The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-02-04
The Widows Mate

I by the chaotic scene to which the
respectable old town hall had lent
itself.
T. Second hand clothing broken down
furniture, clumsy kitchen utensils
and delicate trinkets jostAd one an
other in their efforts to Rttract the
undecided purchaser But Jonas
turned a blind eye to such obvious
appeals. Like the magnet in the
song,
From needles and nails and knives he'd
turn. N
For he'd set his heart on a silver churn,
or a pewter candlestick, sor brass
knocker, or anything OF unusual
shape or make thai could not be
found any day in the week at a hard
ware or dry goods shop.
Suddenly a light seemed to kindle
the pale blue eyes that roamed
searchingly round the room. "At
last!" he called out trfumphantly. 81
knew I'd find the widows husband
II I looked long enough, an there he
is! Fetch me down that there and
iron, will your" and with his stick
he indicated what seemed to him the
exact duplicate Sf the sphinx andiron
in his garnet at home.
The saleswoman, knowing nothing
OF the source of her supplies, reach ed
for the long coveted treasure and put
It into Jonas clutching hands. He
looked into the unresponsive counte-
nance>of the iron sphinx. and passed
his fingers over it with clumsy ten
derness. z@
81 reckon you're the widows hus-
band that she's been waitin' for nigh
on to twenty years." he remarked, Ia
cmonically. I'm pleased to make
your acquaintance"
After this discovery Jonas was too
much excited to search for further
plumber; consequently the rest of his
own recent possessions, which were
scattered about in various orner es-
capped his notice. With a magnanim-
ity inspired by the widow" rather
than the orphan, Jonas put q reluc-
tant but determined hand into his
pocket. He handed four crisp bills
to the bewildered woman. i've al
ways said that I'd give twenty dol
lars for the widows mate, an I'm
goin' to Go It." ne said, with decision.
Why, that old andiron's marked
only fifty cents, and it isn't worth
that" expostulated the saleswoman.
That don't matter to nae.
promised to give $780," lie persisted,
$50 here you be-"
Sarah Haskins was sitting at home,
waiting, with some trepidation,' for
her husbands return. 1t was scarce
ly possible that his eagle eye should
not have fallen on some Of his own
property at the sale, and she was try
ing to frame an explanation of its
presence there when the door slammed
and Jonas stood in the room. But in
stead OF showing reproach, his face
shone with good nature and delight,
a fact that seemed the more tncom-
prehensibie when his wife saw, hud-
died under his arm, his own treasured
andiron.
We'll, I guess I've rummaged to
some purpose this time. he said,
chuckling. "Eere's the mate to nay
widow up stairs that I've been lookin'
for for the last twenty years."
He set it down on the table and
turned to go out of the room. 90 Jo-
nas!" his wife gasped, and could say
no more The words Of explanation
would not come out of her dry and
trembling lips.
I'm just goin' up to the museum
to get the widow" ne sans out cheer
fully.
"Oh, dear, oh, dear, he'll never
forgive mel" walled Sarah. "Oh, I'll
never, never touch his old thingsagain
If he only won't be terrible mad when
he finds OUT"
She heard his slow tread going up,
up; then followed the distant shut
fling steps of one who sought for
something.
Sarah Haskins winked fast and
rocked her chair violently. ST think
I'll go down-street and see how the
sale is goin'," she announced to her
self, as If she were explaining her con-
duct to a third person. I'll just
leave a line for Jonas"
She went hastily to the table draw
er and took out a scrap of paper and
a pencil. With v fingers she
wrote. still conscious Of overhead
groupings.
She placed this message c~onspicu.
ously On the table, then snatched her
bonnet and shawl from a neighborine
hook and disappeared.
About ten minutes later, when 10.
a slowly pIodded down stairs and
found the sitting room empty, his
mystifed face took on a still deeper
look of wonder. What ails ali the
women folks?" he queried. "The
widows disappeared, and now my
wiie's gone"
His eyes fell on the bit Of paper
with the hastily scrawled words. His
head felt giddy and confused from
STOPPING to look under things, and
he seemed unable to control hi.
thoughts. While he was searching
! for his speetacles his memory jumped
back to a story he had once read in
which a wife had decided that she
EhiIdren at /