How the Widow Won the Deacon

by William James Lampton ( -1917)

[From Harper's Bazaar, April, 1911; copyright, 1911, by Harper & Brothers; republished by permission .]

of_course the Widow Stimson never tried to win Deacon Hawkins, nor any_other man, for_that matter .awidow doesn't have to_try to win aman; she wins without trying .Still, the Widow Stimson sometimes wondered why the deacon was so blind as not to_see how her fine farm adjoining his equally fine place on_the outskirts of_the town might_not_be brought under one management with mutual benefit to both parties at interest .Which one that management might become was amatter of future detail .The widow knew how to run afarm successfully, and alarge farm is_not much more difficult to run than one of half the size .She had also had one husband, and knew something more than running afarm successfully .Of all of_which the deacon was perfectly well aware, and still he had_not_been moved by_the merging spirit of_the age to propose consolidation .

This interesting situation was up for discussion at_the Wednesday afternoon meeting of_the Sisters' Sewing Society .

" for_my part," Sister Susan Spicer, wife of_the Methodist minister, remarked as she took another tuck in afourteen-year-old girl's skirt for aten-year-old--" for_my part, I_can't see why Deacon Hawkins and Kate Stimson don't see the error of_their ways and depart from_them ."

"I rather guess she has," smiled Sister Poteet, the grocer's better half, who had taken an afternoon off from_the store in_order_to_be present .

"Or is willing to," added Sister Maria Cartridge, aspinster still possessing faith, hope, and charity, notwithstanding she had_been on_the waiting list a long_time .

"Really, now," exclaimed little Sister Green, the doctor's wife, " do_you_think it_is_the deacon who needs urging ? "

"It looks that way to_me," Sister Poteet did_not hesitate to affirm .

"Well, I heard Sister Clark say that she had heard him call her 'Kitty' one night when_they were eating ice-cream at_the Mite Society," Sister Candish, the druggist's wife, added to_the fund of reliable information on hand .

"'Kitty,' indeed ! " protested Sister Spicer ."The idea of anybody calling Kate Stimson 'Kitty' ! The deacon will talk that way to 'most any woman, but if she let him say it to her more than once, she_must be getting mighty anxious, i_think ."

"Oh," Sister Candish hastened to explain, "Sister Clark didn't say she had heard him say it twice .'"

"Well, I don't think she heard him say it once," Sister Spicer asserted with confidence .

"I don't know about_that," Sister Poteet argued ."From all I_can_see and hear i_think Kate Stimson wouldn't object to 'most anything the deacon would say to her, knowing as she does that he ain't going to_say anything he shouldn't say ."

"And isn't saying what he_should," added Sister Green, with asly snicker, which went around the room softly .

"But as i_was saying--" Sister Spicer began, when Sister Poteet, whose rocker, near the window, commanded aview of_the front gate, interrupted with awarning, "'Sh-'sh ."

"Why shouldn't I_say what i_wanted to when--" Sister Spicer began .

"There she comes now," explained Sister Poteet, "and as I live the deacon drove her here in_his sleigh, and he's waiting while she comes in .I wonder what next," and Sister Poteet, in conjunction with_the entire society, gasped and held their eager breaths, awaiting the entrance of_the subject of conversation .

Sister Spicer went to_the front door to let her in, and she was greeted with_the greatest cordiality by everybody .

"We were just talking about you and wondering why you were so late coming," cried Sister Poteet ."Now take off your things and make up for lost time .There's apair of pants over there to_be cut down to fit that poor little Snithers boy ."

The excitement and curiosity of_the society were almost more than could_be borne, but never asister let on_that she knew the deacon was at_the gate waiting .Indeed, as far as_the widow could discover, there_was not the slightest indication that anybody had ever heard there_was such aperson as_the deacon in existence .

"Oh," she chirruped, in_the liveliest of humors, " you_will_have to excuse me for today .Deacon Hawkins overtook me on_the way here, and here said I had simply got to_go sleigh-riding with_him .He's waiting out at_the gate now ."

" is_that so ? " exclaimed the society unanimously, and rushed to_the window to_see if_it were really true .

"Well, did you ever ? " commented Sister Poteet, generally .

"Hardly ever," laughed the widow, good-naturedly, "and I don't want to lose the chance . you_know Deacon Hawkins isn't asking somebody every day to_go sleighing with_him . i_told him I'd go if he_would bring me around here to let you_know what had become of me, and so he_did .Now, good-by, and I'll be_sure to_be present at_the next meeting . I_have to hurry because he'll get fidgety ."

The widow ran away like alively schoolgirl .All the sisters watched her get into_the sleigh with_the deacon, and resumed the previous discussion with greatly increased interest .

But little recked the widow and less recked the deacon .He had bought anew horse and he_wanted the widow's opinion of it, for_the Widow Stimson was acompetent judge of fine horseflesh .If Deacon Hawkins had one insatiable ambition it_was to own ahorse which could fling its heels in_the face of_the best that Squire Hopkins drove . in_his early manhood the deacon was no deacon by agreat deal .But as_the years gathered in behind him he put off most of_the frivolities of youth and held now only to_the one of driving afast horse .No other man in_the county drove anything faster except Squire Hopkins, and him the deacon had_not_been able to throw the dust over .The deacon would get good ones, but somehow never could he find one that_the squire didn't get abetter .The squire had also in_the early days beaten the deacon in_the race for acertain pretty girl he dreamed about .But the girl and_the squire had lived happily ever after and_the deacon, being aphilosopher, might_have forgotten the squire's superiority had it been manifested in this_one regard only .But in horses, too--that graveled the deacon .

" how_much did you give for him ? " was_the widow's first query, after they had reached astretch of road that was good going and_the deacon had let him out for alength or two .

"Well, what do_you suppose ? You're ajudge ."

"More than i_would give, I'll bet acookie ."

"Not if_you was as anxious as I_am to show Hopkins that he_can't drive by everything on_the pike ."

" i_thought you loved agood horse because he_was agood horse," said the widow, rather disapprovingly .

" I_do, but I_could love him a good_deal harder if he_would stay in front of Hopkins's best ."

"Does he know you've got this_one ? "

"Yes, and he's been blowing round town that he_is waiting to pick me up on_the road some day and make my five hundred dollars look like apewter quarter ."

"So you_gave five hundred dollars for him, did you ? " laughed the widow .

" is_it too_much ? "

"Um-er," hesitated the widow, glancing along the graceful lines of_the powerful trotter, "I suppose not if_you_can beat the squire ."

"Right you_are," crowed the deacon, "and I'll show him athing or two in getting over the ground," he added with swelling pride .

"Well, I_hope he won't be out looking for_you today, with me in your sleigh," said the widow, almost apprehensively, "because, you_know, deacon, I_have always wanted you to beat Squire Hopkins ."

The deacon looked at her sharply . there_was asoftness in her tones that appealed to him, even if she had_not expressed such agreeable sentiments .Just what the deacon might_have said or done after_the impulse had_been set going must remain unknown, for at_the crucial moment asound of militant bells, bells of defiance, jangled up behind them, disturbing their personal absorption, and_they looked around simultaneously .Behind the bells was_the squire in_his sleigh drawn by his fastest stepper, and he_was alone, as_the deacon was not .The widow weighed one hundred and sixty pounds, net-- which_is weighting ahorse in arace rather more than_the law allows .

But the deacon never thought of_that .Forgetting everything except his cherished ambition, he braced himself for_the contest, took atwist hold on_the lines, sent asharp, quick call to_his horse, and let him out for all that was in him .The squire followed suit and_the deacon .The road was wide and_the snow was worn down smooth .The track couldn't have_been in better condition .The Hopkins colors were_not five rods behind the Hawkins colors as_they got away .For half amile it_was nip and tuck, the deacon encouraging his horse and_the widow encouraging the deacon, and then the squire began creeping up .The deacon's horse was agood one, but he_was not accustomed to hauling freight in arace .ahalf-mile of it_was as_much as he_could stand, and he weakened under the strain .

Not handicapped, the squire's horse forged ahead, and as his nose pushed up_to_the dashboard of_the deacon's sleigh, that good man groaned in agonized disappointment and bitterness of spirit .The widow was mad all over that Squire Hopkins should take such amean advantage of_his rival .Why didn't he wait till another time when_the deacon was alone, as he_was ? If she had her way she never would, speak to Squire Hopkins again, nor to_his wife, either .But her resentment was not helping the deacon's horse to win .

Slowly the squire pulled closer to_the front; the deacon's horse, realizing what it meant to_his master and to him, spurted bravely, but, struggle as gamely as he might, the odds were too many for him, and he dropped to_the rear .The squire shouted in triumph as he drew past the deacon, and_the dejected Hawkins shrivelled into aheap on_the seat, with only his hands sufficiently alive to hold the lines .He had_been beaten again, humiliated before awoman, and_that, too, with_the best horse that he_could hope to_put against the ever-conquering squire .Here sank his fondest hopes, here ended his ambition . from_this on he_would drive amule or an automobile .The fruit of_his desire had turned to ashes in_his mouth .

But no .What of_the widow ? She realized, if_the deacon did_not, that she, not the squire's horse, had beaten the deacon's, and she was ready to_make what atonement she_could . as_the squire passed ahead of_the deacon she was stirred by anoble resolve .adeep bed of drifted snow lay close by_the side of_the road not far in front . it_was soft and safe and she smiled as she looked at it as_though waiting for her .Without ahint of her purpose, or asign to disturb the deacon in_his final throes, she rose as_the sleigh ran near its edge, and with aspring which had many atime sent her lightly from_the ground to_the bare back of ahorse in_the meadow, she cleared the robes and lit plump in_the drift .The deacon's horse knew before_the deacon did that something had happened in_his favor, and was quick to respond . with_his first jump of relief the deacon suddenly revived, his hopes came fast again, his blood retingled, he gathered himself, and, cracking his lines, he shot forward, and three minutes later he had passed the squire as_though he were hitched to_the fence .For aquarter of amile the squire made heroic efforts to recover his vanished prestige, but effort was useless, and finally concluding that he_was practically left standing, he veered off from_the main road down afarm lane to_find some spot in_which to hide the humiliation of_his defeat .The deacon, still going at aclipping gait, had one eye over his shoulder as wary drivers always have on_such occasions, and when he_saw the squire was off the track he slowed down and jogged along with_the apparent intention of continuing indefinitely .Presently an idea struck him, and he looked around for_the widow .She was not where he had seen her last .Where was she ? in_the enthusiasm of victory he had forgotten her . he_was so dejected at_the moment she had leaped that he_did_not realize what she had done, and two minutes later he_was so elated that, shame on him ! he_did_not care .With her, all was lost; without her, all was won, and_the deacon's greatest ambition was to win .But now, with victory perched on_his horse-collar, success his at last, he thought of_the widow, and he_did care .He cared so_much that he almost threw his horse off his feet by_the abrupt turn he_gave him, and back down the pike he flew as_if alegion of squires were after him .

he_did_not know what injury she might_have sustained; She might_have_been seriously hurt, if_not actually killed .And why ? Simply to_make it possible for him to win .The deacon shivered as he thought of it, and urged his horse to greater speed .The squire, down the lane, saw him whizzing along and accepted it profanely as an exhibition for_his especial benefit .The deacon now had forgotten the squire as he had only so shortly before forgotten the widow .Two hundred yards from_the drift into which she had jumped there_was aturn in_the road, where some trees shut off the sight, and_the deacon's anxiety increased momentarily until he reached this point .From here he could_see ahead, and down there in_the middle of_the road stood the widow waving her shawl as abanner of triumph, though she_could only guess at results .The deacon came on with arush, and pulled up alongside of her in acondition of nervousness he didn't think possible to him .

"Hooray ! hooray ! " shouted the widow, tossing her shawl into_the air ."You beat him . I_know you_did .Didn't you ? I_saw you pulling ahead at_the turn yonder .Where is he and_his old plug ? "

"Oh, bother take him and_his horse and_the race and everything . are_you hurt ? " gasped the deacon, jumping out, but mindful to_keep the lines in_his hand ." are_you hurt ? " he repeated, anxiously, though she looked anything but ahurt woman .

"If I_am," she chirped, cheerily, "I'm not hurt half as bad as I would_have_been if_the squire had beat you, deacon .Now don't you worry about me .Let's hurry back to town so the squire won't get another chance, with no place for_me to jump ."

and_the deacon ? Well, well, with_the lines in_the crook of_his elbow the deacon held out his arms to_the widow and---- .The sisters at_the next meeting of_the Sewing Society were unanimously of_the opinion that any woman who_would risk her life like that for ahusband was mighty anxious .