Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-06-11
EARNING A WIFE by STRATEGY.

-" $500 esA04y ssAs>A asAAas%OAy WAOl
Miss Hetty Hastings had a present of
watch. Her. father gave it to, her in
stead of q husband. -~ He had fiercel,
frowned upon as handsome a, follow a
there Was in New York, and the way il
which he set his face against the love
making between Frank Angus and hi
own Hetty was most emphatic. It i
easy to believe that young Miss Hast
ings pined. The color left her face
she ate most trifling dinners, and ON
day her doting father caught her read
ing " Doctor Doremus on tho Action O
Deadly Poisons." Mr.. Hastings wa.
terrified. he passed one whole da,
looking at Tiffany's diamonds, Stewart,
laces, and great galleries of pictures,
but the morning following peremptorJ
business took him to New London,
He went by boat, and as here and there
along tho shores he saw the patches Of
rich men, owning country seats close
by, all at once as if by inspiration, he
remembered how his daughter "per.
fectly adored ~ = yacht. "I1n do that
very thing" said the over-fond father,
and stopping for day at Stonington,
he bought his girl yacht. The next
thing was to present it.
The pretty toy was brought to Staten
Island, and all the Hastings went upon
a picnic.
"L,oQk at this exquisite craft, my
child" said the Hastings, pere; "look
at her spars, her polished hull, her
ropes, and dressed up sailors. Would
it not beperfect joy to own that yacht?''
engrossed at the time with a poem she
was composing for Frank.
"Imagine yourself sctldding on the
billows," " said the cunning parent, with
an air of ecstacy, "imagine the foam
flying, the ropes a humming! Think
of travelling free from time tables,
steamboat landings, and a wretched
worry about your baggage. When you
want TO 60 anywhere, you take your
prpvender, and off you go-when you
get enough of it, you come back, and
that's all there is Of it. declare, its
royall"s = - III
The family went on board of the
pretty "Sea Gull" Hetty thought the
thing looked dark, and far from tidy,
but she said nothing, and when, next
day, her. father made pompous -four
ish over the bill of sale he gave her, all
rcceipted, of course, like girl, she was
pleased with q fancy, tickled with a
straw"
And Frank Angus?:
Of course he had heard the story of
the yacht, and Of course ho was des-
perate. He clasped his hands together
as does. Romeo, in the play, and said,
II will not be 80 bafiied. I'm not q
scoundrel-I'm not an idiot. If there
is any foolish fault about me, for Het-
tvs sake I'll overcome it; but marry
her [ will. I think it is something
worth my efforts, too" And so Frank
went home and tied =. vet towel around
his head, and, sat down to plan.
-Four hours later. when it was dis
mally dark, he wandered out of doors
with money in his (pocket. He made
his way to the Hastings mansion on
Staten Islands northern shore, but oil
the lights we're out. As he was turn
ing away, perfectly, disconsolate, ho
saw twinkle in the porter's lodge.
Now this same Michael that served tho
Hastings pere, had once been in the
Angus mansions as a coachman.-
Frank drew him forth, gave him some
crisp green money, and a love-note for
Miss Hetty. The man laughed. "In-
solenco!" circulated the lover, ''you're
merely paid to do an errand, so qmt
your saucy grinning." So the man
went upon his mission, and the i'm.
patient wooer paced the walks beneath
the elm trees. Fifteen minutes after. a
graceful, slender girl stole across the
garden.
"Why in the world have you come,
Frank?' she inquired. "Why rur
snch risk? I know you love me. but
thcn-my father loves mo, too."
"Of course he does" said Frank
''and he's sensible man for that. Buj
he's made blunder respecting me
and I'm going to marry you in spite O.
1t. I'm perfectly convinced that 70,
were meant to be nay wife, and I wa
intended for your husband. Reason
ing from that standpoint, you perceive
that parents and families weigh moth
ing in the balance. Non-essential ele
ments retire to the rear, and maintai,
that position until the primal partic
are suited. / shall never he satisfie,
until you are my wife; meantime
have dropped in to ask if you are will
ing to take q pretty boat as balance TO
me-"
Hetty Hastings shuddered in tn
dark with sheer amazement. FRAN
felt it, and grew ashamed. The pla,
he had made at home, head wrapped il
steamed towels, began to look yagu
and impossible. He felt that some
thing very bold was called for. H
, took poor Hetty's hand, while she, Q
course, began to weep, and for te
minutes there was q woful waste q
time, until Frank Angus gave his pla
to Hetty. She burst away and ran
) few yards or SO, propelled by tilial lov
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