The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-05-13
PLANNED BY
A WIDOW
BY M QUAD
Copyright. 1870 by Associated Lit
erary Press.

had to split her own wood, build her
own fires and milk her own COW. Ev-
cry day she had missed Mr.. Hume
well. and when night came and the
wind moaned and the rain fell and the
shingles blew off the roof she wept
and wished 1t were all over
At length Professor Doty arrived in
the village. Not only that but he ar
rived next door. He was a professor
Of natural history in a college. and he
came to the village for his vacation
He was man of sixty, tall and re-
served and digniied. He gave every
one feeling of awe. Mr.. Hunnewell
on the contrary, had been short and
fat and jolly, and people used to poke
him in the ribs and Joke with him. 1t
was probably the contrast that caused
the widow to fall In love at first sight.
She leaned over the fence and intro
duced herself, and he approached and
talked to her. He had found a tree
toad hidden in the bark of locust
tree, and he was glad to talk to some
one about his find.
While the professor lectured the wild
ow fell deeper in love and kept ex-
claiming: do tell" and "Oh, my soul!'
She was an interested listener. She
said she'd give anything to learn all
about toads and bugs and grasshoppers
and clans, and the professor was a
bit flattered. If the woman next door
ha1 ,l,o
would have invited the widow over to
make further acquaintance, but she
was different person. She said that
widows had too much rope as 1t was
and that Mrs. Hunnewell was always
out of tea and coffee when neighbor
wanted to borrow. And the professor
wasn't to be caught sight of so often
either.
However. when Providence gets its
machinery once started there are gen.
orally results. One hight when the
wind didn't moan and the shingles
didn't rattle, but when it was moon
light and calm instead, the widow was
awakened from her sleep by bad
dream. She thought herself surround
ed by potato bugs and fighting for her
life. The dream made such an i'm
preston that she got out Of bed and
looked out of the window. There was
the explanation before her eyes. The
professor had climbed the fence and
was in her yard and down on hands |
and knees In the grass. He had Oh so |
few clothes that 1t was easy to guess |
be had risen from his bed to look for |
crickets. Not n word did the widow |
say. She just got into bed and did |
some thinking That thinking resulted |
In her sending for the village constable
next day and saying to him.
Mr.. Richards, If widow living all |
alone should have reason to believe
that her house was about to be broken |
into. what should she doT'
You mean il she saw man dodg-
ing around in the yard?"
YES"
well, she might scream"
yes"
"Or she might throw something out
of the window at him"
YES"
"Or she might take her life and her
broomstick in hand and rush out and
crack his skull"
IL see."
But If | was that woman I'd bor-
row a shotgun, load it with salt and
a l.
And what would the salt do?"
Keep him in bed for about u week.
If there is anybody spooking around
your house O. nights I've got the gun
and the salt, and you can protect your
self The law will be on your side.
Aim at his legs and let 'er 60"
The widow took a couple of hours to
think it over and then sent for the
gun. She was taught how to fire it,
and when the sun went down that
evening she felt that events were 60
ing to happen before morning. What
Professor Doty was looking for the
night before was cMckets. Their songs
had floated into his open window at
climbed the fence into the next yard
without a thought of trespass. He
had got down on hands and knees and
paved around, but the crickets had
evaded him. He would try again.
If there had been any bells in the
town they would have been striking
IL o'clock when the waiting, watching
widow heard some one softly drop
from the fence. then come into sight
crawling over the grass. She saw him
grab with this hand and the other and
heard him chuckle. Then she pointed
the gun out of the window and shut
her eyes and fired There was
whoop and a yell. and she ratified
to find the professor lying
on the grass. He had been salted
Nevermore would he be fresh again
Nevermore would he want any salt on
his potatoes.
OF course the plan was TO rush him
into the house. call doctor and keep
him around for week as an invalid.
There would be romance in the salt
aud gratitude for the soups prepared
for him. and those things might lead
on and on They didn't, however. The
professor cussed: he swore; he wrig-
gled: he said that any woman who
would shoot barrel Of salt into an
innocent man ought to be hanged, and
az he made his way to the fence he
called back
And my wife is coming here in the
morning TO stay for two weeks. Wo.
man. keep your old crickets and be
hanged TO you!"
Ceilings and Ventilation.
Rooms with low ceilings or with