The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1911-05-21
A WIDOW
WITH MONEY
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, lall by Associated Lit
erary Press,

"cUdeer"
All al once, when Moses had passed
his si&tyAecond birthday, and WAS tell
lng himself that he felt as good us the
day he was thirty, and had every pros
pect Of living to be Il hundred years
old. docAlr sold him that his left lung
was going. and that he must make
tracks for a higher altitude at once.
Moses was mad Us well as scared, He
called the doctor ali Kinds OF fools VOW
ed he wouldn't move rod, and then
set out for Beacon Hin, hundred
miles away.
The higher you can get above the
sea the better for your left lung ana
the more expensive the board, Beacon
Till was only village, and had only
one tavern. and that tavern charged
Moses 81 IA week for board, or course
he kicked He called the landlord all
sorts of names and said he would start
for home next dag. but he didn't start.
1t was on one of his walks that he
met the widow Archer. She had
hammer and nails and was mailing
board on the fence In trout OF her poor
little home He took the hammer away
from her and made the board secure,
and then walked off with only srunt,
He had noticed. however, that she was
a woman of thirty five and fairly good
looking, and he was pleased With her.
A call was made next day. He said
he had come on business. He was no
sooner seated than he asked:
"LorS-a-here, widow, why haven't
you married again"
"Sir,syou are taking a great libertyF'
she replied.
Come, now, am here as friend"
But don't know you"
but you soon will. | am Moses
Bliss, up here to heal my left lung,
and l wouldn't marry you or any
other woman on earth. I've just got
a little scheme in my head, and l
wantsyou to help me work it out. It's
a scheme for. your benefit"
The widow saw that he was an &C.
centric. She rather timidly consented
to hear him, and he said:
II want to ask the same question
over again. "Why haven't you mar
ried a second timer
Suppose-suppose l haven't been
askedp she blushingly replied.
That's it, Ell? Haven't been here
two weeks yet, and I've heard Of a
dozen widowers and bachelors about
here. Don't jump now. You are
young. You are as good looking wo-
man as I've Scent in town. I've no
doubt you can, cook and manage a
house as'well as the best of them.
can see only two reasons why you are
a'widow after. four years. Did you
vow never to marry againT
TzI can't say Itdid, though l bad
one of the best of husbands. ! don't
think we ought TO talk about it."
"Then if you didn't vow it's. because
you are a--wfdow of small means, and
these avaricious villains around here
want to marry money"
"YesSI am poor.
"Widow, / want to lend you 800 In
cash." said Moses as he counted it out.
But l can .neyerSpay it back. and
you are a stranger. IL think you
had better goS
widow, here's the hundred. When
I want it. ten or fifteen years from
now, I'll call for it. Meanwhile buy
you some new clothes. You'll soon be
hearing that you. are widow with
money Keep a close tongue. Admit
nothing; deny nothing. Just be Sc
rene"
But I can't go on decei7ing folks"
she protested.
"You go right on saying nothing and
leave things in the hands Of Provi'
dence."
The widow found it hard to under
stand what Moses was driving at, but
she retained the 500. Within three
days the plot began to develop Her
neighbors began to come in and con.
graduate her on having money. The
county paper came out with n hint
that a. certain worthy widoW had been
left legacy, and the editor was glad
of it. 1t was known all over the vii
lage that in buying new hat for SIS
she had offered a ten dollar bill to be
changed The widow wanted to deny
the reports, but she remembered the
caution she had received
1t wasn't two weeks before a wild
over called. He didn't say word
about the rumors. Indeed, he fought
shy of the money question. He inst
said that he had been lonesome
widower for FIVE long years and was
gettingoti Of 1t.
One day Moses Bliss dropped In to
say:
"Just keep serene and saw wood.
Things Is working"
"But these men are coming because
they want to marry me-" replied the
widow.
For sure. Let 'em come and take
your pick
And a. month later, when he returned
and made his calf he noticed that the
widow was confused and illustrated.
"Well. which is. itr he asked.
Tts IA widower. He says he's
loved me for two years. But must
tell him that I've not got lot OF
m wov,n