The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1910-03-16
A COUNTERFEIT
QUARTER
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1903. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

D vi
Deacon Wrenn. widower. hpsllated
between two women Mss Brown. a
spinster of forty. WHO owned a house
and lot. and the widow Norman. about
the slime age as Miss Brown. who own
ed farm
One day the deacon got stuck on a
counterfeit quarter. The uexl time n
tin peddler came along he offered ii to
the man 10 change.
Don't look right. deacon"
"oh, guess it's all right" was the
reply
Lots Of counterfeit around"
You needn't he afraid of that"
IL wasn't a square thing TO dc
The deacon knew it. and the peddler
kew 1t. The peddler pocketed the
coin and went away. but he made NJ.
bis mind to get even. At the next
house lie stopped nj he was told that
The deacon was hanging off between
the widow and the spinster. and he
thought he saw his way clear. Three
days later he returned AID halted on
the road opposite 10 where the farmer
was hoeing corn. The deacon came
walking out TO the fence to say:
BEING you accepted that quarter
you'll have to keep it,"
oh. il isn't about the quarter /!
just wanted to>reR you a biz of news.
You know the old maid Brown in the
village. don't your
Seems TO me I've heard of her" re-
piled the deacon 10 his cautious way.
We'll, an uncle Of hers in California
has died and left her $4,000 cash.
She's keeping it mighty quiet. She
wants some one to marry her for love
instead of money"
Half an hour later the deacon was
hitcbing up to drive TO the village
Two hours later he was saying to the
blushing old maid:
Sarah. Fin alone and lonely I've
concluded 10 take another wife. Will
YOU have mef'
Sarah could have said Yes In
second. but Sarah was no spring chick
en-. She also weighed and balanced
things. She'd said Yes" TO TWO differ
ent nlon before. but with no witnesses
present. and they had left her all for
lJrn. Therefore she replied
Deacon. respect and admire you
ana believe you TO be a sincere man.
Think of this matter on your way home
and then write me letter"
The deacon logged home and took
his pen in hand and wrote He didn't
wait for the mail. but sent his message
10 the village by his hired man. 1t
WAS straight talk. and the written an
swcr WAS Yes"
-Four days had passed when the ped
dler appeared again. Deacon Wrenn
WIS ont in the woodshed dyeing his
whlskers. IS for hair, he was so near
~ bahheaded that it wouldn't pay to
fool with. He suspended operations to
bear The pr'.dier say:
Another biz of news for you. old
man. ar'l you mustn't give it away.
You've beard Of the Widder Norman.
mehbe:"
Yes, ki~der heard"
Got Eve children and never hoped
10 find a Siepfatarr for EN-, but this
is world of change. 1t seems she
had brother in New England who
hadn't BEEN heard of in twenty years
We'll. he lErncd up his toes the other
Day ard leri her S:;OGt0 in cold cash
She's Keeping still about it. There's
Il windmill nrln making eyes ut her
but she wort let on until she knows
lie loves her for herself and her five
sore eyed y uEg uns. Don't breathe
hirt TO PIT him on 10 the dough"
The dcncrn promised and finished
his dyPlng As he dyed he thought.
He thought of the difference between
Si5000 and S.nCCO An early hour in
the evening found him ut the Widow
N0rnnn's They talked crops aud
weather for awhile. and then. with
her five fa'heriess children standing
around with their mouths open. he
stated that he lad long and secretly
admired the mutier and desired to
make her his wife She wouldn't. be-
lieve il at first. but his assurances
finally prevailed. and she said yes.
For an hOui a!ierward the children
took turns sitting on their TO be step
fathers lap mi pulling his dyed whisk-
ers. and They called hin poppy" as
he Departed
Il has heen said that Hracon Wrenn
weighed ami balanced things. and it
may surprise the reader that he should
iangir himself up with two engage
HleniS lie had figured it out that he
could square things with the old maid
for Sl.Oa0 q. for double that at the
most This would leave him $4,000
clear and That was good enough |
bargain for any man. In week he
married the widuw. and on the sane
day he call, q aud offered Miss Brown
a thousand big dollars. She drove him
from The house IN Indignation. Then
he learned that his wife had no broth
or 80 lie and leave Der even 10 ceUts 1
and that no windmill man had ever
wanted her Ilt had Just charged her
with conspiracy to defraud an inno-
'ent hearted lnaa when he was serv-
u with summons in a breach of |
Promise suit and when the case was
finally called AMI trird it cost him his
iarin 10 make gucd the verdict. And |
then enc day the neddier met aim in
The read aud halted TO say:
"S'more news but don't give it 4
away. If you can get divorce from
your wife J can locate wilder who
Invested ia Texas Gil stock when It
vas only ; cents on the dollar and has
held On to it until IFS now selling at
D. your wilder and you. too" re- I
Piled the deacon MS he PASSED on. He +
ei,.a't even stop to pick up the coun-
Icrfelt quarter thrown after him.
Wnr..anioonr