The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1851-09-17
LEAF IL,
COUNTERPLOTING.

Next day, when l revisited my patient,
found her up and dressed, and confessedly sc
much better that was fam to ask the reason OF
her convalescence. This produced an addi-
tional confidence, to this effect, that, moved by
his sympathy with her serious illness, her good
natured parent had consented that the much
dreaded formal visit of her second cousin and
promised husband should be sletcs scd fvs .iA
months.
Knowing as l did that Mr.. Nixon had no
faith in his daughter sickness, | was no little
astonishcd ct her communlca ton, and strongly
suspected that the old gentleman finding de-
ception the older Of the day, had determined to
use little on his own account, for the benefit
of his own plans. was not, therefore much
surprised when, upon descending the stairs to
the parlr, Mr.. Nixon again CLOSED the door,
carefully, again stroked his chin, and looked
and winked knowingly while he said -
/" How's your patient. Doctor! My prom
Uses better than your prescriptions, hey +? Shall
cut you out yet. Nice little plot of mine if |
tell you, you won't blab, hey? You see, told
Lucy, George Nixon should not vlsi, her for
six months. Good, George Nixon shall not
all true neugh.-but Charles Mason shal come
in week. Understand, hey. Tha.'s my opn-
ion-whats yours 7"
" But who IS Cnarles Mason 2" | asked.
Before replying the old gentleman again ca
rcsscd his chm, patted his nose, wInked, nodded
his head upwards and backwards toward his
daughters rooms and at length found words to
say:
:" Who is he Oh very nice young gentle
men of N, who will happen-mind you,
happcn--to be trayelln. this way in abou, a
week, handsome tellow-good family-no rel
at,ve Of nine, however, and particularly no re
latinn 10 George Nixon. . no, that's my opin
ion-Mhat's yours ?"
Seeing that still looked nysteffed, though
evidently sank fifty per cent. on the spot IN his
tinaion tor my obtuseness, he proceeded to
explain -
:. D.nt see it, Doctor, h-y' Why, you
know, she has got those counfoundcd love-no-
tions IN her head, found them in her novels,
suppose. Well Charles Mason is George Nixon,
George .f,ron - repeated the triumphant
plotter, wlnk,ng his left eye as IT he had sand
in 1t, and poking inc perseyeringly in the RIBS.
IS Well he is travelDg-comes here-all by
accident; meet him in the streets-tnd him
an old frlend-fstch him home all by accident.
Lucy falls in love with him-sle II be sure to do
so, If tell her not to. I'm obstinate at first
gradually relent-hnally say yes, she mari les
hlm-never knows who he is till the parson
calls him George Nixon in the ceremony. Clio
rious plot that my oplnlon--what's your S )"
And Mr.. Nixon allowed both hands to slide
int, his pockets, and looked me full in the face,
an expression OF intense satisfaction illuminat-
ing his good-natured features all the while
$ And I've written to George, he suddenly
continued, and told Kim all about it--how Luz
cy's silly and sentimcntat-how he to pass off
az Charles Mason-and all that
Dat don you apprehcnd, suggested, "that
MI George Nixnn inay teel s0u.e natural reluc-
lance 10 visit her under the ciscurhutauces A.,
6 Natural reluctance natural fddiesticka!
No he don know she dislikes him-and what /
if he did Ii he han OF sense, he II be glad
Of the chance to get pretty wife and an estab-
ishment like this, and-and to help keep up
III old family name ;-and if he's fool, like
Lucy, he II be tckled with the romance Of the
hing ;-court;ng girl with ous Being known !,