The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-10-28

marriage institution u llioldnN'
last Time assure YOU that wouldn't marry
the best woman that ever lived, il by so doing
In conld save her life Your old cousin,
MARK LANSING
erich isn't 1t" said Jennie, and then
nointed 10 the chubby little figure, whose back
happened to be turned.
shook my head and laughed.
"You'l II see" continued the incorrgl6le
See what?' inquired Miss Kent, quite un.
aware of our pantomine
That particles which are chemically at.
tracted will unite. Of course an alkali and
an acid-Don't you think this sleeve Is n ut
tie too long, Miss Kent?'
"Not after a seam Is off. But what were
YOU saving about alkalles and acids, Mrs.
Carlisle? The other day at Professor Boo.
toms saw some wonderful experiments"
odd they succeed" inquired Jennie, de-
murely.
Beautifully"
$50 will mine. never botched a job in
my life"
81" don't think quiet understood you,'
SAID Miss Kent, perplexed.
mo? | always grow scientific when talk
ing about marriage my dear"
"Bother." was all the little woman SAID
but the tone was much better natureu than
expected.
| The next week iOuSlU NAN hIliNSN hht
liked MIN at once. An unhappy marriage
would have been the last thing thought OF IN
connection with the gentleman. lie had &C.
cepted the situation like a man. Jennie told
me. and for fifteen years carried load OF
misery that few could have endured. Death
came to his relief at last, and now the poor
fellow honestly believed himselfan alien from
domestic happiness.
Singular as II may appear, Cousin Marx
was the embodiment of good health ana goou
nature; fifty, perhaps, though he dIdnt looh
It, and as rotund and fresh IN his way rs the
! little dressmaker was IN hers. AS looked
at him, defed anybody TO see one ana not
be Immediately reminded of the other true
he had more of the polish which comes from
travel and adaptation to different classes ana
individuals, but he was not whit more IN
telligent by nature than was the bright lltlie
woman whom Jennie had determined he
should marry.
81 was surprised you should think it ne
cessary to caution me about that, Cousin
Mark cooed the plotter, as she stood by his
side looking out of the window. 1.-The idea
of nv being so ridiculous" and IN the same
breath, with a wink at me, "Come, let us go
to nv sitting-room. We are at work there,
but il won't make any difference to you, Will
Iit?"
Ofcourse Cousin Mark answered mo
promptly, as innocent as dove about the
trap being laid for HIM.
"This is my cousin-Mr. Lansing, MISS
Kent" and Mr.. Lansing bowed politely, ana
Miss Kent arose, dropped her scissors, blush,
ed, ard sat down again. Cousin Mark picked
up the refractory implements, ana then MISS
Jennie proceeded with rare caution and tact
to her labor of love. Cousin Mark, at her re.
quest, read aloud an article from the Popular
Science Monthly drawing Miss Kent into the
discussion as deity as was ever fly drawn in.
to the web of the spider
"Who was that lady, JennIe?" Cousin Mark
inquired In the evening.
"Do you mean Miss Kent?" SAID Jennie,
looking up from her paper. ION, she is a Ia
DIV have known for a long time She is
making some dresses for me now. Why"
"She seemed uncommonly wellposted, for
a woman"
Under other circumstances Mrs. carlisle
would have resented this, but now, she only
queried: g Do you think SOY" and that end
ed it,
Two or three invitations to the sewing.room
were quite sufficient to make Mark perfectly
at home there; and alter week he became
as familiar as this:
IF you are not too busy, | should like TO
read you this artiCle;" and this IS what Miss
Kent would say;
ooh, am never too busy to be read to.
Sit down by the window in this comfortable
chair and let hear It."
After couple of weeks, when the gentle
man came IN, hoarse with sudden cold, Miss
Kent hustled about, her voice full OF sympa-
thy, and brewed HIM dose which he declar-
cd he should never forget to his dying day
but one dose cured him. After this Miss Kent
was really WOadertN woman.
Az, Jennie was an arch plotter. She let
them skirmish about, but not once ala she
give them chance to be alone together-her
plans were not to be destroyed by premature
condolences until the very evening preceding
Cousin Marks departure for California. Then
Miss Kent was very demurely asked to re-
main and keep an eye on Master Carlisle,
whom the fond mother did not like TO leave
quite alone with his nurse
ave are compelled to be gone couple OF
hours; but Cousin Mark will read To you,
won't you, cousin?"
Certainly, If Miss Kent would like it, re.
piled the gentleman.
The infant Carlisle, thanks to good man
agement, was never awake in the evening, so
the victim of this matrimonial speculation
would have plenty OF time. The back parlor
was the room most in use during the evening, |
and out of this room was large closet win
a large blind vcntila,or, and out of this closet
door leading to the back stoop and garden.
Imagine my surprise when | was informed
that Mr.. Carlisle was going TO the lodge, and
that we, after profuse warnings about the ba.
by, and promises not TO be gone too long,
were to proceed to this closet overlooking the
back parlor via back gate and garden. In
vain protested.
"Why, you goose" laughed Jennie, 'therc'l
be fun enough to last Lifetime. John want
ed TO come awfully, but knew he'd make a
noise and spoil everything, so | wouldn't let
him. The willy schemer had taken the pre-
caution to lock the closet door from the out
side, so there was no fear of detection. On a
high bench, as still. AS two mice, We awaited
results
Cousin Mark Gas Il drouSiag from protrdc.
tel rererie)-" Would you like 10 have ne