Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-07-13
Cousin Jacks CourtshiD.

Cousin Jacks Courtship.
The trunks were all packed and corded, and the
carpct-bigs were piled up in the corner OF &C Ca
pacious and old fashioned hall.
How melancholy they looked. those emblcms of
parting adieus. Not even the merry laugh OF two
three young girls who were gathered around n
stalwart handsome fellow of about thirty could en-
tirely binish an impiplble something o: sadness
from the scene. Cousin Jack, the general mis-
chief maker. tormentcr and tease of the whole
family, was going away, and old Mr.. Ches or, sit
ting by distant window. wiped his specticles cve-
~ five minutes and declared pett>hiy that the type
of the evening paper was terrible trial to hi old
eyes.
Ave. you my laugh. girls said Jack. applying
himself vigorously to the re efractory lock of por-
manteau. Perh Fps you INV one diy think i; isn't
such laughing matter. Think OF the loss the
family IL going TO sustain in INV absence
But You'll come back soon, Jack, dear?' coaxed
Minnie Chester. the prettiest and most roguSh ol
all hi- cousins. and the one who kept up a perfect
fire of practical jokes and grlish tricks ut his cx
rense.
There she sat on the biggest trunk oc the col
lection, her brown curls hanging about her round
fcc. and her eyes sparkling with curious mixture
OF fun and tears.
.I'm not at all certain Of that, Miss Minnie.
slid Jack decisively. 'If succeed in finding a
situa ton suit shall probably decide to set
tie permanently at Thornvilc, and turn land pro-
prictOr on INV own account
'Only i'm gine our Jick gentleman OF proper
ty" laughed Minnie appealing TO her sisters.
Il don't see anything so very ridiculous in the
itlca,' remarked the Young man. rather piqued at
the amusement OF his fair relatives. AT al
events, there's one incllculabe advantage that will
result from my depar ure.'
And what is that. Mr.. Oracle?'
The fact that you have played your last freak on
NE. YOU tormenting little MINK
Don't be so certain of that cousin Jack said
Minnie, shaking her long curls. what will you
venture don't bestow a parting trick on YOU yet
have not settled with you for several pieces OF
impcrtnence; but. pray, do you imagine that they
are forgotten, sir7'
my diamond sleeve buttons TO your coral neck
lace that YOU don't impose on me within the next
three months said Jack gaily.
Done" said Minnie Girls you all hear the
wager. don't you? always coveted Jacks dia-
monds.'
But you won't have them. mademoiseile How
dark it is getting in this cavcrnous old hall Shall
ring for a light, Uncle Chcsterl and, by the wa v
have you written that letter OF introduction to NJ
Thorne7'
'A in good time. my boy-al in good time,
said tn old gentleman. depositing his huge silver
hound sTcctaces in their case. You Young peo-
VI u
to carry lamp into the library, girls. And Min
ME, where is my gold pen? | won't be long aboll
it, and then well have a nice long evening TO
gossip about Jacks pr spccts.
While Mr. Chester sat in his COSY, red curtained
library, revising the letter which he had been
writing to his old college friend, Jabez Thorne OF
Thornvie, that Jack was in search of an eligible
piece oflaDd. and wished to settle down n pln-
ter in That vicinity, and requesting Mr.. Thorne'
aid and cooperation in tn selection Of the same,
Minnie Opened the door.
Papa, there is some one down stairs who wishe:
to see YOU Immediately for a minute
'Very annoying said the old gentleman Jusi
as was finishing up this letter of Jacks. How
ever. can seal it up afterwards. Minnie SUPPOSE
You glance overt and dot the is and cross the is
I'm not so much oil penn IN as used TO be.
And old Mr. Chester pushed back his chair and
arose from the antique ink table to attend to the
claims of his urgent guest
Olive Chester was brushing out the heavy
braids of her luxuriant hair before the dressing
mirror Other vn apartment. two hours later, when
Minnie ran in, with her ccuntenance comicaliy di-
vided between dsmay and delight.
MY dear Minnie, what has happenedr exclaim
sd the elder sister, dropping her hair brush and
letting all the raven tresses ripple down UNDECIDED
over her shoulders.
.I've won the diamond sleeve buttons, Olive.--
But, oh. didn't mean to. What would papa say
II he only knew-and c0nsln Jack, toon
sit down, you wild little eff sail Olive, gently '
forcing her sister into chair, 'and explain this Gu
rious riddle
well, you know papa left me to look over his
letter to Mr.. Thorne-he was detained longer than
he expected-almost an hour, in fact, and couldn't
help amusing myself by writing parody on the
letter." r-' rrrs
"A parodyv
'Yes-you remember somebody was telling us
what a beautiful daughter Mr.. Thorne had-so I
wrote that Jack was in search OF wife, and heard
Of Miss Throne, and wanted to settle in life, and
all that rt OF thing. In short, just substituted
wife for land. Wasn't it fun? But you know
never once thought OF sending the letter; onlv
waEted to read it to Jack when l went down stairs
Well, signed it with great flourish, and then
who should come but papa and the stranger. Of
course fed-and when went back the letter was
sealed. and safe in Jacks pocketbook, and Olive,
it was the wrong letter. f-ff 3,fe b.
The wrong letterr o s1i ssa
1t was rather dim light, and papa's eyes were
not so keen as they are wont to be-and nv i'm
pertinent missive was gone, while the real bona
tide lay there, among heap Of discarded papers
And hadn't courage to confess my misdemean-
or, papa L. opposed to my innocent little jokes
and Jack is off with, the indescrbabie letter. Oh,
what a tornado there will be when my mischief
lesks outr
= And Minnie looked so bewitchrly lovely in her
alternate paroxysms of terror and laughter that
Olive, grave, elder sister though she was, had