Two of South Lubec�s young women had been left widows by the big war in Europe, and even though they had only been speaking friends before, they became closer than two feathers in a down pillow. Their husbands were two of the first Maineiacs killed in 1914, and as they were both older than normal when they first became brides, by the time I was going to the country store they were pretty old. As fate would have it they lived within walking distance of each other and most of the time when you saw one, you almost always saw the other. Naturally when something like this happens there has to be a quick way to recognize who someone is talking about so they became known as �the widow women�.

   Clarence was standing behind the candy counter when Earnest West came in and sat down in his usual place. He had a grin on his face and a twinkle in is eye that said sometime during the evening he was going to tell a story, and it didn�t take long for Mr. West to get started.

   �Did ya hear about the widow women?� he asked hoping everyone would all say no so he could be the first to tell the tale. When everyone in the room looked like they didn�t have the slightest idea what he was talking about, he continued,   �My wife told me the two widow women were sitting talking and right out of a blue sky Lois asked Louise when was the last time she had been with a man.�

   Every head in the room turned for they knew something spicy was about to follow.

   �Glory be,� Louise answered, surprised that she was asked such a thing. �That ain�t a decent question to ask a lady.�

   �We ain�t just ladies anymore, Louise, we�re best friends and best friend always tell their best friends their deepest secrets.� Lois said as she hung her head thinking she might have overstepped her bounds just a little bit.

   �That�s true,� Louise answered after a moment of soul searching. �Let me see, I guess it was about nineteen fifteen.�

   �Boy, that�s a long time ago,� Lois said feeling sorry for her friend.
    �No, not really,� Louise answered with a smile as she looked at her clock, �it�s only twenty-one thirty now.�