The doctor diagnosed the wealthy widow's case as "too much society," He ordered that she leave the city for the summer, and spend at least a couple of months in some quiet farm house. With many sighs the order was obeyed, and the woman soon found herself the paying guest of a country woman far from civilization. At first, time hung heavily on the visitor's hands, but she soon learned to reconcile herself to her surroundings. The fare was plain but good. She passed many happy hours sketching, and lastly, there was a "mighty nice boy" who came over almost daily to chat with her. The widow was young and beautiful, but she never dreamed for a moment of falling in love with the youthful farmer. He, however, was dazzled by the style and beauty of the city resident and soon was paying much attention to her. For some little time the widow did not know that she was causing sorrow for another. Her hostess had a daughter, an awkward country girl, and one day this girl confronted the widow. She told her that the young farmer had been her sweetheart, but was now being won away and dropping on her knees she pleaded "Don't take him away, he is all I have." The blasé city woman's heart was touched. She felt for the poor little girl who had had so few joys in life, and tenderly promised her that she would nip the undesired romance in the bud. She did. But the farmer never realized how it was accomplished. He simply found that the woman he had admired was not so beautiful as he had at first believed, that she was course and common, so almost insensibly he ceased to care for her and drifted back to the one who steadfastly loved him. The widow returned to the city, her health fully restored, and again assumed her position in society. The country girl married the man of her choice and always realized that she owed her happiness to the success of the widow's stratagem.
