The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-03-24

pleasant day of it. The butcher, the
piano tuner and the lightning rod
man had all called the same after,
noon and laid their hearts at her
feet. She hadn't refused and tram.
pied on them-oh, no! She had sim.
ply said that she felt honored, and
If in the far-distant future-years
and years in the future-should she
desire to marry again
They had to be content with this
No wise widow ever turns man down
so completely as to leave him with
out hope to cling to. Mrs.
Armstrong went to bed happy and
fearless, but at midnight she was
awakened by sounds that made her
sit up in bed and gasp for BREATH
Her bedroom window looked out on
the garden, and the sash was raised.
widow Armstrong" said a voice
that was certainly not human, II
am here to warn you!"
She looked out. Under the apple
tree stood a ghost. It was none OF
the vapory ghosts that wave for
ward and backward over the ground
but solid-looking chap in white who
stood firmly on his feet.
Widow" continued the voice, "be
ware Of the piano tuner! He Is
doomed to go mad! Beware of the
butcher! He will slay you as you
sleep, if you marry him! Beware OF
the lightning rod man. He will get
your last dollar and then abandon
you! Beware! Beware! Beware!
And then Mr.. Ghost retreated
noiselessly and gave the frightened
widow chance to get her breath
All the rest of the night she lay with
her head covered up and expecting
the summons any moment, and she
was happy woman when the roost
ers began Growing for daylight.
Did she rush off to tell the neigh
bors as soon as she had eaten hel
breakfast? Not a bit of it. If she
had told Of the ghost she must have
repeated the ghosts words. She
wasn't going to tell of those three
offers of marriage and set othel
tongues to wagging. And before moor
| came she began to doubt the ghost
She went out to the apple tree, ant
she found tracks on the soil-track'
of boots, or she dt6n't know tracks
! when she saw them. Some one hat
wrapped himself in sheet, an,
some one had held peach stone /,
| hfo mouth u,hi1o hi ko11,oI
When a man trifes with a widow
he doesn't know what he is going t.
get. When this widow had decide,
that she was being guyed by SOM
one she went across the street ant
borrowed shotgun to shoot cat
with, and paid 10y ten cents t.
load it with powder and salt ant
show her how to fire it.
No ghost came that night or tn
next. On the third day the Liverpoo
druggist drove over and eased hi
palpitating heart by confession an,
a proposal. His tracks were hardl,
cold when in came the sewing ma
chino man. He must tell her of hi
love or perish. He was permitted t.
tell. The fertilizer man had mean
to be first. but came in third, bein,
unavoidably detained by Deacon
Robinson. He also loved and had t.
tell Of it or run the risk of an ez
plosion.
To each Of the last three the widow
returned the same answer as to tn,
first three. Six proposals in a week
and six men going away fairly happy
When it is figured right down, an,
widow is blessing to the land.
Midnight again. The widow Arm
strong sleeps. The shotgun lean
against the WALL. The ghost come
across the garden with noiseless feet
Cats take one brief glance and fly TO-
their lives
'Widow, I am here to warn 70,
again! Do not marry the sewing ma
chine man!
DO not marry the drug store man
do not marry the fertilizer man."
The widow slipped softly out o
bed. There stood the ghost unde
| lu0 apple tlcO. I1e udU lu0 SAM
white sheet around him-same peach
stone in his mouth! She reached TO
the old gun, and as the ghost turned t;
be swallowed up In the night, sh.
fired. There was a yell and a fall
The ghost had been salted. Boot
and legs kicked tho air-the shee
was thrown off, and tine next minut'
the widow was out dior and bendin]
over a man and saying:
why why-it's Mr. Phillips
Why-why-what ON EARTH"
IL didn't want you to MARI
anybody but mel" h. exclaimed as b.
struggled to his kneea
But I didn't kn9w you cared ia
me-"
But I do"
well, come in *nd sit down, an
we'll see how badly you are hurt"
But I can't-can't sit down."
Then come over tomorrow an,
stand up and tell mo you want me fc
wife and maybe I'll say yes!"