The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-29
Matilda Brixs, Widow
She Tells How She Got Seeond
Husband
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate

AAhu II a AON II tll d NIL ~ DIS a /
quiet hour on warm day when l ar
rived. There were a few men on the |
streets, but they were so busy trying |
TO get up dog fight that they gave
me scant heed.
l don't know to this day why l en-
tered the hotel | suppose it was fate. /
The landlord of the place was in the
office. He sat in a chair with his feet |
in another, and he was asleep with |
his mouth open. He was bareheaded |
and baldheaded, and a hundred or
more flies were running up and down |
his bald pate trying to find a soft spot. |
took off my hat and sat down and /,
famed away the insects. After about |
five minutes and with lonesome
smile on his face the man woke up
and whispered:
"Oh, mother, that is so nicer
But | am not your mother" | re-
piled.
Then who are your
81 am only the widow BriXs, sir"
"And what do you want heref"
4 want 10 see your wire.
"But you can't unless you can hy.
Her soul passed into the beyond about
three years ago, and since then have
had to go it alone"
After a look around and seeing the
dirt and dust and cobwebs and con-
fusion that prevailed said:
"YOu seem to have made hard work
of it going it alone"
"Yes, it's a little tough to be with
out wife when you have had one for
| twenty years. | do my own cooking,
washing, mending and bedmaking."
This is Il tavern, and what about
the travelers?' I queried
ooh, there are no travellers but me,
and don't travel very much except in
my dreams. All the travellers so to
| Mrs. CarsOn's boarding house. and /
am rather glad of it, as my style of
cooking might bring about a tragedy"
"Mebbe you want to bust up Mrs.
Carson's boarding house" answered.
but how will | do it," he asked,
with little animation in his voice.
Eyes. l believe would like to bust up
her house. because | have asked her
three times to marry me, and three
times she has throwed me down."
"If you will hire me I'll bust her
boarding house within a month";"
said
"Lordy me! But how would you do
itY' he exclaimed
81 should begin by busting. mop
ping, washing windows and making
this old pigpen look like n first class
hotel at Newport. | presume there Is
Il weeks work in the kitchen setting
things to rights, but I am worker.
When | got things cleaned up I should
want you to buy some provisions and
see that the word went around that
the Paradise was ready to entertain
all patrons on scale of unexampled
magnificence."
Great Caesar!' he whispered as he
held up his hand. "Say, gal, you are a
wonder! What about wages?'
"You are too poor to pay any wages
for the first month at least"
"Doggone me if | amt, but I'll tell
you what I'll do, and | never broke
my word yet to man, woman or tele-
graph pole. If you will work for a
month and get things shipshape l will
marry you-yes, by gosh, I'll marry
you! That win be better than wages"
"But | shall have something to say
about that" replied as I rose up
1t was three days before the news
got around in Jackson's Hollow that
new move was on foot at the Para
disc hotel. The oilers dropped in to
! the number of twenty or more, and
when they saw me flying from room
to room with broom and mop they had
many compliments for me. In fact
more than dozen OF them offered me
their hands and hearts in marriage
, In each case I replied that was high
ly tlattered. but had no time to foo
away.
1t will surprise you to learn that ir
: months time the old shebang was
doing "A good tavern business, and Mrs
Carson's boarding house was almost
b. deserted.
When the month was little more
: than up the landlord came to me as
was frying pancakes for the break
fast of dry goods drummer and said
Matilda. what about our gettin
!, married?"
| told him to go away until | ha(
- fried six or eight more pancakes ant
= thought the matter over, and the re
suit was that we were married tina
:, evening. and forty-nine lovers an'
a travellers kissed the blushing bride
n All went as happy as the pig in the pc
tato patch for week or more, ant
~ then my husband came into the kitch
en- one day and found me using kerC
IN sene to hurry up the fire. With an i'm
IA pulse, which WAS very creditable Il
him, he reached out and cuffed me o
the ear That ear tingles yet a
10 though many years have passed sine
"A I got the cuff He lodged the stove Ii
n which | threw at him, and half a
10 hour later he was as dead as Ham
m bal the Great. He had died while si
or ting in his chair. He had used to
much energy in cutting me and ha
so burst blood vessel. called in do
% tor.
10 'SWould it surprise you to learn this
i'll YOUR husband is dead?" he asked {
r. me after he had paved around Il
n awhile.
nd Not bit" replied. He was tC
,ff good for this world anyhow"
is, MY fee is 81. madam, and you wi
please pay it in small bills"