Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-02-03

furniture, clumsy kitchen utensils
and delicate trinkets jostled one an
other in their efforts to attract the
undecided purchaser. But Jonas
turned blind eye to such obvious
appeals. Like the magnet in the
song, 80.
From needles and nails and knives he'd
turn,
For he'd set his heart on silver churn,
or a pewter candlestick, or a brass
knocker, or anything of unusual
shape or make that could not be
found any day in the week at hard
ware or dry goods shop.
Suddenly Eight seemed to kindle
the. pale blue eyes that roamed
searchingly round the room. eat
last" he called out triumphantly. ~
knew I'd find the widows husband
II looked lons, enough, an there he
Is! Fetch me down that there and
iron. will you?" and with his stick
he indicated what seemed to him the
exact duplicate of the sphinx andlron
In his garret at home.
The saleswoman, knowing nothing
Of the source CT her supplies, reached
for the long coveted tEeasuresand put
1t into Jonas -clutchfng hands. He
looked into the unresponsive counte-
nance Of the iron sphinx, and passed
his fingers over 1t with clumsy ten.
derness.
'.I reckon you're the widows hus-.
band that SHE'S been waltin' for nigh
on to twenty years" he remarked, la
cmonically. I'm pleased to make
your acquaintance"
After this discovery Jonas was too
much excited to search for further
plunder; consequently the rest of his
own recent possessions, which were
scattered about in various corners, es-
caped his notice. With a magnanim-
ity inspired by the widow" rather
than the orphan. Jonas put a reluc-
tant but determined hand into his
pocket. He handed four crisp bills
to the bewiidaced woman. eve al
ways said that I'd give twenty dol
lars fer the Widows mate, an I'm
gcin' 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 me. 1
promised to give s2O." Ee persisted,
so here you be-"
Sarah Haskins was sitting at home.
waiting, with some trepidation, for
her husbands return. It was scarce
ly possible that ms 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 wnen 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 incom-
prehensible 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. Here's the mate to my
widow up stairs thatsI've been lookin'
for for the last twenty years!" b
He set it down on the table and
turned to go out of the room. 80 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 sang out cheer
fully.
"oh, dear, oh, dear, he'll never
forgive mel" walled Saran. "Oh, I'll
never, never toucn his old things again
If he only won't be terrible mad when
he inds out!"
She heard his slow tread going up,
up; then followed the distant shuf-
fling steps of one VINO sought for
something.
Sarah Haskins winked fast and
rocked her chair violently. 81 think
I'll go down-street and see how the
sale is goin'," she announced to her.
self. as ifshe were explaining her con-
duct to a third person. "I'll just
leave line for Jonas"
She went hastily to the table draw
er and took out scrap of paper and
a pencil. With nervous fingers she
wrote, still conscious of overhead
groupings.
She placed this message conspicu-
ously on the table, then snatched her
bonnet and shawl from neighboring
hook and disappeared.
About ten minutes later, when Jo-
mas slowly plodded down stairs and
found the sitting room empty, his
mystified face took on still deeper
look of wonder. What ails ali the
women folks?" he queried. "The.
widows disappeared, and now my
wife'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 his
thoughts. While he was searching
for his spectacles his memory jumped
back to story he had once read in
which a wife had decided that she
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