Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-08-03
Select Story.
n Practical Joke.

/ did love her. Oh, how I did love
that girl. And they say all is fair in
love and war, and perhaps that is
some excuse for me.
had liked her long while, and ]
knew that she liked me.
was as big fellow as she could
see anywhere about. hal farm OF
my own, and, when / was married
father had promised to build me a
first-rate house and stock the place
for me-
And when I went to church on Sun
day, or to town, had good clothes,
and was never told I looked i'll in
them.
On the whole, I felt myself a good,
fair match for Fanny Martin, though
she was so nice a girl. And her
father and mother thought so too,
and she never refused my atten-
tions.
/ had settled, in the slow, quiet
sort Of way in which countrymen do
settle these things, that we'd make a
match of it.
= The other young fellows knew it,
and il We were not fashionable we
were so far gentlemen that we had
our code Of honor. None OF them
ever interfered or tried to cut me
out.
But then she" came, you see
dapper and pretty, and dressed like
a tailor's fashion plate, and he talked
OF things / knew very little about and
his hands were very white, and he
had graceful, gallant ways that I had
never learned. - - VS.
Mr.. Williams. that was his name.
And in that summer holiday Of his,
while we were working hard over the
hay and were tanned, dirty and worn.
and so tired that sleep was about all
we wanted when work was over, why
then ne, soft, sweet and smiling,
made himself agreeable to the girls,
and crept into Fanny Martins heart
my Fanny.
She scarcely looked at me. She
did not care whether she met me or
not; and on Sunday there he was
making me feel somehow so coarse,
rough and vulgar, and when 1 want
ed her to go with me into the woods
where we used to sit in the great
green shadows and listen to the
birds sing, she had some excuse for
staying at home, and when on the
road from church / took her hand in
mine, she snatched it away, and said,
quite Grossly:
Don't, Ben; don't do such silly,ru
tic things while the London folks are
here They never do it themselves,
and they laugh So"
"Mr. Williams laughs, you mean, I
suppose said l. That's gentleman
ly, too"
And then she blushed and curled
her little lip, and said: ats
You are criticising Mr.. Williams
manners, are you?"
After that there was coolnesss
between US; but though it made my
heart ache I could not think that it
mattered much to her.
/ stayed away from her fathers
house and did not walk home with
her from church on Sunday; indeed
I did not go to churchat all. And
knew the young folks-aye, and the
old folks, too-were saying that we
had fallen out with each other, and 1
suppose every one guessed why; but
/ would never answer any questions
not even when my own mother
asked me-not l.
So the summer came and the au-
tumn passed on, and the town people
stayed and stayed.
saw that fellows silk hat and
twill umbrella and exquisitely- fitting
garments wherever I went. Farther
than ! could see other people I used
to see him and her-Mr. Williams
and Fanny.
They had never made Fanny work
much at home. and she had plenty
oil time t" cnjoy herself-and an
only daughter, you see, / mean, and
her people were what is called fore
/ never intended that she should
drudge after We were married.
When had hoped for that I did not
mind work myself, but I'd never have