The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-08-03
Mr.. and Mrs. POpkins.

hurry John Popkins did; not even get
thug his hair cut, and she without a new
dress for the occasion. They had many
love-passages before the matter came to
the notice of Miss Blanchard's aunts.
Bitterly opposed were they to the sug-
gested alliance. Their regard for the
suitor could readily be perceived by the
contemptuous emphasis they placed
upon the first syllable of his unaristo-
cratic name.
"Popkins, indeed and red hair, too r'
A kind of midsummer madness pos
sessed the girl, from which she would
be sure to wake. But the uncles re-
garded the gawky clerk with disfavor,
not from an artistic but from a business
pointof view. Mollie's persistent fancy
might have worn away in contention
had not crisis arrived. John and his
brother Sam received fine offer to go
to China, there to grow yellow and rich;
an opportunity seized by the latter with
out demur, and half accepted by John,
who confessed his reason for hesitation,
and the uselessness of waiting for wife
not to be gained with or without the
blanchard consent.
"Show me the woman worth the sac
rifice of your mercantile career" said
theelder Popkins, sententiously. ''There
are plenty of them; and, John, when
you aHd l make our fortunes, we shall
hnd as many willing-to-be wives as the
ViZier sees In the slave marketn
Sam did not believe in this unknown
love of Johns. When Mollie knew her
lovers probable destiny she vexed and
cried herself i'll. Then the stout uncles
yielded, and wrung submission from the
aunts, all resulting in a letter from the
chief of the firm to Mr.. Popkins, Jr.
John was sitting at high desk in his
fathers office, his long, ungainly limbs
doubled up grasshopper-w when
this proposal of marriage came. The
expression of interest just budding on
his visage became full-blown surprise
as he gathered the meaning of the terse
sentences. MOllie! A fortune! A
partnership! The young man could
hardly restrain loud huzza; when, per-
ceiviDg Dobbs' twinkling eyes fixed
knowingly upon him, and Hobbs re-
garding him with curiosity, he turned
carnation color and replunged into his
books, smiling over them in such an
inane way that the paternal Popkins
raised his spectacles, wondering what
there could be to smile at in long col
umns of figures. What, indeed! AS
soon as he was free John rushed home,
turned wildly about his chamber,
stuffed some shirts and a backing
brush into carpet-bag, packed all with
his foot, put his hat on one side, and his
head inside the door of his mothers sit
ting-TOOm. "Going to Philadelphia.
Will write" Flew down the steps and
through the street, the skirts of his coat
blowing out jubilantly behind. Sam
coming home and pondering on the
oracular words of his brothers. farewell,
suspected much OF. a man in love. He
resolved that John shall not be made a
fool of if he can prevent it, and his
presence and words are usually potent.
so he packed bag after his brothers.
manner and left town on mischief bent
The first news received by the amazed
POpkinses was contained in the follow
ing telegram:
'Wife and I leave for New York to-
day. Be in Hartford about the 10th.
Tell Sam"
But Sam was hundred miles away,
and off the scent.
When the Popkins pair reached the
great city, Mollie was i'll with head
ache, an affiiction which usually un-
fitted her for the active duties of life for
two or three days. Moreover, she had
a fever for shopping not to be appeased.
Nov, john" said she, "here / am
nice and comfortable at Brother Rod
ney's. Do you go on to Hartford, break
of your China negotiation, prepare
your mother to see me, and settle YOUR
affairs with your brother; for if he is to
leave. on the 'AnemOne,' every hour is
golden to you. Rodney will put me on
the boat Thursday, and | shall find you
waiting for me at the dock. Don't hes
ltate, you foolish fellow; I know how
important 1T is that you should be at
home at once; and if you will not go
without me, why, / shall be compelled
TO set off to-day with you"
That plan was, of course, not to be
thought of, so the obedieut bridegroom
departed, to find, on reaching Hartford,
that Sam was in New York.
Thursday came, and the little bride
left the city on the "Spread Eagle,n
with hergreat trunks previously marked
by the careful John, "Mrs. Popkins.n
The first hours passed sereneiy enough,
There was handsome gentleman Sit
ting near her who evidently admired
her. MOllie seemed to be reading Har-
per, but was conscious of every stolen
look. She doZed a little, stared at the
scenery, watched the bottle-green CLASSY
surface Of the river cut into smooth fur
rows by the boat. Then she nibbled at
her luncheon and became much an
noyed by the sun, when the handsome
gentleman offers to arrange the awning,
and does so in a manner to screen her
completely. Mollie rewards him for
the courtesy by bow and bright smile,
displaying all her splendid teeth.
"How much he looks like John.n
thought she, Except in complexion and
expression, and then the features are
quite unlike, and poor Johns hair is
red %
After this acute observation she went
to her state-room to sleep, and is wax
ened at last by the stiffness around her.
Not a sound to be heard but the droning
of some insect in the heat Then a dull
groan from the engine. She tied on her
hat and FASTENED on deck. Was in
formed by the polite stranger that the
''Spread Eagle" was stuck fast in the
mud, with no prospect of getting of
until night.
"But / must be in Hartford before
night" declared Mollie, as if that deter
mined little sentence would release the
boat from durance vile indeed.
"Then you will have to follow the ex-
ample of the other passengers; land
here and take the cars.n
"What place is this ?" asked Mollie,