Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-26

You see, cousin, I've had an offer
/ and think l may say good offer-a
very good one indeed" Here John
WINGED, but she went on: 81 don't know
but may be considered rather young to
marry just now-don't you think your
sell, John, am rather young ?"
Much too young-out of the question
entirely" gasped the sick man, who was
evidently suffering an attack of that
neuralgia, or something; for his brows
were much contracted and his teeth SET
very tight.
Il knew you would think so, and ]
| told Tom -"
What!!!" roared the feeble sufferer
In a tone that indicated, whatever else
might be the matter with him, his lungs
were all right. What Tom Jones
You never can mean that fellow. Tom
jones' I'll strangle him Immediately
Tom Jones, indeed" And the shawls
| flew across the room as if there were a
shower OF that article in full blast, while
| the lately unhappy wearer snorted de-
| rision at the idea of that fellow"
Oh, dear! oh, dear! what shall I do
| with him? Please, Cousin John, do think
OF your heart disease. Here, take some
| aconite; you are feverish." And she
| passed the vial toward him.
"Pills be-hanged, and heart disease
toon' jerked out the excited young man.
stridlng up and down the room like a
mailman. "Do you suppose am going
to stand by and see you throw yourself
away on such fellow as that?"
Pm sure [ don't see why you should
care anything about it." said Kate, de-
murely, still looking into the fire and ner-
vously toying with the bottle of aconite
But do care a great deal about il, -
SAID John, grinding his teeth and stamp
ing up and down, utterly oblivious of his
cancer, and stomach, and everything in
fact but Tom Jones and the girl before
him: Kate, want you myselfl''
Why, John, what an ideam But the
idea seemed to please her notwithstand-
ing. "How can you think of such things
IN your feeble health, when you are so
near the tomb, as you yourself told me
only yesterdays"
Tomb be-well, hanged again."
quoth the irate John. GIVE changed my
mind about that. l guess I haven't got a
looking little sheepish as he made the
confession. "Ifyou'll only love me, Kate.
and leave that detestable Jones, I am
Ii.
viii you, Katie?''
l don't know whether it was his plead
ing voice, or because his arms around her
made her feel faint and took her will
away, or whether she feared the excite
ment II she said "nO" might bring on his
heart disease; certain it is she did not say
1t, but leaned right down on his shoulder,
and he kissed her right on the mouth, and
got caught at it, too, by Aunt Hepsey,
who was just coming in.
Mercy me!' calculated that Mortified
female, clasping her hands and looking
very hard at the ceiling for an explana-
ton of this extraordinary proceeding.
mercy mel"
A statement of the case from them both
at once sOOthed the good lady's outraged
feelings and made her quite contented
with the state of affairs; for, as she after
ward observed to Uncle David: "John
Brumer amt good enuff for our Kate but
he's enutf site better'n that tom Jones
with mustache'-and," she added, his
father a deacon in the church, toon'
Uncle David found lot Of broken glass
and pills strewing the ground out behind
the barn next day, but rubbed his nose
and said nothing and from the day of the
engagement John was as well as anybody
Hates treatment doubtless cured him. 1t
turned out that Tom Jones wasn't in love
with her at all, but was just as full of fun
and ready to help her in any plan she con-
cocted.
Where's your Silly and Chary- bodice
now? asked Uncle David, the day of the
wedding; but Aunt Hepsey was looking
in the air just then for that answer-that
somehow never came-and did not reply.
DAILY Graphic.