The Winslow mail., 1912-04-06
Three Straight
Games
Copyright, 1911 by Associated Literary Press)
By Michael j. Porter

NAS9ONiaACo
If the man selling a patent cburn
or washing machine had appeared in
the village of HiIlsdale he might pos
sibly have made a sale, but it would
only have been after a week and
after he had listened to the gossip of
the village and taken seeming inter
est
The stranger would have learned
that Nancy Friars, the old maid, had
almost taken dose of paris green
because she had to go home alone
trom prayer meeting; that Mr.. George
Scott and wife were thinking OF sep
arating because she liked Goldfish and
he didn't; that Tom Henderson, the
carpenter, had been disappointed in
love. and that it had made wreck of
him; that old Mrs. Travers was using
wrinkle remover and many, many
other things. The biggest and best
thing would have been saved till the
last and he would have been expect
ed to exclaim that it was fierce.
Philetus Narmore was a feature In
lIilsdale He was fortyfive years old
'''N {" NiupN tl hS NhSu Tue WpbutA7
ware Factory and sung bass in church
on Sunday; he was in charge of the
fireworks on the Fourth of July. and
he had been known to give five dol
lars to the heather of Africa all at
once; he had brought about the arrest
OF a horse thief, and he had speculated
In Wall street and made s2S. The
stranger wnIII t01
astounding news as an appetizer,
and then the real corn beef and cab
bage would have been set before
him.
There We're three widows in Hills
dale when Mr.. Narmore became
Wldower. 1t was four weeks after
the death of his wife before he
smiled in public. Two hours later the
gossips We're betting two to one that
he would marry one of the widows
within six months. He didn't, how.
ever. He didn't within a year. He
didn't at ALL
1t was said that any one of the
three widows would give her old
shoes to catch the widower. This
was probably exaggerated. Had he
proposed to Mrs. Dakin, Mrs. Stevens
or Mrs. Everett the proposal would
have been received with downcast
eyes and taken under advisement.
There would have been no rushing
into his arms. In q month or so he
would have got his answer. 1t would
have been a timid yes or no. The
chances were even that he would have
been turned down.
Mr.. Narmore called on each of the
WIDOWS. Why not? The gossips said
he was courting, but they were mis-
taken. He called to talk about the
weather, potato bugs. church affairs,
lily screens and things of that sort. He
always sat with his hat in his hands,
and he always rose up exactly with
the clock striking nine.
Each of the three widows received
private and confidential advice as to
how to catch" the widoWer Mar
more. They should invite him to
dinner; they should simper; they
should look at him coyly and archly:
they should sigh and talk of their
loneliness; they should boast of their
economy and how much work they
could get through with in day. Even
old maids who had never had a beau
and never would have one sat down
and looked as wise as Solomon and
said:
All, Ii you only understood how
to handle man as we'll as | do you'd
bring Mr. Narmore to his knees with,
in a week"
Perhaps the three widows didn't
want to marry again. Perhaps. but
Tor the arrival of fourth widow in
the village they would not have re-
sorted to rats and puffs and powder
and told white lies about their ages
lhe fourth widow was Mrs. Harper
she was no younger or more attrac.
tive than the other three. Sne was
seemingly handicapped by trailing in
at the end of the string.
Within week Mrs. Harper had
heard all the gossip Within a fort.
night she had been introduced to Mr..
Narmora, Within month she had
sent for her father to pay her visit.
He was sixty-tive years old and had to
come all the way from illinois, but he
came
'Fhe widower Narmore had a fad.
IT was known to every one in Hills
dale, and yet those three widows.
each one Of whom might possibly
have answered yes to q proposal,
hadn't the acumen to take advantage
of it, Mr.. Narmore was a checker
flend. lie didn't care for horse
races, dog fights, pugilism or base.
ball, but seat him In front of checker
board and he was there for all night
ii necessary to beat the other player.
lie was the champion of Hillsdale
county. In fact, he claimed the cham
pionship of the state.