Richland beacon., 1873-05-10

I
as people say" s,,,
"Oh, yes, you may ask it is no secret.
Becasse. Mr.. Prindle, | never intend to
marry again. Never! Not if the Empe
ror of China himself should ask me :"
We all nurse an ideal of some sort. 1t
appears that Mrs. NJ Brides ideal was the
| Emperor of China; and considering how
| impossible it was for that gentleman ever
20 fall i'm love with her, she might have
been pardoned for cOnfessing her weak
ness.
But NJ. Prindle was not in a fOrgiving
mood. You would make fine empress.
wouldn't yOu?" he said, scOrnfully.
Fortunately tea was ready. The guests
were called in. and Mr.. Prirdle. was dl-
rected 10 sit next to Mrs. NIB ide. He
tried TO think that he disliked that ar
rangement, and yet he felt that he lkedit
better tt.an any other.
Mrs. M'Bride was as gracious as an em-
press, and strictly agricultural i'll her con
vrrSation. She was fond of apples-of
brown ru>sets especially-and her apple
trees were not doing we'll; she was thint-
mg of having some of them grated. Did
Mr.. Prindle know how it was to be done
Mr. Prlndle kindly told her all he knew
about grating. and still more kindly Of
fercd TO come and look at the tres.
When it was time 10 60 home. Mr..
Prindc. to his profound establishment.
heard himself Offering to escort Mrs.
M'Bride. The lady was so used TO being
escorted that she was not astOnished III
the least, but having to" hold up her
dress she declined Mr.. Prindlr'S arm,
and trOtted Independently y by hI' side.
chatting merrily IL she went.
What a cheerful little thing she Is '.
thought Mr. Prindle, land so pretty TOO.
She amt so old, either-nOt near SO Old as
my" Then he stopped, and called him
self "a fool" and Mrs. Crane an old
something else.
The next dav he came to look at Mrs.
M'Bride's apple-tree-. and was politely
received. but not asked into the hoHSe, the
widow having met him at the gate. But
the trees must have been very interesting
trees. tor he came veral times 10 look at
them. At the end of a month his perSe-
verence was rewarded by a general invi-
tation to ''come in any time And re-
memberinc that Mrs. NJ Bride was one OF
his neighbors, Mr.. Prindle called upon
her once in while. Gradually she
seemed to be the only neighbor he had
for he came almost every evening, ana
never grumbled while he was there so 1t
must have improved his temper.
One thing amused and puzzled the
widow-so she said-and that was that
brown russets rained anonymously into
her house. "And hey are 50 nice. |
wonder who sends them '" Whoever sent
them would have been rewarded by seeing
the widows white teeth bite into them.
:. Don't eat too many of them, boys" she
would say; the red apples are Just as
4 good. These are mine. you know
of NJ rot
| Looking out of her window one afternoon,
: Mrs. VI Bride beheld Farmer Prindte COM
: ing toward her house, dressed in his very
!. best black suit. And she looked, che
| bluShed. and her eyes Sparkled.
I The blush ard the sparkle had both il>'
appeared. however. when she greeted Mr
. Prindle and invited him to sit down.
e No, thank you, standing will 10 a;
e well. will come to the lint at once
r Mrs. M'Bride, will YOU hav0me! ~
'Dear me. No, indeed; | won't have
- any body"
V Don't say no without thinking. ! an
r dreadfully in earnest about it-as yo'
would know if you knew all.
d Then. Mr.. Prindle. am very sorry
butt won't have you"
e WHY not: Because Of what | said :
:. "Oh no, didn't mind that in the least
But there are reasons
l. "What reasons: Tell me-"
It ain the first place, you don't love me.
, "Don't IY'
Y "You didn't say So"
: "No. nor / won't say ii, because yo'
know it,"
y That is not the way. Mr.. Prindle."
l. "It is INV way and | can't change il
Will you think about it"
2, mo; it would be OF no use. canno
give up my weeds.'
It weeds? What weeds ?'
d Il mean my widows cap. will wea
it till die"
3, Not if you are my wife, | can te
t you." -
1t But don't want to be your wifi
Good-by. Mr.. Prindle.'
d "Go0d-by. But don't give it up;
* will ask you again." said Mr.. Prlndi'
W And he NAV not have been far from IN
re truth when he had called himself fool.
r. Precisely a week from hat day NJ
Prindle came again. " You may wea
T. the cap if vou like" he said, NEE >ly.
n "Thank YOU. But you are wastin
il your time. Please don't think any MOI
Is about it,"
he Another week passed. "Will he come
S, wondered the widow.
e. He came. 'Now. Maggie, this is tn
IN -ist. time. Three times and out. yo
know. What shall it be-yes or no.:
'y NO, most deakiedly. said the oodu
nd ate widow.
At Mot if / say loveyou, as didn't thin
sh | could loves
~ Not if you say anything. lwont do
he There!"
n "Then must leave theplace. | lcouldn
live here after this"
re "And what would the farm do witho
W, your
he II will sell it. l don't mind that"
'se "rake my advice, Mr.. Prindle. and dor
ur do ANYTHING foolish. Go away for lit
>, while, if you like, then come back ana
J, friends"
But Mr.. Prindle wouldn't take
mt widows advice, and he would do son
ers thing foolish. So he went away, and |
a whole month no one knew what had
te, come of him.
Mrs. M'Bride spent that time in seve
II frames of mind. She was glad, and
ND was sorry; it was great pity, and ye
llte was very silly. She really missed !
the Prindle, and she felt sorry for him. II
then couldn't do 1.-THE idea ~
90. About this time another idea dawr
lse- upon the widows mind, and that idea
na Mr.. Plum. She had been so accuston
to deal with young men on philanthro
ave principles that she was slow to admit
possibility Of ''such dreadful thing
ing if mans eyes mean anything when u
the look unutterable things, then Mr.. Plul
any eyes meant precisely "such dreao
oWs thing"
She Mrs. M'Bride felt that an evil day
coming, and that she was powerless