Connecticut western news., 1906-07-26

Go'clock supper and remain there until $. Just before < o'clock, then, on this awful night four hCI &n figures might have been seen Syra!:ns out of the town and over ;hG &y.lye.
 Each and every ore of them would have paused oa the bridge to listen to the musical pla>h 0f the river if they hadn't seen each other. The first. sec- ond and third were obliged 10 90 on to avoid the last one She was the widow. She knew the value of bridge and I river and Il musical plaSh. and she de- termined to stick.
 One old tramp and dog were re- SponSihle for most of what followed. The tramp came humping along through the town, bent on finding eauutry strawStack as soon as possible. 2ai as the widow on the bridge heard his footsteps she began to look artleSs and coy.
 It was labor thrown away. The tramp was nearSighted and bumped up against her. and in her fright she went over the low railing and down into the water. If she couldn't swim like duck she could at least scramble like a cat. and she managed to get ashore Her condition was dripping. also dropping. also indignant. She re- alized that no dripping. dropping wo- man stood the slightest show in that contest, and she dragged herself home ward and was not improved in looks tan lx- fA couple of mud puddleS.
 Miss Ninton came next She was sauntering up the hill wondering how that widow dared he so bold and hrassy when the tramp. who was now on the run for his life. overlook her. In his nearSightedneSS he took her for a horse and wagon and tried to shy out. She shied to the right at the same time and was sent sprawling by the collision. She got out of the roadside ditch to run into patch of briers and scream for help. but there was no help. She had to eStricate herself and follow the bedraggled widow.
 The dog alone was responsible for what happened to the other two old maids. Miss Warner had discovered one woman ahead and two behind her, and. suSpecting their fiendiSh inten- tions, she had almost made up her mind to abandon her object when the dog, who had been calling on his broth CT out in the country, came along and set up barking and growing. Trag- edy was the result. The old maid nev CT had encountered big bobtailed dog at night on hill. and she at once scrambled over the fence into the weeds and ran for her life. She fell down and rolled over, and she rose up again and struggled on, and when she reached home two hours later she i'm mediately went into mysteries, and Dr. Seaton got his first night call for four teen years.
 The dog had met with such success that he was encouraged to persevere. He came upon Miss Hopkins out of the shadows like frisking haystack, and ! as she screamed out and spread her wings to fly she ripped and went down. The fall might have injured her but for the fact that she fell upon soft mud. She couldn't go back to town ! looking like the mortar mixer for ! skyscraper. and she continued on to i the merchants boarding house to get -the use of hoes and ,scraperS- They were furnished. but while she was using them she heard the ten-year-old daughter whispering to her mother that she'd bet cent that Miss Hopkins had come out there to giggie for MT. Strong.
 That was an awful night in Clifton, though only four feminine hearts knew just how awful it was. Morning GGwned with q nurky sky overhead. It seemed to three old maids and a widow as if something more was still 10 happen. They were right. When the butcher boy called for his orders he repeated the same words at every house on his route:
 Say, you heard the news? Mir Strong has gone to Phillipsville to git married today. and he's goin' to bring the bride home tonight. Hain't it great;''