The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-04-17
.ANANIAS
ELOPES
His Tale of Woe
By CLARISSA MACKIE


seemed so attractive'as Mrs. En- Bevis,
who was the proprietor of the Ounce
Harbor dry goods store. If any one
had remotely suggested to Ananias that
the profitable little business had en-
HANGED the charms of the Widow Be-
Wis in his middle aged eyes he would
have laughed one to scorn. Still, being
half proprietor of dry goods bust
ness was infinitely better than being
porter in. village bank. Any one
would admit that!
When he put the question to Mrs
Bevis II was noontime and her two rosy
checked clerks had gone home to din
ner. Ananias had assured himself that
they two were alone. and he had
promptly possessed himself of the wild
Ow's generous hand and told her the
story of his lonely life and his longing
for n home. provided she would pre-
side over it.
"Oh. Ananias,' she simpered. II new
or dreamod--I never thought-oh" she
shrieked rs .ln;liiuS imprinted II kiss
on her work worn hand.
That evening .Ananas called upon
her ana discussed their early marriage
There's only one obstacle to fancy
wedding" said Ananias when En- Be.
Wis had outlined plan for the cere.
mony to take place i'm the Baptist
church. with her little niece as flower
girl and white satin ribbons festooned
from the tops of the pews.
And that is;' asked Elm in a dis
appointed tone.
MY Iandiady."
"Hetty Rowsl? My land, yon amt
engaged TO her. he you?" inquired the
widow. sharply
MOT If know it.r said Anauias eau
tiously, but somehow ! never know
where | stand with Widow Rowell.
En-. swan / never proposed mar
rage to her in my life. but half the
time she talks like she was engaged to
me! | wish VIC could be married in
few days" added Annnias
but what's your hurry?" protested
EN-. I'D like IL chance to make some
NSbhlIS NitluCS anu Sct IcuuA
81 know it. my love-" cooed Ananias
in her ear, but / am afraid of the
Widow Rowell. Great blizzards, am.
l talk in my sleep. you know What
II she should hear me saying some
thing about YOU 1t would be all up
in the air."
BY the time Ananias went home he
had persuaded his fancee that she
could select Il very presentable trOus-
seau from the stock of her own de
partment store; so. relieved of this
momentous question, En- agreed to
elope with Ananias on the following
Thursday. and Ananias wrote a noteto
the Rev. Josiah Twigg appriSng him
of the coming event and asking him
to consider the matter as entirely con
fidential
That night Ananias let himself into
his boarding place and tiptoed up to
his room with unusual caution. One
never knew when the Widow Rowel
would pounce out. And one never
knew in what part of the house she was |
seeking n nights repose She had a |
pleasantly careless custom of taking |
prospective guests through her spa. |
cious old house and permitting them to |
choose whatever room suited the mo. |
ments fancy. provided it was olsen |
gagged. AS for herself. she slept around |
as fancy dlctated-one night the west |
front chamber appealed to her. for she
loved to hear the roar Of the waves on |
the beach: the next night it might be |
small hall room for the moment unoc-
pied that would tickle her restless i'm. !
pulse.
What Ananias did not know was
that on this particular evening the
widow had been approached by the
Of the Ounce Harbor hotel
and asked to accommodate q half doz-
en- guests for whom he could find no
room until the following day. Mrs
Rowell sweety assented and gathered |
up her own belongings and carried
them into tiny room next to the room
OF Ananias Slime. Here she dropped
her weary limbs upon a most uncon
Portable cot and slept
The sound of the softly closed front
door aroused her. IL that was Ananias
Slime tiptoeing in at such a late hour
she would have a serious talk with
him In the morning. Either he had
been courting-and that was not to be
allowed, for Hetty Rowell felt that she
hadya prior right to the affections of
Mt Sline-or he had been to lodge
meeting. and as 1t wasn't lodge night
why, he must have been counting! Sc
there the widows logical mind calcu-
ated the matter. as we know. quite
She dozed Off to sleep again and
woke to the resounding shores of Mr.
Slime In the next room.
"Drat him." she muttered, turning
'ver. But she could not sleep again.
She got to thinking about Ananias and
where he had spent the evening. and
The decided that it was En- Bevis who
lad captured him.
She was convinced Of Il when Ana
Has ceased snoring and fell to talking,
Is was his habit when the day had
'een an exciting one.
"Ahem!" babbled Ananias. "Ahem.
text Thursday evening at o'clock
If Hi