Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-12-18

50 after q moments hesitation
she saw Jack enter the Academy that
afternoon-she took her programme,
and with q lead-pencil from her porte
monnaie, heavily marked the heading
of the comedy, rendering the two
words "Come Here" particularly no
ticeable. Then she motioned an ush-
er, q boy of fourteen or thereabouts.
who stood near, and handing him the
programme, said: .a.
'Please give this to the medium.
sized, rather tall gentleman, with
the light hat and dark moustache
who is standing by the door. Say
Miss Gray sent it,
Now what should malignant fate
do, while she was whispering this
message to the usher, but cause Jack
Wilson to 60 over to the nearest
seat and speak to a gentleman friend;
and to put it into Bob Brisbow's head
to enter and stand exactly where
Jack had stood. And he had dark
moustache and wore a light hat, and
was medium-sizcd. SO the boy de
livered Jessica's message to him
Just then Jack came back to his sta
ton by the door and saw him read a
slip of paper and then walk directly
over to Miss Gray's side and take the
vacant seat near her.
"Done for my beneft-to snub
me- thought Jack, as he turned and
walked out.
Jessica looked around in surprise
when Bob sat down by her, and saw
Jack just vanishing from the door,
and the usher had disappeared.
Nothing to do but to make the best
of it. SO she asked after her friend
Carrie, who had not rctured yet, and
did not explain the mistake to Mr..
Brisbow, who sat till the play was
finished, and then walked home with
her, rs he could not well do other
wise.
Three young ladies passed out near
them, and Bob bowed low to them.
Two were friends of Jcssica's, the
other, a very stylish girl, was stran-
ger. She had bowed very haughtily,
Jessica thought, to Bob. "Who was
she?" she queried, and Bob answered,
GA Miss Smith, Of Chicago, visiting
here at the Jones'"
Now, the truth was Bob was in
love with Miss Dora Smith, and she
knew it, and encouraged him. That
evening he was intending to call, but
an old friend dropped in and detain-
ed him until it was too late. What
was his surprise the next evening, on
calling, to find Miss Dora had return
ed to Chicago that afternoon.
"We tried to keep her till to-mor-
row, as she first had intended, but she
would 90 today her friends said.
''Desired to have her farewell and
good wishes given you,"
"Cool enough" thought Bob; mice
way to drop a fellow" never dream
ing Miss Dora had taken offense at
his playing the devoted to Miss
.jessica Gray, as she chose to term it,
right before her eyes, and walking
home with her; and not knowing
how her friends remarked as they
went down the street, that ''Mr. Bris-
bow had been quite attentive to Miss
Gray Of late-wondercd if there was
anything in it?"-which observation
did not soothe her troubled feelings.
Jack left Milwaukee that night for
st. Paul, where brother resided.
Jessica heard Of it and felt desperate.
Bob Brisbow, chatting with the treat
ment he had received from the fair
Dora, threw himself into excitement,
and rushed into all sorts Of gaycty
for torgettulness. He must devote
himself to somebody; why not to
Jessica? Jessica was quite willing
to do anything which would keep her
from thinking, so she tlirted horribly
with Bob. Jack came back in Il
week, and the first thing he saw was
Bob and Jessica riding on Spring
street. That day he threw up his
situation in Milwaukee, and the next
went to st. Paul to remain. Miss
Smith heard how Bob was Miss Gray's
most devoted slave-her attendant
everywhere, and she went East with
4 party of friends to spend the sea
son, and never sent Bob a good-by,
even.
n delightful state of affairs, wasn't
it, take it all around? One would
have said nothing less than miracle
could ever bring matters straight for
these four lunatics. There was Jack
off in St. Paul hating everybody.
Miss Smith in New York, where a
matchmaking friend was trying to
marry her to an old moneyed widow
cr, and Bob and Jessica making love
to each other in Milwaukee out of
spite. SO it went along till May,
1874, when he heard of Miss Smiths
return to Chicago, and that some one
said she was engaged to somebody,
for she wore new ring, and he went
that evening and asked Jcs-
sica to marry him. And Jessica,
that she had given Bob I'LL
the encouragement in the world for
several months, said yes, and, being
exceedingly miserable, did not stop
to observe that Bob's manner was not
as lover-like or tender as it might be
when he made the proposal.
When Carrie Somcrs saw Jessica's
hand at their next meeting, she said
'Oh!' and then stopped, and then
went on, $50 you've both been in
have you? Queer; used to
think Bob and Dora Smith would
make a match; and l always fancied
you'd marry Jack Wilson, Jessica.
How came Bob to cut him out?"
And Jessica looked her straight in
the eyes and said:
"My dear, want you to tell me
how you put that trimming on your
brown poplin. l want my new suit
trimmed the same way, and came
over to confer with YOU"
In Julya little party of six left Mil
waukcc to visit the Dells, and Dev-
lis Lake and scenery thereabouts.
Carrie Somers, Bob Brisbow, and
Jessica Gray comprised the three
with which our story is connected.
They had very nice time of it for
two or three days, and the fourth
day out felt like taking q rest. SO