The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-01
Matilda Brixs, Widow
She Tells How She Got a Second
Husband
BY NJ. QUAD
Copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.
BY NJ. QUAD

streets, but they were so busy trying
to get up a 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 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" l re-
piled.
Then who are you?"
II am only the widow Brixs, sir"
"And what do you want here"
81 want to see your wife"
"But you can't unless you can fly. |
Her soul passed into the beyond about |
three years ago, and since then l have |
had to 90 it alone"
After 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"
Eyes, it's a little tough to be with
out a wife when you have had one for
twenty years. l do my own cooking,
washing, mending and bedmaking"
This is a tavern, and what about
the travelers?" | queried.
"Oh, there are no travellers but me,
and don't travel very much except in
my dreams. All the travellers go to
Mrs. Carsons boarding house, and l
am rather glad of it, as my style Of
cooking might bring about 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. | 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" l
said
"Lordy me! But how would you do
itT' he exclaimed
al should begin by busting, mop
ping washing windows and making
this old pigpen look like a first class
hotel at Newport. | presume there Is
weeks work in the kitchen setting
things to rights, but | am a worker.
When got things cleaned up 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
: magniticence."
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 tel
t you what I'll do, and l never broke
my word yet to man. woman or tele
graph pole If you will work for q
l month and get things shipshape | vii
marry you-yes, by gosh. I'll marry
you! That will be better than wages
f "But shall have something to sa!
5 about that" replied as l rose up.
1t was three days before the news
got around In Jackson's Hollow tina
|. new move was on foot at the Para
l. disc hotel. The oilers dropped in t
i the number Of twenty or more, ant
= when they saw me flying from room
! to room with broom and mop they hal
many compliments for me. In fact
n more than dozen of them offered m
d their hands and hearts in marriage
l. In each case replied that l was higt
" flattered, but had no time to foe
u away.
e. 1t will surprise you to learn that l
months time the old shebang wa
doing a good tavern business, and Mr.
q Carson's boarding house was almoS
"A deserted.
When the month was little moi
than up the landlord came to me as
e. was frying pancakes for the breal
Ia fast of dry goods drummer and salt
" Matilda. what about our getti
married"
~ told him to go away until | ha
Ut fried six or eight more pancakes an
thought the matter over. and the r
ou suit was that we were married tn;
Ell evening. and forty-nine lovers al
oil travellers kissed the blushing Drid
All went as happy as the pig in the p
o' tatO patch for a week or more. al
then my husband came into the Kite
ne en- one day and found me using ker
ne sene to hurry up the fire. With an il
pulse, which was very creditable
him, he reached out and cuffed ME
ns the ear. That ear tingles yet,
"u though many years have passed sin
- I got the cuff. He lodged the stove
.ne which l threw at him. and half
'n hour later he was as dead as Han
ie' bal the Great. He had died while S
ting in his chair. He had used I
sSe much energy in cutting me and h
So burst blood vessel. called in a d
.,,S, tor.
~ would it surprise you to learn II
~ your husband is deadT' he asked
IA me after he had paved around
Is awhile.
1is Not bit" l replied. He was
good for this world anyhow"
''My fee is s., madam, and you '
please pay it in small bills"
"
nch Carrier Pigeon Swift.
49, Elvinp with a strong Nuiud fha =