Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1870-10-29

Mrs. Northermann," he exclaimed, "to
put me in another room, come what
willp'
The air Of moody melancholy with
which Mr.. Sereleaf moped through the
following day caused the widow much
concern. Nor was her trepidaton
abated, when, after tea, he intimated a
desire to see her alone.
/" 1t is with much hesitation" he
began, in an agitated voice, when they
had reached Mrs. Northermann's back
parlor, cit is with much hesitation that
| venture to speak" Here he quite
broke down, and the widow turned
very red, and trembled violently.
" | am sure, Madame Mr. Sereleat
resumed, " if you only knew how much
| have suffered"
ooh! Mr.. Sereleafr' sighed the
widow.
" Mrs. Northermann r said Saul,
making a desperate effort to come to
the point. have come TO propose"
But before he could explain what it
acos he had "come to propose" the
lady gave little scream, and started to
tall He caught her, Of course, and
shouted for help. The first TO appear
vas the mother of the execreble baby.
" What's the matter p she exclaim-
ed, bursting into the room as if dis
charged from a catapult
:. | was only proposing" Saul com
menced.
And a pretty mess you've made of
it Z. the lady cut him short, at the
same time relieving him Of his burden,
and advising him to leav the room
dvice which he gladly followed
Mortified and confounded Saul pack
ed his trunk, called porter, and
sneaked from the house Ike thief in
the night. From the hotel at which he
took up temporary quarters, be dis
patched note, enclosing the balance
due to his landlady, and something
over in lieu of notice. but making no
allueion to his sudden departure, or the
circumstances that led to it,
1t was some weeks later that Saul
presented himself at my office, and re-
questcd private interview. We at
once withdrew to an inner room, where,
with much hesitation and many bushes.
the story of the proposal was told
substantially as the reader has already
heard it; after which Mr. Sereleaf
placed in my hands the following billet.
which he had just received:
BIpDLEsvILLs, May 10, IS.
S. sERELsAF. Esq.--Sir: Our client. Mrs
Cleopatra NoFthermaun. wishes to be appriscd
through us, at your earliest convenience, Of
your puipose touching the fulGllmcnt or non
fullfllment of a certain promise of marriage
recently made by you to ber. We desire an
early and explicit answer to the question: Do
you intend to marry her or do you not?
Yours, &C., ScHUYsTgR Il SKINNER.
1t was much like the. Bardell and
Pickwick casa. and the letter sounded
so Dodson & Foggish, that it was i'm
possible to repress smile.
What's to be done 2" qucried Saul.
anxiously.
First ani foremost, you might
marry the lady"
Saul Shuddered.
R the next place" But what
passed was under the seal of profess
sional confidence.
| dispatched note to aIeSsrs Schuys
ter y Skinner, soliciting, as Mr.. Sere>
lerfs attorney, a conference on the
following day, and asking them to have
their client present.
AT the appointed hour, I found the
lady and her legal advisers drawn up in
order of battle
This is singular case,' began.
:" 1t is very plain one, at all events"
interrupted Schuyster. In addition
to our clients testimony, we have that
of another respectable lady, to whom
Mr.. Sereleaf made q full and, free
confession on the spot. !"
II have not come to argue the
case" / answered, "but to propo e
terms of settlement"
Ihe flrm conformity rubbed. their
hands IN anticipation OF, money to be
handled.
Please send your boy to conduct
hithor a gentleman waiting in carri-
age at the door," I added.
Schuyster looked at Skinner. aud
the widow at us all, but the boy was
seat.
At the end of several minutes
stumping sound was heard. The deor
opened, and decrepid; shriveled figure,
supported by one leg aud q crutch,
bobbledt in. One of Swift's StruId-
brugs could scarcely have looked more
ancient or dilapidated. He was minus
an eye, hollow checked, toothless, and
bald as Time.
= have come to- make q personal
tender of my client, gentlemen ]
said, in fulfllmeDt of the contract he is
accused of making with yours. This is