The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-05-24

The Widow Wins
Her Case

=
70. 1922. Western Newspaper Union.)
But, my dear Mr.. Oldham, you
seem to think this Is the middle Of the
nineteenth century instead of the
twentieth" protested Mrs. Lane.
Henry Oldham thumped his fist Oh
the table. II don't care II It's the
F1fty-ninth I" he beloved. my daugh-
ter goes INCORPORATING with that
scoundrel, Henry Perks, and comes
home at 8 o'clock next morning with q
tale about the engine breaking down
It sea- Maybe It's true, maybe 1t amt.
But that girl don't enter my house
again except as Perks wife,"
Pretty Mrs. Lane e~xpostulated. do
you mean to say that those two young
people. who are simply friends, have
got to be tied up together miserably
through life because Of \ m~otor-boat
accidentr' she demanded.
Hes compromised her. The Old
hams have always held themselves
above scandal. I don't care If the
story's true or II 1t amt. That girl
comes here as Mrs. Perks or she don't
come back again"
T. Mrs. Lane sighed. Henry Oldham,
at sixty-two, was the most unreason-
able man In the town. She had had
Nancy under her own roof for nearly
q week, during which she had tried
again and again, as others had, to
bring Oldham to reason.
Oldham, however, stuck doggedly to
his guns. His view was simply that
II a young nan and q young woman
went out together one afternoon, and
came back together the next morning,
they must come back married. An
elopement he would stand for. Scan
DIAL he would not. And that was that.
Nobody but Mrs. Lane would have
dared approach Mr.. Oldham more than
once. He had driven his own sister
Sout Of his house when she expostu-
Plated with him. He had threatened to
%disinherit his married daughter, MIL
dred, for putting q word In on be-
half of Nancy. But Ann Lane and
Henry Oldham were old friends. They
had known each other for 15 years.
+ Mrs. Lane had been a widow for
five years now, and 1t was said she
twas setting her cap for Henry Oldham,
but they were good friends enough to
laugh at the report Henry Oldham
said frankly that at his age he was
not to be caught. In his best moods
he "joshed" Mrs. Lane about 1t.
She came round with her car next
day. "Tve come to take you for a
little spin out to Port Maitland" she
said. "You don't get out enough.
Henry"
Henry Oldham looked at her shrewd-
ly. mot one word about Nancy" he
insisted.
mot a word" sighed Anna Lane. u
see It's impossible to persuade you to
take q reasonable point OF view,
Henry !.
what you choose to call reasonable
- absolutely" Henry Oldham IN
swered, as he stepped into the al
Anna Lanes car was the best make
on the market-which every who
a car knows They spent q jolly
afternoon at the seaside, had dinner
together and prepared to return.
Tim going to take you home through
Pocono Gap" said Anna Lane. 'It's
the most rural thing imaginable. /
want you to see 1t, Henry"
STRIKES me you're taking me z
pretty good ways round" remarked
Henry Oldham. who had been getting
little apprehensive somehow as the
sun went down and they seemed far
Their and farther from home In a Wild,
mountainous region.
"Oh, It's only fifteen miles to the
nearest village, SOmervflle, and then
It's a quick run home" answered his
companion.
They went on a mile. And suddenly
the car stopped dead. Anna Lane got
out to investigate, for Henry Oldham
knew, nothing about arr. She tin
kered. Finally she got down on her
back underneath. She came back
her head.
II can't think what's the matter |
It." she said. And suddenly she |
stumbled, slipped; went down with a
cry Of pain. ~
She was whitelfaced when Henry |
helped her into the car. 1--WE wreRched
ny ankle,'' she said. "What r we
going to dol"
Wont 1t goY" demanded Henry.
I'm afraid the-the carburetors
zone wrong. / can't fix 1t. What shall
dol Nobody's coming along at this
lime OF night Well just have to wait
I'LL morning when the milk carts pass,
1nless-unless you want to walk 10
Into the village and-and leave
here alOne."
Henry Oldham glared at her. THAT
means we're stuck here for the night"
le shouted
"Worse than that" sobbed Anna.
Tt means 1--we got to marry you,
ind l can't bear It."
Henry Oldham had amassed his FOR
une by quick thinking and swift ilni-
iatfye, He took his medicine. After