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Show j. He Was M I Wooing by Proxy "t By CLARA DELAFIELD (O. '. WMiira NtwipMMr Union.) i"DUT goldurn It, Bill, you don't D nav, t0 marry the Widow Jenks If you don't want to." Bill shook his head mournfully. "You don't understand, Tom, old friend," he said. "She's a determined woman, she sure is. She set her eye on me and 1 got to marry her. "Last time I saw her she wanted to know why I hadn't been to see her for half a week, and If I was the kind that deceived innocent, trustful women. wom-en. No, Tom, she's sure got me onless I could find a friend who would help me out." "Well, Bill." Tom scratched his head thoughtfully. "I shore would like to help out but" "She's got twelve thousand dollars In the bank," put In Bill eagerly. "And you're a more presentable kinder man than me." "You want me to take her offen yore hands T' "Why, it's this way, Tom. I was thlnkln', suppose you was to go see the widow and make as If you'd come courtln' on my behalf. Make out as I'm too shy and narvls, and so on. Naterally she'll despise me fer that And you know how them things alius turns out. There was that feller, Miles Standlsh you heard of hlmT" "What, him that had the fancy goods emporium down on Main street? That was Jim Standlsh, warn't It?" "No, not that guy. This guy died years ago, before you and me was born. Well, he was in love with some gel or other I don't recall her name and he sent his best friend to ask her, and the gel and the friend fell in love Instead. "Now, that 's my Idea, Tom, old friend. Tou go see the Widow Jenks. and make as If you've come from me. You and her will fall in love and she's got twelve thousand in the bank. And that's no lie, because, she was thlnkln' of buyln' the Rutter farm last month." Tom meditated. "If I do It, It's Jest out of friendship, old pal," he said. "I wouldn't do as much fer every man. But 111 go see the widow and tind how the land lays." Bill wrung his hand. "You never went back on me yet, Tom," he said gratefully, "and I know you never will. And it ain't as if the Widow Jenks wasn't a fine woman, not to speak of that twelve thousand In the bank." "I'll do my best," Tom promised i him. ( Bill spent the rest of the day In heaven. He had known the Widow j Jenks for ten weeks now, ever since that unfortunate meeting at the church i 1 sociable. Tom was a widower, but Bill was sn old bachelor. He had ( reached the age of fifty without ex-I ex-I posing himself to the snares of women, wom-en, and had considered himself Immune Im-mune until be took the Widow Jenks home from the aforementioned sociable. socia-ble. He had presumed too far. She bad peetered him continually since that unhappy date. She wouldn't let him alone. 8he seemed to look upon them js goed as engaged. His hair stood on end when he thought of the swful possibility of being be-ing married to her. How well he knew that type of woman. How he knew what would happen If he married mar-ried her. He wouldn't be able to call his soul his ewm. He waited for Tom te return to his cottage that night, as he had promised. prom-ised. It was growing late when he heard footsteps outside solid, manly footsteps. Eagerly he rushed to the door and opened It. Outside stood the Widow Jenks t She grasped him In her arms and fell upon his neck, smothering him with embraces. "Darling old Bill I" she cried. "Tour Friend Ton) told me all. I was all but engaged to be married to Mr. Harper, the machinist, but when Tom came to me In such a manly way and said how much you loved me, and how you dared not speak for fear of being refused, I hadn't the heart to resist. I knew where my love was then. And I've fixed the day. It's Tuesday week." At last she was gone, and Bill leaned groaning against the table. Ten days of freedom! There came a knock at the door. Tom stood outside. "Well. Bill, I flied it," be grinned. "Seen her yet? She sure is s One woman." "You hound, yon went back on me !" "Easy, easy, old pal. I did what you asked me, and mighty glad to do it, seeln' as she'd got me jest where she'd got you and pore old Harper. I did jest what you asked. Bill, and I'm, shore sorry fer you It worked out as it did, but when I sized her up I knew twelve thousand dollars wasn't goln' to hold me to that no, sir. And m and Harper's goln' to give you a wed-dln wed-dln present In love and gratltood." |
