The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-03-31
A WIDOWS
WANTS
By M. QUAD
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

1t was generally understood In the
village of Crowell that Deacon Hen.
derson had his eye ON the Widow Gla-
Eier. Why not? The deacon was
fifty-five and a widower and wanted a
home. The widow was fifty and lone
ly.
Deacon Henderson dropped into the
widows cottage one day, and after
complimenting her on her hollyhocks
and tomato vines he said:
"Widder, do you know what the folks
are saying?"
la, nor
'They are saying that you'n me
ought to get married"
But can't get my breath! It's all
SO sudden. Deacon, If we get mar
ried well live in your house, won't
we"
1--WE will"
"And you'll put down a new carpet
on the parlor fioor?"
For why? The one there is a good
one"
IT'S a rag carpet, and it's twenty
years old. helped Sarah cut and sew
the rags. l shall want brussels
with patterns of roses"
"Um! Too much extravaganza"
"Then l won't marry you"
The deacon went away in huff and
trying to make himself believe that
he had lucky escape. However, aft
er thinking it over for week he re-
turned to say:
II guess I'd be willing to buy that
carpet"
But want something else. We
must have three lace curtains. They
must be long huff to sweep the fioor.'
"Store carpet and store curtainsw
shouted the deacon in dismay. "Why,
wilder, you'd bankrupt us in month!
No, no! Green paper shades are good
huff for u.s."
''Then l guess we won't get mar
rted. Folks have limited that you was
stingy, and now l see you are"
Away went the deacon for the sec.
ond time, and for two days he patted
himself on the back. He could figure
that he had saved over $50 on that
deal. The rag carpet and the paper
shades looked good to him as he sat
in the parlor, but after three or four
days he found the old loneliness creep
ing over him. He would give in to
her. He waited one day more and
then called on her under pretense that
he had mislaid his family almanac
and wanted to know when the moon
would be in her third quarter. After
finding that out he said:
well, wilder, mebbe you are right
about the carpet and curtains"
Deacon. I've been thinking since
you were here we must have four
stuffed chairs to put in that parlor to
60 with the new carpets and cur
tainsv'
Saints and sinners! Stuffed chairs!
Stuffed chairs in our parlOr Never,
Wilder Glazier, never! The carpet
and curtains would tempt Satan huff.
! don't propose to risk any more"
-Four stuffed chairs, deacon, and
mebbe q sofa to boot"
"I'm going home. Good dayw
Those stuffed chairs, with an add
tional sofa looming up in the near fu-
ture. were q shock to the deacon.
They meant extravaganza; they meant
vanity; they meant the breaking down
| of long erected barriers. No; it could
not be. He must continue his lonely
life by his lonesome. He did continue
it for ten long days and nights. Then
he went over to ask the Widow Gla-
zier If the later bug had yet appeared
in her garden and to offer to lend her
some paris green to dope him with if
he had. No, the bug had not appear
ed. But the deacon had other things
to say. Leaning on the well curb and
the widow standing in her kitchen
door, he observed:
81 s'pose one can sit down on a stuff
ed chair?"
ooh, yesw
"And they don't make a body vain2''
"Never heard of it."
And they are with the money you
have to pay for emp"
"They surely are!"
well, we might get 'em. Shall we
be married next month";
81 dunno. What about your
houseT
"Why, it's there in the same old
nIooa oip,t ifSD
"Yes. but it needs repainting."
"You mean it wants another coat of
whitewash. Well, me and you will do
that together"
But we won't, deacon. It's got to
be paint-real paint, and two coats at
that. It's got to be pea green with
darker green for trimmings"
For the first time in his life the dea-
con lost consciousness and things
whirled around with him. When he
braced up the widow was saying:
And new front steps, and new
sidewalk, and a new picket fence, and
a pump in the well, and then we must
have brass bedsteads and china dish
es."
The deacon got home with shaking
knees and fell upon the bed and sent
for the doctor and the minister. The
doctor said he'd get well, and the min
lister said he wouldn't lose his soul
even by having a gold framed mirror
in the parlor. 1t was terrible strug-
gle. but after two weeks the day was
set and a marriage duly followed.
There were those who thought the
deacon would droop and die, but he
didn't. He is hale and hearty and very
proud of his wife and house and stuff
ed chairs and things. and he may even
have a bell at the front door before he
goes hence.