Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-10-23
1t Ended We'll
BY NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
erary Press.


Bridge road 10 halt at the comforta-
BILE farmhouse of the Widow Glenden-
Ing and say to her thGt as business In
his line was little slack owing TO the
scarcity Of thunder and lightning he
would make her II special rate II she
wanted her barn protected. The wild
ow was n pleasant faced. good natured
woman. and she pleasantly replied
that when she felt her barn needed
protection she would hoist clothes
pole to the roof
All In a good natured way, you
know. and no ones feelings were
hurt. The lightning rod man laughed
and drove on. Ten miles away he
stopped at the house of Deacon Shaw.
widower. He offered the deacon a
very low figure on rods. and the dea-
con intlmated that the whole business
OF stopping thunderbolts was a swim
die and a fraud Nothing personal
and nothing TO hurt. Just a sort OF a
joke. you know-a joke to be return
ed. Two weeks later the lightning
man was back at the widows house.
He had nothing to say about rods this
ting. What he did say was:
widow. I'm a man with heart, I
not only have heart for, mysalf, but
for others. j nave heart for you.
fou are a lonesome. delicate woman.
All widows are Where there's no
man around the house there is desc
lation. ! can't marry you. but l can
find you second husband and war
rant him true blue"
Then bring him on" replied the
widow. with q laugh.
He's a deacon and widower. He
has one child. He's worth $4,000 or
$1,000. There is only one drawback.
and that l don't call drawback at
all. It's an advantage. He's deaf and
dumb. No dumb husband can scold
and find fault He can't swear at his
oxen. He can't yell ut his wife from
upstairs or down cellar"
How did a dumb man ever get
married?" asked the widow. with a
show of interest.
by sign. can't tell you the signs,
but that must have been the way.
That's the way he talks to me-"
But I don't want no deaf and dumb
critter around me-"
But let him come along and CALL"
"Oh. can't keep him away, but how
am ! going to talk to him."
Same as he will to you-by signs"
Pm not going to make any wind
mill of myself, and he needn't come.
l do some scolding myself now ana
then, and II | had a husband ! wouldn't
want to be swinging my arms around
10 let him know that I was mad. You
20 and marry him TO some old maid
That same day the lightning rod
man drove up to the deacon's again.
The deacon was ready for him. but he
didn't mention rods. Instead he said:
Deacon, you are suffering and
lonesome man. All widowers are. Inc
world would look different to you II
you were married again. l am man
with n heart. and I'm going to tell you
of widow who weeps for you-that
is. she waits for you. which is about
the same thing. She's fairly hand
some. not over forty and has as good
a farm as yours. And to crown 1t all.
deacon. she's deaf and dumb
who'd want 10 marry q deaf ana
dumb woman" demanded the deacon
BEST wives In the world-best M
tured. hardest working aud the most
economical. Don't make no mistake.
deacon. Marrying this woman means
another good farm for you. Only one
child and that a girl big enough to help
do the Homework Make a call at the
house anyway"
Three DAYS later he decided TO call
, He had been told that II he ever dd
call be must talk TO the widow In the
sign language or her feelings would De
hurt
Now. then, who In the lands Is
thaty, asked the widow OF herself.
Two minutes later there was j rap
on the front door. As she opened IL
the man stood there with an anxious
look on his face and pointed into the
loom. He wanted to enter. She nod
ded. He must be the deaf and dumb
widowcr She took chair ana ne
took one. Then they looked at each
ether. She smiled and he smiled
They were doing famcusly well. and
% was with a bland smile on bis pniz
that the deacon asked her in the sign
language how her corn and potatoes
were coming on The sign was too
much for her. She thought be asked
II she ever had esracbe. and she shook
her head. The deacon tried again
This time she thought he was asking
II she had any children and she nod
dec her head and held NJ one finger.
What IN Josh docs The woman