The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-04-03
A BAcHE1oR's CoURTsH1P,

| Ana Dc ABOVE us BILL
A BACHELORS CoURTsHIP,
Richard Brown had lived bachelor
| for forty years, and declared his inten-
ton of continuing in the state Of single
| blessedness tor the remainder of his
life, greatly to the satisfaction ofhis rel
atives, the Hinkles, with whom he re-
sided; for, be 1t koown, Uncle Richard
was worth cool half million, and the
Hinkles were his only living relations;
and unless, as Mrs. Hinkle said, some
| "nasty charity" came in for his prop
erty, who should he leave it to but his
| own cousins or their children
Hopeful AZ poor humanity Is of lon
gevi.y, Mr.. and Mrs. Hinkle scarcely e
pected to survive their cousin, who was
their junior by ten years; but Adelaide,
and Rose, and Charles, and William,
might in all PROBABILITY be his heirs, and
to this end the parents labored. Uncle
Richard had the best room in the house,
the best chair, the most particular con-
sideratiOn. His wishes were deferred to,
and his advice taken on every occasion;
and he actually came to be loved; for,
with all his quaint, old-tashiOned ways,
and Ii is habit of sitting utterly silent, as
though he had been deaf and dumb, he
was a lovable man. Matters progressed
smoothly enough until 1t was habit and
not hypocrisy which made Cousin Rich
ard actually master of the house.
He was very obliRing-wonderfnlly
so in most respects. He would attend
to anything for anybody; match rib.
bons when nobody else would: escort
girls to place of amusement; go duti-
fully to church with their mamma; at
tend to marketing and the posting OF
letters, and the gas metre, and the turn
ing off OF the water in frosty weather.
81 to ur0EN Nn
house with poker at the dead OF night,
when any one "heard II nOlse.'
He went to the dentist with the peO-
ple who wanted their teeth drawn, and
always seemed to have sugar plums in
his pocket. But one thing cousin Rich
ard would not do, and that was to ex~
hibit the least sign of pOliteness 10 lady
visitors.
He never saw any one home. He
never oven spent the evening in their
company. He invariably shut himself
up in his own room, anu had MS tea
there, when one OF these individuals
was reported to be in the house; and,
when travelling, had been known in
the train to shut his eyes tight when n
young lady entered, and remain with
them closed until she left the carriage.
AS II general thing, indeed, he always
chose carriage where he need not be
iutruded upon.
1T was just as well, after ALL said
Mrs, Hiukle; but it was not quite SO
agreea BILE to Mr.. II. when he found the
pleasant task of seeing Miss Smith or
Miss Jones home imposed upon him
self. He argued that such duties were
Cousin Dicks, though he never told so.
1t would not have been pleasant TO pro-
| woke him, and if anything could have
offended Bachelor Brown MORALLY, it
| would have been to insist upon his of
fering any gallant attentions to the
softer sex.
However, a day came which set the
household in commotion.
Miss Amanda Dove had been invited
to spend a week with the Hinkles, and
Miss Dove, being a stranger, was TO
wait at the station, until some one came
for her in carriage.
The Hinkles resided some miles ont
of town, and had not occupied their
residence for many months, so that the
people had not always been properly
directed by their neighbOrs.
1t was decided that Mr.. Hinkle
should escort Miss Dove; but, before
the day of the arrival, business had call
ed thas gentleman to Sheffield. More
over, Mrs. Hinkle had the influenza,
and the two boys were at boarding
school. No one was to. be found to
drive, and neither Rose nor Adelaide
could handle the reins. Miss Dove was
to come at nine, and what would she
think of them if no one came for her?
Indeed, , said Mrs. Hinkle, sit would
be shocking treatment for the dear girl.
l must ask your cousin Richard
You never dare, ma said Rose
aghast. 80,
Mrs. Hinkle.
:He'll not do it, said Adelaide.
IOfcourse not said Rose.
Mrs. Hinkle shook her head.
II fear he will not she said, ana as
sumed an expression which would have
done credit to Joan of Are, mounted
the stairs to cousin Richards study.
ARE you busy, Richard?' she said as
she entered.
Not ut all; sit down. said Bachelor
Brown.
You SEQ how i'll ann said Mrs.
Hinkle; Il can hardly hold up my
head, much less drive, and Mr.. utnkle
is away, and the boys, too, and no one
can handle the reins, and
WELL said Bachelor Brown.
And there is poor Miss Dow" at the
station, with her trunk, by this time,
said Mrs. Hinkle, with grasp.
'Abv said Bachelor Brown; what
pity! ,...
Mrs. Hinkle felt she had not begun
vet, Bachelor Brown could not under
stand what she wanted.
'It's a favor-a great favor TO ask,
know she said; but couldn't yon,
inst for once, do it?'
DO what, Maria2' said Bachelor
go for her, said Mrs. Hinkle.
'FOr Miss Dover
'Yes.'
'Oh, dear, nor; said cousin Richard.
But began Mrs. Hinkle.
Maria said the old bachelor, young
ladies-my little cousins eXcepted-are
nv abolnination. An affected, con-
ceited, absurd set of creatures. l
never had anything to do with 'em,
and l never will. No doubt she is ca
pable of finding he way here; they all
appear to be. I shan't go for her"
Mrs. Hinkle retreated.
what will she think of us?' she
Don't cry said Bachelor Brown.
| I'll see ifany of the hands at Oats place
can drive over for her,
| And out he went; but all the hands
on Oats place were busy with the hay,
which stood in danger from coming
shower. Richard returned without the
| least success.
* shower, too,' said Rose. Poor
dear Amanda; I'll try what can dc
with my cousin
And in the study she spent an hour
teasing and worrying without effect.
Let her get lost,' said Bachelor
Brown. No doubt she'd like it. AND
as for her trunk, why can't girls travel
with a portmanteau, as we do?
And Rose departed pouting. She
found Adelaide in an extremely merry
mood.
Don't laugh. she said; think o
poor Amanda
I am thinking of her, said Adelaide
n. G