Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-04-07
The Young Man Who Was SHOOK"


"What want to know said white
headed young man of twenty, rs he stood
before the sergeant in charge of the Cen
trail Station yesterday. ''wlat came here
for was to get some advice"
proceed" said the sergeant.
g You know Nancy Thompson, don't
you.'
Never heard Of her."
"Well. she's wilder, over forty years
old, and I've been boarding there"
"Ycsg ?"
And we were engaged to be mar
ried"
"Whew ~ whistled the officer.
II don't blame YOU" continued the
young man in broken voice. I'm only
twenty and she's forty, but man can't
always tell when he's going to make a
fool of himself"
"And you fell in love?'
II did that, and as soon as we get
through talking I'm going out to hire some
one to kick me over to Canada and back !!
Yes, sir. fell dead in love--loyeda woman
of over forty"
And what followed?'
''What fOllercd? Why. what alters fol-
lcrs? I'm human, same's anybody else,
and when love | love like n locomotive
on a down grade. What do you think
did in Just six weeks by the watch? Went
to the theatcr sixteen times, out sleigh
riding twelve times had three parties,
went to three lectures and took her out
to eat oysters ten or eleven times. Fact,
sir-cost me durn near $780,
but it was all for love-" replied the
sergeant.
II thought so, and what else did | do (?
Bought her a $40 watch, $40 bracelet, a
s. ring, 81 set of iewelry, new dress,
and gave her s. gold-piece with hole
in it Yes, sir, | drew $500 from the
bank every red | had-and used it all up
on her!'
And them"
"She purtended to love back, and when
| squoze her hand she smiled and smiled
and looked heaps of love at me. She'd
lean on my arm, talk about Cupid, and
git off poetry by the rod, and it was
plainly understood that we were to be
married in June. Oh, she knew her biz,
and she slid around me as the Bengal
tiger does around lamb y
'Did she break the engagement?'
Last night" said the young man,
swallowing the lump in his throat, "she
told me she'd been trihing with me all
along. She said she was engaged to an
other man, and she could never be more
than sister to me tell you, sergeant,
YOU could have knocked me down with a
straw | braced up after awhile and call
ed her hypocrite, when she called me a
white-headed idiot, and the boarders
threw me out of doors. Five hundred dol
lars gone, and I'm wrecked man"
lie blew his nose and wiped his eyes,
and continued:
~ don't want to drown myself; the
waters awful cold, and perhaps 1 can get
over this. | want them presents back,
and I'll go to Muskegon and Try and for
get her. It's wrenched me all to pieces.
and | can never love again. Were you
ever shook, sergcant?'
mo, never
"Then you don't know the anguish
the gripping around the heart. 1t cuts like
a knife, and all | can think of is being laid
out in coffin, my right hand holding a
bunch OF roses aud my left resting on my
heart
You are young-you may outgrow
it"
may may, but it's so awful sud
den, and hits so hard, that | feel rs ii I'd
| fallen from a house. Go to the house, SER
geant, aud see If you can get them things
! back. If I'm alive I'll be around again
to-morrer. and if don't come you may
keep the things for your kindness. I'm
white-headed, but I'm tender-hearted,
and want to retire behind some barn
and sit down aud think"
And he retired,-Detrot Free Press.