The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1910-03-16
A COUNTERFEIT
QUARTER
By M QUAD
Copyright. 1909. by Associated Lit
erary Press.

Deacon Wrenn. widower. haSilated
between two women Hiss Brown a
spinster of forty. who owned house
and lot. and the widow NJrman. about
the same age rs Miss Brown. who own
I'd a farm.
One day the deacon got stuck on a
counterfeit quarter. The next time a
tin peddler came along he offered it to
the man in change.
Don't look right. deacon"
"Oh, guess it's all right" was the
reply
Lots of counterfeit around"
You needn't be afraid of that"
il wasn't square thing to do
The deacon knew II. and the peddler
knew IT, The peddler p0ckeied the
coin aud went away. but he made NJ,
his mind to get even AT the next
house he stopped nj lie was told that
The deacon was hanging of between
the widow and the spinster. and he
thought he saw his way clear Three
days ater he returned and 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
yOull have to kerp it,"
oh, it isn't about the quarter.
just wanted to>teh you a bin of news.
You know the old maid Brown in the
village. don't ycu?'
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.
I She's keeping il mighty quiet. She
wants some one to marry her for love
instead of money"
Half an hour later the deacon was
hitching up to drive to the village
Two hours later he was saying to the
blushing old maid:
sarah. I'm alone and lonely. I've
concluded TO take another wife. VIII
YOU have me?7
Sarah could have said YES" in n
second. but Sarah was no spring chick
On. She also weighed AMI balanced
things. Shed said Yes" to TWO differ
ent mcn before. but with no witnesses
present. and they had left her all for
l1rn. Therefore she replied:
Deacon. | respect and admire you
ana believe you TO be sincere man.
Think of this matter on your way home
and then write me letter"
The deacon logged nome and took
his pen in hand ard wrote. He didn't
wait for the mail. bur 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
whiskers As for hair. lie WAS so near
~ baldheaded thai it wouldn't pay to
fool with. lie suspended operations to
bear The pe'.der say:
Another BIT of news for you. old
man. ar-l you mustn't give it away
You've heard of the Widder Norman,
mehbe:"
Yes. ki~dcr heard"
Got FIVE children and never hoped
to find siepfathrr for EN-. but this
is Il world of change. 1t seems she
had brother IN New England who
hadn', been heard of in twenty years
Well. he lErned up his toes the other
day ard lpfi her S30O00 in cold cash
She's keeping still about it. There's
windmill man making eyes at her
but she wort let on until she knows
lie loves her for herself and her five
sore eyed :, ung uns. Don't breathe
hiEt TO put him on 10 the dough"
The deacon promised and finished
his dyPlng. As he dyed he thought.
lie thought ut the difference between
Sla,000 and $.uOCO. An early hour in
the evening found him ut the Widow
Norman's They talked crops and
weather for awhile. and then, with
around with their mouths open. he
stated that he had long and secretly
admired The mutlier and desired TO
make her his wife She wouldn't be-
Iieve it at first. but his assurances
finally prevailed and she said yes.
For an hout afterward the children
look turns sitting on their to be step
fathers lap lnd pulling his dyed whisk-
ers. aud they called him poppy" as
he departed
Il uas been slid that deacon Wrenn
weighed ana balanced things. and it
"A
ianglr himself up with two engage
HlentS He had figured it out that he
could square things with the old maid
for Si.0a0 %. fur 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 same
day he call, Il aud offered Miss Brown
thousand big dollars She drove him
from the house in Indignation. Then
he learned that his wife had no broth
er 20 die ard leave Der even 10 ceuts
and that no Windmill man had ever
wanted her gsr had just charged her
with consplrac! to deffaud an inno-
cent hearted maa when be was serv-
~ with summons in a breach OF
promise sui. ard when the case was
fnally called anh trird ii cost him his
iarn 10 make gncd The verdict. And
then enc day the peddIer met him in
the road aud halted to say:
"S'niore news but don't give it
away II You can get divorce from
your wife can locate widder who
Invested in Texas eli stock when It
was ouly ; cents on the dollar and has
held On to it untii It's now selling at
% your vitlder and you. too"' re-
Piled the deacon as he PASSED on He
cl..a'f even stop to pick up the coun-
forfeit quarter thrown after him.