Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-01-06
THE FATE OF A NINNY.
BY RICHARD PENwICK.

NV sister glarcd at me like a tiger.
1t was after dinner on a summer after
noon, while | was TRANQUILITY smoking in
a cool, shady, pretty arbor, and feeling
like anything but a contact with my
quick -witted relative.
1" Mr.. Eugene Barnard, / think you
are really ninny. You know she likes
you, you know she is beautiful, you
know she is kind, gentle and very
affectionate; you know her brothers,
her sisters, her father, and her mother
all like you; you know she has as much
if not more property than you have );
you know you are in condition to marry,
and still you seem to forget her alto
gether. [ declare, it is shame!''
my darling mousse" l rejoined,
there is an obstacle"
An obstacle! an obstacle y she re-
turned, highly indignant. "And what
if there is an obstacle? That is one-half
the delight of love, sir!''
"Your delight, no doubt. But mine
is too serious to be laughed at; really too
formidable"
"And pray, sir, may | ask what is
your obstacle?'
My obstacle, in two fearful words, is
"a man."
My respected sister drew herself up,
stared straight at me for minute,
breathed tierccly like a pair of black
smiths bellows, sighed long sigh of
contempt, despair, sorrow and objurga-
ton, and then stalked solemnly out of
the room, and forbore to look at me for
twenty-four hours.
The young person under consideration
was an exceedingly handsome girl,
whom had met several times, but who,
frankly confess, did not think had
the bad taste to take any particular in
terest in me. I, privately, liked her very
much indeed, and was overwhelmed
with joy at the particular statement of
my sister, who indicated a reciprocal
fancy for me. But there was an obstacle
without doubt, and that obstacle man,
as had stated.
Now, this man was fierce, ugly-tem-
pered fellow, though handsome, and
was intelligent enough to be consider
able of power in the large colony of
cotton weavers in the town where he
was the overseer of mill of great di-
mensions. | had experienced his ill-fa-
vor on the two occasions when | had
casually paid visits to Miss Malls and her
parents, and was given to understand
that he considered himself a suitor for
her hand, and was accustomed to be
jealous of any one whom he
chose to imagine rival.
Fired by the intelligence that should
ho of
the Malises, of course paid little atten-
ton to the past scowls of this dragon,
and made up my mind to 60 Immediately
down to her home in the country, and
to lay regular siege to her hand.
At this particular time there happened
to be innumerable trade riots and dis
turbances throughout the cotton towns,
and especially in Warwick, where ! was
about to go, and beheld the name of
Devon (my antagonist) mentioned in the
papers as d man particularly active In
the interest of the operatives against
some new regulations which were being
made in the mills. do not, to this day,
know what these regulations were, or
what awakened such violent opposition
to them; and | am only aware that the
promoters of the new ideas were in ex-
ill-favor with the operatives, and
that, in many cases, personal violence
had been used to get them from the
town.
This, however, had in my mind very
little to do with Miss Malls, or my visit
to her town, and so | went, as planned,
much to the delight of this sister of
mine, who instantly began making esti-
mates for house of fearful dimensions,
which was to be occupied at an early day
by me and mine. | descended at the
station of Warwick and looked about
me- The first person | beheld as he
stood with group of hungry cotton
spinners (eyeing all who came by the
train with savage looks of suspicion, was
this self-same Devon, who scowled at me
and followed me with his eyes.
| thought little of it, and drove to the
only hotel of the place, noticing, as |
went, that crowds of men were abroad,
singing and hooting, that many of the
shops were closed, and that the place
had the appearance of indulging in a
rather disorderly holiday.
| instantly went to the Malises, good
two miles into the country, and was
there received with all becoming warmth
which could be shown to man not yet
in the family, yet who might be heartily
if he chose to be one of them.
She miss Ma]is) was loveley. She was
rather tallish girl, finely proportioned
and strong. | mention this, as it appears
hereafter in rather extraordinary way.
l was pressed to carry my luggage up to
their house, but as | observed that there
was great deal of company present, |
from doing so.
l threw myself headlong at Miss Mails,
in the midst of the kind smiles of the
people about, and | am happy to say,
Miss Mails was weak enough to throw
herself headlong at me. There was no
boldness about it. | approached her
frankly, and she frankly received me,
without any further ado.
There were walks in the garden, nice
tea, and then more walks in the garden,
and there happened to be moon.
We could hear the shouts of men In
the village, and some distant roars as if
there was some street contest going on.
Miss Malls grew white and clung to my
arm.
"Oh, how frightfull And you must
60 among them to night? Cannot it be
prevented? wish it night" Here she