The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1868-07-10
How PEBBLES Asked the Old Man.

AZ" AoooAeS ASkeu Tue Via man.
PEBBLES had just asked Mr.. Merriweath
er daughter if she would give him lift
out OF bacheloidom, and she had said
yes. 1t therefore became absolutely
necessary to get the old mans permission.
So, as PEBBLES said, that arrangements
might be made for hopping the conjugal
twig.
PEBBLES said he'd rather pop the inter
rogatory to all of old Merriweather' 8
daughters, and his sisters, and his female
cousins, and his aunt Hannah in the coun-
try, and the whole of his female relations,
than ask old Merriweather. But it had to
be done, and so he sat down and studied
out speech which he was to disgorge to
old Merrlweather the very first chance he
got to shy 1t at him. So PEBBLES dropped
In on him one Sunday evening, when all
the family had meandered around to meet
ing, and found him doing a sum in beer
measure, trying to calculate the exact num-
Der OF quarts his interior could hold with
out blowing the top of his head off of him.
How are you, Peeb?" said old Merri-
weather, as PEBBLES walked in white as
chalk, and trembling as if he had swallowed
a condensed earthquake. PEBBLES was
afraid to answer, because he wasn't sure
about that speech. He knew he had to
keep his grip on it while he had it there, or
1T would slip away from him quicker than all
OILED eel through an augur hole. So he
blurted right out:
Mr. Merriweather, sir: Perhaps it
may not be unknown to you, sir, that dur
ing an extended period of some five years,
have been busiy engaged in the prosecu>
ton OF commercial enterprise"
Is that so, and keepin' it secret all the
time, while | thought you was tendin'
store? Well, by George, you're one of
EN-, now amt you p
PEBBLES had to begin all over again, to
get the run of it.
MT. Merrlweather, sir: Perhaps it
may not be unknown to you that during
the extended period of FIVE years, | have
been engaged in the prosecution of COM
merclal enterprise, with the determination
to procure sufficient maintenance
Sit down, Peeb, and help yourself to
a mug of beer. Don't stand there holding
your hat like blind beggar with the par
alysls. L never seen you behave yourself
SO IN all my born days"
PEBBLES was knocked out again, and had
to wander back and take fresh start.
Mr.. Merriweather, sir 1t may not be
unknown to you that during an extended
period OF five years, | have been engaged in
the prosecution of commercial enterprise,
with the determination to procure suffi-
Gent maintenance"
"A which ance p asked old Merriweath-
er; but PEBBLES held CD to the last word as
1t 1t was his only chance, and went on:
In the hope that some day [ might en-
ter wedlock, and bestow my earthly posses
sions upon one whom could call my own. [
have been lonely man, sir, and have felt
that 1t is not good tor man to be alone;
therefore"
Neither is it, PEBBLES; and [ am all
old man?'
Mr.. Merriweather, SIR" said PEBBLES,
IN despairing confusion raising his voice to
a yell lit may not be unknown to you
that, during an extended period of lonely
man, L have been engaged to enter we'd
lock, and bestowed all my commercial en-
terprlse on one whom [ could procure de-
termination to be good for sufficient posses.
slons-no, L mean-that is-that Mr. Mer-
rlWeather, sir, 1T may not be unknown"
And then again it may. Look here,
PEBBLES, you'd better lay down and take
something warm. You amt WE'LL
PEBBLES, sweating like a four year OLD
colt, went in again.
Mr.. Merriweather, sir: 1t may not lie
lonely to you to prosecute me whom you %
prosecute me whom you can call friend
for commercial maintenance but-but-eh,
dang it-Mr. Merriweather, sir, it,
"Oh, PEBBLES, you talk as wildly as
lackass. never seen more first class
idiot in the whole course of my life. What's
the matter with you, anyhow p
MIR Merriweather, sir," said PEBBLES,
in an agony Of bewilderment, it may not
be unknown that you prosecuted lonely
man, who is not good for a commercial
period of wedlock for some FIVE years
but"
''See here, Mr.. PEBBLES, you're drunk,
and il you can't behave better than that
you'd better leave; if you don I'll chuck
you out, or I'm Dutchman.
Mr.. Merriweather, sir, said PEBBLES,
frantic with despair, sit may not be un~
known to you that my earthly possessions
are engaged to enter wedlock five years with
a sufficiently man who is not good for
commercial maintenance"
THE very deuce he isn't. Now you Just
get up and git, old boss, or I II knock what
little brains out of you you've got left )"
With that old Merriweather took PEBBLES
by the shirt collar and that part of his
pants that wears out first, if he sits dowa
much, and shot him into the street as il he
had just ran against a locomotive going at
the rate of forty miles an hour. Before old
Merriweatber had time to shut the front
door, PEBBLES collected his legs, and one
thing or another that were lying around on
the pavement, and arranged himself in
vertical position, and yelled out
''Mr. Merriweather, sir: It may be un
known to you" which made the old man
SO mad that he went out ard set bull
terrier on PEBBLES before be had chance
to lift brogan. and there vas scientific
dog fight, with odds in favor of the dog,
until they got to the fence, and then Pee
bles would have carried bull terrier home,
gripped like clamp on his leg, if it hadn t
n