The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-07-15
A BUSINESS
WOMAN
Br M QUAD
Copyright. 1870 BY Associated Lit
erary Press.

When coal oil was found IN West
Virginia among the few who held on
to their land was the widow Turner.
When the widow Turner was left to
care for herself she possessed sixty
acres OF sterile land. a wretched old
cabin. a mule and a COW. she had al.
ways worked in the Geld with her bus
band She was a large, bony WOMAN.
unable to read or write, and the very
homeliest among lot Of homely wom-
en-. No one predicted that she would
marry again. and she had no encourage
ing thoughts herself She lived alone,
and an the farm work was done BY
her own hands.
When the oil excitement got started
al the landowners around the widow
Turner sold out She alone held on.
She was offered Ave tines what her
farm was considered worth, but she
shook her head. AS a matter OF fact,
she was frightened.
Then along came tin peddler. She
had dealt with him before and found
him honest. She told him her troubles.
and be said:
Widow, ! am going 70 talk plainly
TO you You are as ignorant as a mule
and as homely as a stump fence"
Il know IT," was the answer
IF things had run along as they
were going you couldn't have found
man 10 the United States TO marry
you"
Il admit that"
"But now you can You can not only
find a husband. but money with him.
Let me tell you what to do"
They had a long conversation, and
the result Of It was that when an Of
fer for the farm was renewed next day
1t was accepted with a proviso The
widow demanded $4,000 ia cash and
husband. II was acceded TO at once.
II would be very easy 70 ind man to
marry her and run away afterward.
Plenty OF them could be hired for
$1,000. But the widow wanted an ac-
ceptable husband. That was different.
Thirty men were paraded before her,
and she rejected every one. The capital
lists had figured on a soft thing and got
left. After two months search and aft
er ffty men had been brought forward
one was found to Oil the bill He was
no scrub. On the contrary, be was
broken down gentleman. 1t was like
mating an eagle with crow.
Yes. be would do, but there were de-
tails to be considered He must be
bound 70 certain things. and the buyer
OF the farm must guarantee him. He
must be bound not to run away and
not to apply for a divorce. he must
be bound to I've in the same house
with her and not be absent over three
days az any time without her written
permission He must teach her the
common branches OF education and
rules Of etiquette. He must take her
to New York city and Niagara falls
once in two years. II she wished TO
sign be must not be put out Her
money must be her own There were
about a dozen other things mentioned,
and the broken down gentleman said
he'd be hanged IL be would. They had
promised him $4,000, but he said It
wasn't enough. He hung out until he
was offered the same as the widow.
They told him that a smart lawyer
could pick dozen loopholes In the
contract
But the widow wasn't through yet /
They must allow her $4,000 for law
yer's fee They agreed, and she sent
to Chicago for one OF the leaders or
the bar Then came the guarantee
The guarantee OF the buyer was not
enough. The lawyer insisted that some
one must guarantee him This was
done Time had been wasted. and
"gushers'' were being struck all around /
them The money was counted out,
the marriage took place. and the next I
day the drilers were at work. The /
newly weds went to the nearest village
to pass their honeymoon
The broken down gentleman had /
gone into the thing to make a stake.
He had good mind for billiards. good /
clothes and good dinners. but not for |
legal matters. Within three days be
ran away, The wife called upon the