Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-08-05
How WiHett ea'
Wooed the Widow
By SAMUEL RINTUaN PECK /

We'll, Bob. l have settled It." said
Frank Willett, aged 20, bursting into
the room Of his friend, Robert Hall.
dropping into q chair. he wiped his
'npist brow and breathed rapidly.
Settled what?" asked Hall, laying
d9Tn bis pen and Offering q cigar.
Why. i have proposed to her"
Proposed to whom?"
To Mrs. kAngston- Hang II, man.
have you forgotten my long consulta-
ton with you last Friday?" Wflett
bit on the end OF his cigar and struck
match viciously. II presume that
you have not only forgotten the occa-
sion, but that the advice you gave me
has also escaped you"
Advice In regard TO what? You
are always asking advice about some
thing and then foIlowinE your own
head"
Don't you recall my telling you
that ! was in love-in love with Mrs.
Langston, the lovenest woman that
breathes. and that Jim Parsons was as
hard hit as I, and while l believed
was ahead In the race 1 was afraid of
Jim because he bad such q slick
tongue?"
oh, yes, a96 said that you would
best not let any grass grow under
your feet. because a woman who had
been married three times already
would not stand any dtAy-dRllying-
II you did not speak quickly that she
would marry Jim rust from force Of
habit"
Precisely, but that wasn't alE"
What else did 1 sayG You have
interrupted me In the middle OF let
ter to my hancee. and my thoughts
are bit scattered"
We'll, to help you collect them,
told you 1 had made up my mind to
propose at once. and a. I had never
been in love before. and consequently
had never made = proposal, / wanted
your advice in regard to the best way
OF doing IT. 1 naturally supposed that
man who had been refused by a
dozen women and had finally succeed
ed in becoming engaged to the thir-
eeenth would have acres OF good
counsel to- give me-"
And didn't I? It seems to me
told you to follow the inspiration of
the moment"
SO you did. but 1t appeared to me
hardly safe to leave such an import
ant matter entirely to chance. In
case the inspiration failed to inspire
wanted something to fall back upsn. 4"
Yes. and I called you a fool. aud
told you dozen ways at least OF put
ting the question"
Good. I am glad to see that your
brein fs growing clear and your mem
DRY coming back to you. As was not
fluent OF speech like that fop Parsons,
you suggested that I make the pro-
posal by letter"
And the plan did not please your"
Certainly net, and for two reasons.
First, l thought IT was cowardly, and
secondsI could not bear the suspense
of waiting for a reply"
Then I said you might take the
fascinating widow boat riding, upset
the boat SWIM ashore with her, and
claim the life you had saved"
And you knew couldn't swim!"
Il knew that nothing / could pos
stbly suggest would meet your appro-
hation. But since you have proposed,
and The matter ID settled. great Scott!
man, what Is the use of going over
our last Interview
Merely to show you by contrast
how much better was the plan ]
adopted after leaving you. BY George!
II was q great performance" said Will
lett, smoking away with reminiscent
aomplaisance.
10 begin at the beginning, a man
the woman alone, and Tor six weeks ]
have never called on Mrs. Langston
that I DIDN'T find Parsons there. OF
that he didn't arrive a few minutes
after did. So I decided to go to the