The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-08-12
THE MISSING LETTER
~ M OIlAn
copyright. 1909, BY Associated Literary
PreSh

ueibnO0fs Shiu theY wouldn't blame
him a bit for getting married again
within a year. This was very kind OF
his friends and nelghbors, but it didn't
exactly solve the problem To get
married, whether for the first time or
the second, and whether man or wom-
an, one must find one Of the opposite
sex who Is willing 1t is said that In
case Of a widower over forty his first
thought il to marry a girl Of twenty
and his second to look around for
widow Of about his own age. If Dea-
con Green figured this way he didn't
find the girl, and 1t was two years be-
fore he found the widow. He was
planting corn In his Geld one day
when a sewing machine man came
along and sought to banter him into
a purchase lie was a jovial man, and,
although the farmer couldn't see his
way clear to buying, the other saw he
way clear to do him a good turn. and
he finally asked the deacon why be
had not married again.
Because / dent know OF anybody
that would have me-" admitted the
deacon. with almost blush.
"Whewl Why. man, you are way
behind the timesl Say can give you
the name Of a widow right now. she's
about forty years old, and she lives ia
Saundersville. Owns her own house
and lot, and guess she has money"
"She might have me and she might
not" answered the deacon.
But how are you going TO knew un.
til you Try? Say, man, ] believe you
are letting good thing slip away
The deacon thought Il over after. the
agent had gone, and be thought It over
when the children wrangled over the
supper table and after they bad gone
10 bed. The result was that next day
be drove over to Saundersville. 1t
was an hour after he reached the vii
lage before he dared call upon the Wild
ow, and then be made the slimslest
sort Of excuse. He hemmed and hawed
and finally asked If she had cider bar
rels to sell. The Widow Taylor sus-
pected the real object Of his visit and
smiled at bis wanting cider barrels in
May, but she didn't smile to hurt his
feelings. She let him down easy. and
he returned home feeling quite chlrky
It was only when he drove into his
yard and found five Of the children
pulling hair on the grass that chill
came over him. Dare he ever pop the
question and own up to the seven?
That night, after the children had
fought themselves to bed and to sleep,
the deacon got out pen and paper and
wrote a letter to the woman when he
had seen a few hours before He told
Of bis situation very truthfully until
he came to the number Of his children.
He dared not admit TO seven. 1t WAS
deception to say several but be de-
ceived. "A widower with several IN
teresting children" he put II, and ear
~ next morning he gave 1t 70 a pass
ing farmer to mail Only two hours
had gone by and the children had
had but one free for all scrap. when
his heels suddenly lifted from the
ground. Suppose his letter led the
widow to saying yes. She must then
know that he had seven instead Of
several children, and what would be
the result? She would claim decep-
ton and probably sue him for dam
ages. His own letter would convict
him. II was warm May day. but the
deacon shivered Half an hour later
ne was driving to saundersville again. !
His letter to the widoy would reach !
there at o'clock in the afternoon, and
be must get hold Of 1t.
1t was very nervy thing for the
deacon to 20 to the postofice at the
proper hour and inquire for mail for
the Widow Hastings, but he had work
ed up his courage and the postmis,
fress happened to be unusually busy,
and so the letter was handed out and
he started for home An hour after
his doing SO the widow herself APP
peared at the Office and asked for mall
and was told that a letter had been
handed out. The postmistress couldn't
remember to whom, and row was on
1T SO happened that the widow was
expecting an important letter, and the
inspector for that district was notified
and came on to solve the mystery.
There was no clew to start on The
letter had been handed out to some
one but whether to man. woman o.
child could not be recalled In detec /
tive work clews turn up like soft corns /
between the toes. A man who knew /
Deacon Green remembered Of seeing |
him III Saundersville on certain day \
with a letter in his hand
Meanwhile the deacon had heard Of /
the row being raised and had become
both conscience stricken and fright /
oned He had done a thing to land |
him In prison, and he must undo it. He I
had the letter, and he put il IN bis I
pocket and started for saundersville I
for the third time. On the way over
he aud the inspector passed each 9th
or. but neither suspected the others
identity. Straight to the widows
house the deacon drove and handed
her the letter.
what Is itf'' she naturally asked.
READ it, he replied
'sThis is from you, take itg"
"Yes.'
ssAnd you--you"-
Il didn't want cider barrels that
day. but / wanted you. want you
yet. / deceived you about the num-
Der Of my children and that's why
stole the letter back. There are seven
Of EN-"
The widow looked him over ana