The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Widow, by Helen Rowland

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Title: The Widow
To Say Nothing of the Man

Author: Helen Rowland

Illustrator: Esther P. Hill

Release Date: April 27, 2010 [EBook #32152]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE WIDOW

[Illustration: "OH well, I was only showing you the sugar bowl."
_Frontispiece_]

THE WIDOW

[TO SAY NOTHING OF THE MAN]

BY HELEN ROWLAND

ILLUSTRATED BY ESTHER P. HILL

[Illustration]

DODGE PUBLISHING COMPANY
220 EAST 23D STREET, NEW YORK

Copyright, 1908, by Dodge Publishing Co.

[THE WIDOW. 3]

CONTENTS

PAGE

I THE WIDOW 5

II THE WINNING CARD? 18

III WHY? 32

IV THE WIDOW'S RIVAL 47

V MONEY AND MATRIMONY 60

VI SIGNS AND COUNTERSIGNS OF LOVE 73

VII A SHORT CUT 86

VIII AFTER LOVE--(?) 101

IX HER WAY 118

X MARRIAGE 135

XI THE WIDOW'S DEAL 151

XII NEW YEAR'S IRRESOLUTIONS 165

I

THE WIDOW.

"WHAT would you say," asked the widow, tucking her skirts cautiously
about her patent leather toes and leaning back luxuriously against the
variegated pillows, "if I should tell you that I have found the very
girl who would make you a model wife?"

The bachelor glanced up indifferently and dipped the paddle lazily into
the water.

"What model?" he asked, suspiciously. "Women are like automobiles, you
know. There are so many models. And even after you have selected one
most carefully you never can tell what it is going to do."

"They are more