American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-08-02
HOW THOMAS BLUMBLE GOT MAR
RIED. . q.

HOW THOMAS BLUMBLE GOT MAR
RIED. .-
BLUMBI.E boasted of being a confirmed
bachelor, and took pride in being called
woman-hater mean Thomas Blumble
of the importing house of Hood, Stive
Il Blumble." lie was very fond of let
ting people know that he disregarded thu
| charms of the softer sex, and was fire
| quently heard to say that he would like
to see the woman that could get him un
der her thumb. There was a time, OF
course, when Blumble was susceptible to
| the overtures of Cupid; because when he
was plain Tom" of fifteen years of age
and left Brock Cove" came to the city
and entered the employ of "Mensor, Tigby
Il Hood,'' he left behind him young
| poly Ann" with many Il sigh and tear,
and more vows than both put together, to
| be true till death. For two years he wrote
constantly to his Polly Ann, repeating the
manifold vows of boyhood love; then he
was promoted from boy to entry clerk
! and soon after was introduced to n very
bewitching young lady, whom may be
allowed to call Hattie Elton. linen he
forgot his Polly Ann down in Rock Cove,
and became very attentive to Miss Elton;
he accompanied her to the theater. and
new coat, and with the money that should
have paid for it they took a sleigh-rid to
Brighton, and Toasted on hot chickens
and champagne; to please her he learned
to polka and waltz the schottische and
varsovienne were not in vogue then.
Things had sped along very smoothly for
about a year; so Tom, thinking he might
as well have the matter. settled at once,
popped the question. Miss Elton appear
al ,1,rxy for notpanf
she remained silent, then lifting up both
hands, she exclaimed:
why, Mr. Blumble (she had constant
" called him Tom for six months previ-
ous), I've been engaged these two years;
didn't you know it," 4t6i1 Of
know it? No., replied Blumble, in
utter Advertisements }- 1873 cal
s.Why, yes, I've been engaged to Charley
Dudley for a long while, and thought
you knew all about it, and was only pay
ing attention to me out of ;politeness.
Charley is in New York now, but we are
to be married next Christmas -.-zH
: Married next -..r...-- o..
: We maYguess what Blumble was about
to say, but we shall always be in doubt,
for, instead 81 finishing his sentence, he
took his hat and rushed out of the house,
not even waiting to make the parting
salutation.Of good evening, Perhaps he
IL,
fear they would change his well-meant
words into some wicked expression.
Tom, in the privacy of his own cham
Der, with his door locked, his elbows upon
his lightstand, and his face quite buried
in his hands, reverted to the years time
and the many dollars he had thrown
away on Miss Elton; then he thought of
poor Polly Ann, whom he had "cut" SO
shamefully, down in Rock Cove, and he
l.. Ill !.
business as an excuse for not having writ
ten before, to sue for pardon for past neg
ligence, and to assert that his affections
were still unaltered and unalterable. SO
he unburied his face, and penned the ten
der missive full of falsehoods and stale
love, which he dispatched with the fullest
confidence that Polly Ann would be very
happy to receive it. But alas for poor
human expectations. Polly AIMS letter
came. 1t was brief; she told Blumble
she had heard of his attentions to the
city lady, that she had almost forgotten
him, and was going to marry Jerry
Smike, the village blacksmith, the next
week She returned to Tom his earliest
efforts in love-lcttcr writing, and a lock
of his hair and requested him to return
to her sundry articles in that line that he
had received from her
From that day Blumblc announced
He had been false to one woman, and one
woman had tricked him. So he cried
down the whole sex. The time which
Blumble had heretofore divided between
love and business was now devoted to
business, and in consequence he received
one promotion after another until he had
the pleasure of seeing his own name the
third on the sign over the door which he
had entered as an GRAND boy. / don't
believe he remembered that there was any
such person in the world as Hattie Elton
or Polly Ann, the first day the new sign
was raised.
It was as the junior member of the firm
that Blumble had Travelled through the New
England States two years ago last fall
with samples, receiving orders. During
his tour he remained in the pretty village
of p, n. H., one fine night in October.
He sat in the barreom after supper, smok-
ing his cigar, until it became filled with
Villagers, discussing politics, smoking
their pipes, talking of their crops and
ogling him, all of which was quite unin-
terestingt to him, so he concluded to walk
out and view the village by moonlight
He had hardly stepped into the entry, and
before he could close the door, ere he
heard voice inquire: -...-.. $500
s,WhO is that gentleman"
"His name is Blumble; he's from Bos-
tom replied the landlord. %
'Blumble, from Boston," chimed in Il
third voice. and then added, "You don't
say sop followed by along low whistle
of establishment. ...
Blumble stepped off the piazza and
walked up the village street. He had
scarce walked twenty yards before he was
aware of being followed. Giving the mat
ter but little thought, however, he turned
from the road into pleasant lane that
wendell its way toward some half-dozen
farmhouses until he came to a rustic seat,
upon which he threw himself and was
soon oblivious to all the world excepting
the business affairs Of Hood, Silver &
Blure BILE" He sat until his cigar was
cons trmed, when he. was aroused TO the
world around him by the village clock
striking out ten. ButtOning his coat close
ly around him, he hurried down the lane
toward the hotel rs he turned from the
lane into the great road he was sudde,.ly
and not very softly seized by the throat,
by the shoulders, and by the coattails by
AT least a dozen hands. He was rather
too much surprised to speak, even if he
had a chance to; the hands SO closely
clenched around his throat would have
prevented his speaking if he had not been
so greatly surprised. As he could not
speak, he listened very patiently to some
half-doZen cXclamations of :" Now we've
got you
Something desperate must be done; So
Blumble struck the fellow that held him
! by the throat full in the face, knocking
he expected this would be the last chance
he would ever have to speak.
"What in the deuce are You about ~
The strikin ulestion had a miraculous