Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-02-06


vorce II will save us from great deal Of
scandal, sir. " l replied d" You mistake
my meaning entirely Col. Merriam. A
divorce would be matter Of negotiation
which would require the presence Of another
party"
"To whom do you alude, sir 2"
ITO your daughter, Col. Merriam. +"
" But my daughter is very nervous and
wishes to be spared"
I" Now look here, Col. Merriam, 4" replied
l, interruptng him, :" the matter Is Just
this was invited to a party at your
house last evening and accepted the inv-
tation and came. During the evening your
daughter approached me with proposition
-ef marriage. As greatly admired your
daughter, | was only too happy TO consent,
and We we're married as you saw. 1t is pos
sible your daughter has preferences you may
own request, l cannot consent to surrender
my claim unless she is personally present
and requests il. y .,...,.,....
But my daughter is not able to see
you.
THAT need make no difference. [ can
wait until she is. "
II was in vain that Col. Merriam argued
and fumed. He walked the floor and talked
for an hour. l kept cool-but was mex
orable, and he called the carriage and dis
missed me.
went home, and spent another seepless
night. The more thought Of it the more l
was glad Col. Merriam got angry l had
gained time and an opportunity to think.
And so 1 thought and thought aud you
shall see what thought
The next day Col. Merriam's carriage
called for me again. Col. Merriam had
cooled down, and wanted to see me. So |
went. This time | was invited into the par
lor, and saw Rosa. She was paler than |
ever saw her before, but just us beautiful
and lovely as ever. She did not look as
though she had suffered much, and [ copclu-
ded she was not very deeply in love with Col
| Inns after all.
Col. Merriam received me in much more
respectful manner than he did the day pre-.
vious After being seated Col. Merriam
said
:" have sent for you to complete this
say that you would reliuquish your claim
to my daughter if she were personally to re-
quest it. "
You seriously inexperienced my mean
ing, Col. Merriam, replied. +" | said |
could not surrender my claim unless your
daughter personally requested me to do so.
But | did not mean you to understand that
even then | should be willing to do it at
once without reflection. | might have been
hurried into it on that basis if you had come
to my terms yesterday, but you got excited
and defeated your own purpose. That gave
me time to think, and the more l think
about it the less cause SEQ for any haste
in the matter.
al am surprised Mr.. Wallace. You do not
think to persist in this claim against both
my own and my daughters wishes do you "
Certainly not, Col. Merriam. But this
was very hasty affair. deprecate haste
very much, sir. Your daughterImarriOd me
on such slight acquaintance that she does
not know whether she likes me or not.
have proposition to make therefore Your
daughter shall remain your unmarried daugh-
ter still to all intents and purposes. |
shall be permitted to address her the same
as any other sutton, asking for or taking no
greater privileges. When we have had suf-
fcient time to learn each others feelings
and dispositions, will then ask her hand IN
marriage. Then if she refuses me l will re.
linquish her without word. But if on the
contrary, she accepts me, we shall be al.
ready married, and that will save us the dis
agreeable necessity of being married again.
This is singular proposition, Mr.. Wal
lace. 4"
As Col. Merriam said this turned side
wise glance at Rosa. | saw an unmistaka-
bic twinkle in her eyes, and there were visi-
BILE dimples around her mouth. And so
felt comforted and replied
, However singular it may be, is it not fair
and honorable, Col. Merriam2 Her accept
ance or rejection of me will still be entirely
in her own hands. Can you discern any
thing not perfectly fair and honorable about
: it, Col. Merriam?"
Honorable or not, Mr.. Wallace, sup
pose we shall have to submit to your impor
tunities. +" |f..
) Smothering the indignation which the
! Colonels singing sarcastic tone might have
aroused in me at some other time, replied
! without hesitation:
Thank you, Col. Merriam, fer looking u
it SO reasonably and granting this privilege
l shall do myself the honor of accepting you
g consent and paying my addresses to you
0 daughter. So good day, sir. Saving thi
s l bowed myself out, leaving the Colone
: amazed at the cool effrontery with which
matched his sarcasm.
: felt better and slept some that night
(. The next day attended my duties as usual
f But felt that needed sympathy and .
d confidant So when evening came round a
: Rachel was going to he alone, told her tn
i whole story Of what had done. The ide
i of my plan was so curious and comical tina
o she laughed outright, and said | ought t
win for my genius if for nothing else. )
y she volunteered to talk the matter over wit
o Rosa.
g "No, Rachel, that will never do. Suspens
y will do more for me than ten thousand lik
e you. do not intend to go near them for
y month at least "
e "Why Charley, what is that for
l. Well Rachel, l will tell you. She
| lawfully my WIFE am satisfied she doe
10 not care very much for Collins after all. h
destroyed his chance of success by his outr'
geous conduct on the night Of the marriag
Neither Rosa nor her father will ever g
over that. So have nothing to fear fro
a him. As long as she is my lawful wife
~ have no fear Of any other rival marryin
ID her, so am safe there. Then if l kse
a. away from them the asperity Of the old ger
10 tleman's feelings will wear of. He will 81
ne am not SO eager TO take advantage of the
OF as he now supposes. If | had no rich an
%. influential relations he might be rude wit
at me aud drive me of. But as long as l hav
W / do not think he will resort to any sue
measures if am careful not to 90 too ia
Y But if go to crowding the matter J sha