The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1910-06-17
PLANNED BY
A WIDOW
Bv Nj, QUAD
Bv NJ QUAD
Copyright. 1910. by Associated Lit
ersry Press

fry day she had missed Mr.. Hume
well. and when night came and the
wind moaned and the rain fell and the
shingles blew OF the roof she wept
and wished il were all over.
At length Professor Doty arrived In
the village. Not only that but he ar
rived next door. He was q professor
Of natural history in a college. and he
came TO the village for his vacation.
he was a man Of sixty, tall and re-
served and dignifed. He gave every
one a feeling Of awe. Mr.. Hunnewen.
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 10 fall in love at first sight.
She leaned over the fence and intro
duced herself, and be approached and
toad hidden in the bark of a locust
tree. and he was glad 10 talk 10 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 All interested listener. She
said she'd give anything 10 learn all
about toads and bugs and grasshoppers
and clans. and the professor was a
bit battered. II the woman next door
/ had been nice. loving woman she
would have invited the widow over 10
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 a 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 night when the
wind didn't moan and the shingles
didn't rattle, but when it was MOOD
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 on so
few clothes that IT was easy to guess
be had risen from his bed to look for
crickets. Not 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 do?
You mean If she saw man dodg-
ing around in the yard"'
Yes"
We'll. she might scream"
YES"
''Or she might throw something out
Of the window at him"
Yes"
'Or she might take her life and he.
broomstick in hand and rush out and
crack his skull"
Il see"
But II ! was that woman I'd Dor
row shotgun, load it with salt and
fire on him from a window"
And what would the salt do?"
Keep him in bed for about a week. T.
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 couple Of hours to
hink it over and then sent for the
Jun. She was taught how TO fire il
md when the sun went down that
evening she felt that events were 60
ng to happen before morning What
Professor Doty was looking for the
light before was crickets Their songs
lad foated into his open window at
midnight and awoke him. He had
limbed the fence into the next yard
Without a thought of trespass. He
ad got down on hands and knees and
"a wed around, but the crickets had
vaded him. he would try again.
II there bad been any bells in the
own they would have been striking ;
! O'Clock when the waiting, watching ,
vidow heard some one softly drop
rom the fence. then come into sight
rawllng over the grass. She saw him
rab with this hand and the other and
card him chuckle Then she pointed
be gun out Of the window and shut :
er eyes and fred. There was
hoop and yell. and she ratified
ownstairs 10 find the professor lying '
D the grass. He had been sailed {
ievermore would be be fresh again
evermore would be want any salt on
is potatoes. r
OF course the plan was 10 rush him
ITO the house. call a doctor and keep :
i'm around for week as an invalid Y
here would be romance In the salt
nd gratitude for the soups prepared
sa,kt i