The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-11-16
4 HAPPY OLD MAID,
ny "A. QUAD.
copyright, 1909. BY Associated Literary
Press


copyright, 1909. BY Associated Literary
Press.I
There was no doubt that Martha
Baker, thirty years Oh and unmarried
and the housekeeper for her widower
brother, was homely She admitted
that she was, and I'm telling you that
woinan. old or young, black or white,
has got to be at the jumping on place
before she will admit TINT. Yes she
was homeIy and ungainly, and the fu-
ture held no hopes for her. II she bad
had the money to buy paints and pow
ders and false hair and fine hats and
good clothes she could have concealed
much Of the liomely and ungainly. but
she didn't have. ron see. Some pitied
her, and some made fun Of her. and
she bore it With such philosophy as
she could summon up. Her brother
Bill needed her services until he could
bring home second wife, and vel
that same brother Bill seemed to take
pains to say to her a dozen times
day;
Martha Baker. / believe you are
the homeiiest woman il the state. BY
John, but you'd make a crab apple
tree look sick.9
well. if anybody's to blame It's the
Lord Martha would reply as she dis
missed the matter from her mind.
Sometimes stiII small voice would
say TO her that her time would come,
but she had waited SO long that the
voice ceased to cheer her When
woman has worn the same hat all the
year round for nine long years, with
only changing ribbons froni red to
blue, she loses hope and can't be
blamed for IT. That hat OF hers was
the guy Of the village 1t never APP
peared on the street without causing
smiles, and it never appeared in church
without provoking filters that the min
lister could not suppress.
However. that still, small voice kept
on coming. and one day 1t turned up
trumps for Martha Baker She had
once been extra kind to an old woman.
and that old woman was kind enough
to die and leave her d hundred dollars
IN cash. The lawyer came for her sig
nature and brought the greenbacks
Martha had never had even 50 at a
time ia her life before There were
people in the village who were fairly
well off. but to have a hundred dollars
in cold cash put into ones hand all
at once-why. 1t looked like the Monte
cristo business. The news went all
over the place in an hour Children
stood at the gate with open mouths.
and their mothers went in to count the
money and to tender advice There
was advice as to robbers, Investments.
speculations and what not Each bad
different advice to give. and Martha
was kind enough TO listen to each call
err II was wonderful bow her stock
came up. 1t started at zero and went
to $50 IN a day. She was the 1t No
one else was talked about. The grocer
who tried to sway public opinion by
hanging out sign Of Two Bars Of
soap For Z Cents didn't make two
sales. The minister came with home
hints. They were not about her hat
this time. They were about reraiat-
ing the church, new pew cushions and
the heather IN Africa instead
what was Martha Baker going to
do with her windfalI?" became the
absorbing topic Of the day and night
1t has been said that she had worn
the same hat for nine years. DO you
believe that she had done 50 without
its ranking in her soul? Indeed, she
had got the idea that It was the old
hats fault that she was called bomely
and ungainly. More had been said
against the hat than against nature
and her conclusion was a feminine If
not logical one.
Very well. she would discard the
hat at last and replace 1t with a new
one. She would DO even better than
that. she would make certain high |
headed women and girls IN that town
look dizzy Martha was four weeks
IN coming 70 this conclusion. and then |
she didn't take even brother Bin into /
aer confidence. When she announced I
hat she was going to Boston to do a
little shopping he tried all sorts of /
arguments to dissuade her. but she
was firm. She refused to believe that
he cars would run OF the rails or
hat she would have her throat cut
from ear to ear and come home beg
ying for sticking plaster to bring the
edges of the cut together II was a
errihle picture that brother Bill dan
fled before her vision, but she walked
b the depot ais calmly as an old goose
Ind boarded the train.
There was no rest for any one Ia the
yillage that day Martha Baker hads
zone to Roston TO spend or bank her
money. Which would it beY No one
Knew when she came home safe and
sound No one knew for the next four
lays. Then the cat got out OF The bag
IN other words. two big dry goods
boxes came fer her by freight Broth
Il Bin had them hanled TO the house
md opened them with bis own hands.
she refused 70 name the contents to
i'm or any Of the score Of callers. Ii
vas only when the papers were re-
moved that be stepped back with