The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-11-14
THE MERRY WIDOW
Copyright, by shortstory Pub. Coz
Bv FRANK H. MELOON

stuck to the Merry Widow like Q
dock burr She followed her upsta ~
and she trotted after her down. Blise
fully unconscious, as it seemed, of dig
alteration, the widow made no attemps
to rid herself of the incubus. The ora
consolation attending the Merry
Widows proposed departure would be
that she would take Pickles along with
her
That night the Merry Widow was at
her best. Never had her blue eyes
flashed with SO much happiness. We
felt actually jealous of Yaleville, Wis.
Was it possible she was glad she was
going home? No, that could not be.
There must be some other reason for
the Merry Widows glee. Could it
chance she had left lover behind her
in the far away town? Not likely, be-
cause all the mail which had come to
| her had been addressed in a feminine
| hand. So much we forced Jake to
| tell us to set our minds at rest on
| that score.
Never was there the like of that
night in Jake Mann's. Pickles played
the piano tuned for the occasion, and
the Merry Widow sang Believe Me-"
"The Rocky Road to Dublin and all
the old songs it does our heart good
to hear. Jake wanted to send the
champagne around but the old aunt
objected. She said that as chaperone
she could stand for nothing stronger
than coffee. The Merry Widow hest
tated moment, then poutingly as
scented, but we all felt that the yoke
of propriety in this instance weighed
heavily on her. Still, we would have
been gladly willing for her sake to
drink dishwater.
Pickles, too, could certainly touch UP
the piano. think Jake felt a little
bit ashamed of certain things he had
said about the old lady behind her
back, when she struck up the tune
of Watch on Rhine" while the Merry
Widow announced she would sing
some verses her aunt had composed on
Jake Mann and German hospitality in
general.
Following this, Pickles announced
that as it was getting late, she would
go to bed, but her niece, she added,
could stay up while longer. The
Merry Widows blue eyes included ue
all in their flash of appreciation, yet
every man felt it was intended most
particularly for himself.
The Merry Widow stayed We con-
versed with her by turns. Part of the
conversation was aloud, part whis-
Eered. The widow was dazzling, but
no man dared overstay his limit We
all said our little say, each after his
own fashion, and the widow was game
to the finish. AT the stroke of II, she
begged to be excused for the night.
Strange to say, not one of us adj
journed to the bar after she had
gone.
For while we INDUCED in our
usual game of forty-ives, then one by
one the members of the Fourteen club
stole away. I know that l left, os-
tensibly for my room, but In reality to
keep date with the Merry Widow.
1t was only a five-minute chat in the
hallway, but l held her in my arms,
kissed her again and again, saw the
lovelight burning in her eyes of blue,
interchanged vows of eternal fidelity
and went my way.
The next morning at breakfast time
the Merry Widow and Pickles were
still in their rooms, but Jake Mann
! excusing their absence, called on us
, TO congratulate him. He announced
: his engagement to the Merry Widow
Amid the chorus of voices raised in
, surprised protest l detected the note
, of anger. Otherwise l would have
: laughed at the preposterousness of the
si idea. Then, great heavens! you
) should have heard the rest of us claim
ing the honor! Did the Merry Widow
propose to marry us all? Impossible
| think l was the first to examine
) my roll. When flush, which was sci
: dom, l usually carried about thou
Y sand dollars. l breathed with relief az
I felt it all there. But on opening the
v book, found only wad Of brown
4 paper inside. held it aloft shool
4 it. We Investigated in turn. Every
t man of us had been "stung." w.
;, rushed hastily upstairs. There was NJ
: sign that either the Merry Widow o.
Pickles had occupied the beds tn,
e previous night.
d After all, am not sure but wha
e that five minutes with the Merr.
g Widow was worth a thousand dollars
o Jake Mann thinks his money was wei
n spent So far as l can find out, tn,
d other members of the Fourteen clul
s are inclined to make the best of it.
e there was such a place as Yalevil1e
n Wis, l would certainly go there.