Then the other three would re
~ as one:
one "Well may be hs ID. but what
'n " earth he can see In her y more thu
STOUT can make out. She grows moro ho
onse' ~ and dowdifisd every day. OF COZ
wo Tm telling you this In confidence.
Anec OF course. It won't 60 further"
nue." One fatal evening tragedy after q
one. edy happened and the light vent
anu OF several happy households.
na"o' strong boarded with . family IN
half mile from the store. He wal
~a' the walk. lie had to cross the pr
ae ia over the river and ascend bill
Inese cred with woods. and there vasn
gary. house between bis boarding place
,.a A., the town.
~ ~ The three old maids aud the WI
'ueoc had had their eyes ON this ROAD !
80 " the FIRST. They had soon begun Y
ing for exercise. They didn't Wal
% ~ The hours the merchant might os
nsss Dected. and II they encountered
go ~ other they ma6s oil manner OF
10 uoe - lut each One uDderUeOO0