Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1877-01-31

.As for you, said. Miss May. in her
low. masical voice, lyon gave my
ring to somebody else. / saw yon.
/ was looking out the second-stoEy
baek-room window, and saw you
come in and save the life OF that poor
man. and give such a delicate. sweet
pleasure to the poor little girl, aud
make them all so happy; and oh,
Jack. IL want you to be happy, too.
love you, Jack
Aud by that time Jack said they
had got to the reimbursement door.
But he never saw such tables; they
we're tipping about all over the room
meats, confectioneries and all
and the floor went up TO meet the
ceiling, and the ceiling went down
to meet the floor, and his eyes were
so blurred with happy tears that he
couldn't see straight for half the
night, and later on he thought 1t
would help him to realize it ail II he
went out and told the cold. wintry
night that he had been mistaken
when he sang that little song; and
there he found Smith leaning mood
lily up against the window-shuher
on the front balcony.
The fall, happy heart OF Jack went
out to Smith. "What's up, smith,
old fellow?r he said.
"Why, the fact is, jack SAID
Smith, ".here's bIoodshed between
me and Jones, you'll know whose
fault il Is. Through come despicf.
BILE chicanery OF his, he's got the bet
ter Of me with Miss May. She re-
fused Christmas present from me,
q little while ago-a ring, In fact
and told me that she had decided
upon an individual preference which
would preclude the possibility OF ac-
cepting any presents this year. Or
course it's that scoundrel, Jones.
Now, / wouldn't care, Robinson, IF
she had chosen an honest fellow that
would make her happy; but to pick
out fellow so wretchedly inferiorw
"Women will do these things"
said Jack; "the most perfect Of Gods
creatures will stoop to the most in
significant. But ii isn't Jones-its
mel"
"What!" roered Smith.
eyes" pursued Jack. "I've wor-
SHIPPED her this many day, but /
never hoped she would care for me.
1t was all brought about by Hig-
gins"
And then Jack went on to tell OF
the whole circumstances of the night
before, of his timely visit TO Higgins,
and Miss Mays presence at the back
room window.
"Her dear little heart was melted"
said Jack.
"And 80 is mine" said Smith. 81
wish to Heaven this ring could be
melted, too. See here, Jack, take
the cursed thing and rattle it off for
Higgins, will you? YOU'RE good
fellow, Jack, and deserve to be hap
py. Can't / go and have dance
with Miss May, and tell her so?,'
Certainly" said Jack, and as he
fingered in the corridor to see Sophy
through the quadrille, he found that
Jones was also watching her modify
from under the stairway.
81 suppose you know, said Jones,
emerging from his lurking-place, aud
furiously bearing down upon Jack
81 suppose you know that Miss May
has decided to trust the future to that
villain she is dancing wjth?"
"No?" Said Jack.
ooh, yes" said Jones; cts a set
tied thing. She told me SO i'm as
many words when l offered her a
little Christmas token tonight. ]
didn't mind her refusing the ring;
but TO tell me that it was because OF
a preference she had decided upon
that would hinder her from accept
ing any presents, it was too much,
Robinson; it savored of Smith too
strongly. He's got to answer to me
for this trickery. TO think Of her
choosing such shallow, vain, mis-
cradle peacock! IT it had been an
honest, straightforward fellow like
you, Robinson -"
"rhank you, JONES'" said Jack,
"thats the very one she has chosen
it's me, Jones! 1t was all brought
about by an impulse ofgenerosity on
her part" said Jack; and then he
went on to tell Jones all about 1t.
Good heavens, Robinson!' said
Jones, something must be settled
upon for Higgins till he gets
strong"
"Thats what Smith says" said
Jack. she's just give me ring tt
rattle for him."
"Here's another" said Jones, ta
king out the gaudy case; stake
charge of 1t, Jack, will your"
with pleasure" said Jack.
And when all Of them met at So
phys wedding in the ensuing spring
Higgins, who had a position in the
company, wanted to make some ar.
rangement to pay back the money
for the rings.
mo, no. said Smith; 81 WAS sick
of my ring, anyhow
"As for mine," said Jones. 81 new
or was SO glad to get rid of anything
| in my life."
a -