about an hour after john miles rode away from the widow's door mr. william crane came in sight of the cabin. he had strayed from the direct course, and that had delayed him. otherwise he would not have fallen behind miles.
bill crane was in rather a melancholy mood. he had not got over his disappointment of the morning. he was fagged out and hungry, and felt that luck was against him. when he saw the cabin, and the widow brown sitting in the door-way, it instantly occurred to him that here was a chance to get a dinner. he had nothing to pay, to be sure, but he need say nothing about it till after the dinner was eaten.
as he rode up, he removed his hat, and said, "good-day, ma'am."
mrs. brown scrutinized the new-comer with[pg 103] critical eyes. she decided that he was not as good-looking as john miles. indeed bill crane never could have been accounted handsome; but on this point the widow was not exacting. she was looking for somebody to fill the place of her lamented brown, and relieve her loneliness, and it was crane's eligibility in this respect that she was considering. beauty was but skin deep, as mrs. brown was practical enough to admit, and she was not overstocked with that attractive quality herself. though crane did not know it, the resolute, middle-aged female, from whom he hoped to obtain a gratuitous dinner, was making up her mind to offer him the position of husband.
"good-day, stranger," she answered composedly. "are you travelin' fur?"
"i'm thinkin' of goin' to frisco," he said, "but it's a long journey and i'm fagged out. if you have no objection, i'll stop at your place and see if i can rest a few minutes."
"you can stop if you want to," she said.[pg 104] "i don't see much company, and i like to see a new face now and then."
"so do i," said crane, thinking a little flattery might help him; "especially when it's the face of a good-looking woman."
"i ain't good-lookin' enough to hurt me," returned mrs. brown, with a frankness which rather disconcerted and puzzled crane, "but i don't mind you callin' me so. if you are anyways hungry, i haven't cleared away the dinner, and—"
"you are very kind," broke in crane, eagerly; "i don't mind saying i am a little bit hungry."
"all right, stranger. if you'll wait long enough for me to make some hot tea, and warm the victuals, you shall have a chance to judge of my cookin'."
bill crane was quite elated. he decided that the widow would not ask him for payment, thus saving him from embarrassing excuses. in due time he was called in and seated in the chair not long since occupied by john miles.[pg 105]
"you're the second man that's dined with me to-day," said the widow.
"and who was the first lucky man?" inquired crane, suspecting at once that it might have been miles.
"i don't know his name, but he was a good-looking young man, who said he had had a bag of gold-dust stolen from him."
"that's miles," thought crane; and he at once decided not to betray any knowledge of him.
"he was in bad luck," said bill. "did he know who stole it?"
"he didn't tell me. i don't think he knew."
"that's well," thought crane.
"did he say where he was going?"
"to the city."
"do you live here all the year round, mrs.——?"
"my name's brown, stranger."
"all i can say is, that brown is a lucky man. another cup of tea if you please, mrs. brown."
"you might not like to exchange places with[pg 106] him, for all his luck, stranger," remarked the widow.
"indeed i would," said bill, with a languishing look.
"he's six feet under ground!" explained mrs. brown, dryly.
"dead?" ejaculated crane.
"yes; he's been dead these three weeks."
"and you are a widow?"
"that's so, stranger."
"but you don't mean to stay a widow?" interrogated crane.
"well, it is kinder lonesome. it seems natural like to have a man round."
"i wonder if she's got any money," thought crane. "i'll find out if i can."
"yes, mrs. brown, i feel for you," he said. "a woman can't struggle with the world as a man can."
"i don't know about that, stranger. i can take care of myself, if that's what you mean."
"but a woman needs a man to protect and work for her," insinuated crane.[pg 107]
"i don't need any one to protect me," said the widow; "and, as for support, i've got a matter of five thousand dollars laid by, and a good claim that'll pay for the workin'. i don't think i shall need to go to the poor-house yet awhile."
bill crane's eyes sparkled. the widow brown seemed wonderfully attractive in his eyes. he was willing to barter his young affections for five thousand dollars and a claim, even if the widow had been thrice as homely as she was. if he had known that mrs. brown was bent on marriage his way would have been clearer. his mind was made up. he would woo and win his fair hostess if he could.
"when did brown die?" he inquired.
"three weeks ago, stranger."
"you must miss him."
"yes, he was a quiet man, brown was. he never gave me any trouble, and it was natural to see him round."
"you must not mourn for him too much, mrs. brown."
"i shan't make a fool of myself," said the[pg 108] widow. "he's gone, and he won't come back. there's no use cryin'."
"she's rather a queer specimen," thought crane. "she hasn't broken her heart, it seems."
"you ought to marry again," he said.
"i mean to," said mrs. brown.
"well, that's frank," thought crane. "there ain't any nonsense about her."
"your second husband will be a lucky man, mrs. brown."
"well, he'll have a good livin', and, if he treats me right, he'll get treated right too."
"this is a cold world, mrs. brown. i've been drifting about till i'm tired. i'd like to settle down with a good wife."
"if you want to take brown's place, say so," remarked the widow, in a business-like tone.
bill crane was staggered by the promptness with which his hint was taken, but did not hesitate to follow it up.
"that's what i mean," he said.
"what's your name, stranger?"
"william crane."[pg 109]
"you haven't got another wife anywhere, have you?"
"of course not."
"i've got to take your word for it, i s'pose. i guess i'll take the risk. i'll marry you if you say so."
"how soon?" asked crane, eagerly.
"well, there's a parson a few miles from here. we can ride right over and be back by sundown, if that will suit you."
"a capital idea, mrs. brown. you won't be brown long," he added, sportively. "how will you like to be called mrs. crane?"
"one name will do as well as another," said the widow, philosophically.
crane wanted to make inquiries about the five thousand dollars and the claim; but he reflected that it might be inferred that his views were mercenary. it would be more politic to wait till after marriage. he did not understand the character of the woman he was going to marry. she understood very well that crane was marrying her for her money; but she felt lonesome, and it[pg 110] suited her to have a husband, and she was willing to overlook such a trifle.
the widow had a horse of her own. directly after dinner it was harnessed, and the two rode over to dirt hole, a small mining settlement, where the rev. pelatiah pond, a methodist minister, united them in the bonds of matrimony.
when mr. and mrs. crane reached home, bill ventured to inquire, "have you got the money in the house, mrs. crane,—the five thousand dollars, i mean?"
"it's put away in a safe place."
"you'd better let me take care of it for you, my dear."
"not at present, mr. crane. a year from now i will let you have half of it, if you behave yourself."
"as your husband, madam, i insist."
"stop right there, stranger—mr. crane, i mean," said the bride, decidedly. "do you see that? and she whipped out a revolver.
"good gracious, mrs. crane! do you want to murder me?"[pg 111]
"no, i didn't marry you for that; but i want you to understand that the money is in my hands, and i don't allow any man to insist. i may let you have some of it when i get ready. do you understand?"
"i believe i do," murmured crane. "i'm regularly taken in and done for," he reflected sadly.
but directly after their return mrs. crane prepared a nice supper, and crane, as he ate it, and smoked a pipe later, began to be reconciled to his new situation.
