The Washington herald., 1913-10-21
DAILY SHORT STORY.

Among the several widows in town
who might marry again II they got the
lchance-rhat is. II some worthy man
came along and said he was ready to
die for them-was a Mrs. Mitchell. She
was forty-five years old. rather buxom.
and had been left comfortably well on.
VERY nice man, the deacon is." she
always replied to her questioners: and
when any one mentioned her name to
him his observation was:
''The Widow Mitchell? She's a real
lady. and II she ever marries again /
hope she gets a good husband"
One day Mrs. Mitchell and two other
widows happened to be in the store at
the same time. The deacon came around
to see that they were being properly
served. and to remark that his horse.
Frank. had given the whole country the
dust on the previous evening, when he
added in a joking way:
"a good many people are asking why
I don't get married again. My excuse
is that l am waiting"
What for?' was chorused by three
blushing widows.
For some widow to get horse that
can pass me on the road"
You are safe and We are safe! was
the laughing reply.
widow in town who owned "A horse He
was sixteen years old and could get up
a gait Of three miles an hour when the
weather was frosty and the going good.
She also had an old buggy, and some
times she rode out
The evening of the meeting at the
store she wrote letter TO her brother
Ed. who kept a livery stable in a town
fifty miles away. 1t was the first letter
she had written him for two years. He
read II and grinned- Then he reread II
and laughed and said to himself:
"Oh, well. IN help her out. The dea-
con is a nice man, I believe"
Within a week after receiving her
brothers reply the Widow Mitchell went
over to Strongville to visit some friends.
While there a horse arrived for her. He
was lean and long and fiea-bitten- He
didn't look like a horse that could pass
a hitching post. But for certain instruc-
tions that came with HIM the widow
would have shed tears Of grief and NOR
tification.
Put on the gad and wake him up.
and then get a strong and steady pull
on the lines. The harder you pull the
faster he will 60"
In half an hour the woman's face wore
a smile of triumph. She was out every
day for two weeks. and then she drove
nome. Her friends nodded to her and
smiled at ''old ribs" Deacon Ingram
saw the equine and laughed and said:
II am a man of my word. Why didn't
you get a better horse?"
"Oh. think he'll do" was the laugh
ing reply.
No one suspected what was in the wind.
They saw the widow riding out evening
after evening, but il was only to nudge
each other and wonder IL the plug
would be found dead in his stall next
morning.
Then came the crucial evening. The
deacon and his fast stopper oyerhauled
the widow on the road, and as they came
up the merchant called out:
What's the lowest figure?"
Two hundred was replied.
Give you a dollar and half in store
trade
When he had logged along for about
forty rods the deacon heard a thud.
thud, thud! in his rear, and looked
back to see the widow bearing down
upon him.
bless me. but her old crOwbait is
running away
Then. after a few seconds: mo. he
isn't, Why, she's going to race me with
that thing!'
She was. She had borrowed a light
buggy. pinned her hat on with four pins,
and she sat erect with a firm hold II
the lines. Three cuts with the whip had
awakened plug from his dreams of the
race tracks and grandstands of the past.
rs it a race?" called the deacon.
1T is"
Fob forty rods il was an even thing
and the deacon was amazed at the driving
and the pace. He began to fall behind
and at the end of mile he was only
within shouting distance.
Was it fair?' asked the widow as he
came up.
Fair? Fair? My dear woman, I shall
not wait to call upon you this evening.
VIII you be my wife?''
Such was the answer OF a good and
honest man. and as they rode slowly
homeward the whippoOrwills sang and
Cupid turned handsprings.