The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-09-05
SHE HAD HER DOUBTS.

| MOCK Knock knock
''Kemin ~ called Bljah, as he hur-
riedly tucked away the remnants Of y
banana under the table.
1t wss a woman vino might have
been hundred years old, who prob.
ally wasn't over sixty.
She had cOTkscrew curlS and n winning way,
And the pitch OF her voice was high.
And her smile il was bland rs smile cOuII he
As she seated hersclftO say:
This is Bijah, 1 presume ?''
'The same, madam--bnrn that way
and can't help it" he replied.
"pm q widow" she continued,
after painful pause.
Chow many OF 'em, madam 81
"Sir ?D
"YOur husbands, madam, how
many times has death invaded your
peaceful 1ireside and robbed you Of
your beloved partner ~
"Well, / have lost three husbands" I"
she sighed, trying in vain to find her
handkerchief.
''And now"
"That's what ! want to cOnsHlt you
about. You see, Pm young yet, and
scores Of my friends have been pleased
to say that | have net yet lost my
beauty"
"Jest 80, madam. II / should turn
3 corner and run over you 1 should be
apt to suppose you were q girl Of
about eighteen. Your real age. how
ever, is about thirty-perhapS five or
six days over"
Then she shook her curls
An smiled again,
And bit at her fan
And went on To eXDlain-
How an old boy, aged sevemty-two,
by the almanac, had met her at the
regatta, loved her at first sight, and
followed her home and proposed mar
riage. Her relatives opposed the
match on account OF her youth and
innocence, and his age Rnd piratiCal
look but, ''you know, Mr.. Joy, how
hard it is to live alOne-all alone,
with no one to call you pet names and
feel sorry when you have the head
aehe.n
'This would be only your fourth
husband ," unused BIjah, ~ he snap
ped pcachstOne out of the window.
"Well, I'd take him. L don't like
to see a woman hunting after a ninth
or tenth husband, because that makes
a business affair of it, but truly be-
lieve the human heart can love seven
different times.
"DO you ~
f'I do. You are alone in this cold
world. The bad boys stone your cat,
mock your parrot, and hook your Gu
cumbers, and there are times when
your eyes fill with tears because you
have no one to take you to the Star
Island House and pay your way"
"What a mind-readeT-wha noble
words ~ she gasped, as she hid her
face in her handkerchief. "Then
you'd accept, would you ?'
'I would, and / wouldn't let time
get ahead OF me, for these old chaps
drop off like hot cakes. Write him
note asking him to call and arrange
for an early marriage"
"But he may have changed his
mind"
"Then Wen sue him for breach Of
promise !"
"Pm go timid-sO emharrassed-sO
so ~ she stammered as she went
out. But she'll fix him.
WANTED ENCOURAGEMENT.
The third caller was tramp, regu-
lar specimen brick. One cOat-tail had
been left in the country on the top
rail of fence, his pants were cut at
the knees, his hat was a mere hole
with a band around it, and the general
outlook was sad and lonely.
81 want to be encouraged, he re-
marked, as he took a chair.
Bijah looked him all over, and then
asked ''In what way >"
al want to be encouraged With two
shillings," replied the man. "I'm out
Of q Job, dead-brOke, and | hayn't
eaten food for three days"
The old janitOr walked to the closet
and took out a spade and AK aud beck
oned the man TO follow him out into
the back yard, saying:
''COme and dig sOroe pnst-holes for
me and your reward shall be great. !"
"Csn a sick man work ." demanded
the tramp.
"COme my friend"
81 can't even lift p spade, I tell
you"
BUah walked over 10 INN and Sc
cured grip, walked him cut to the
nearest fence, and, with scarcely an
effort, he landed the fellow in mass
OF weeds on the other side.
"They said you was an innocent.
kind-hearted old man." hOwled the
tramp as he struggled up "but they
lied You are an old thug in disguise
an old bald-headed murderer in dis
guise ~
Bijsh couldn't catch him, though
assisted by six boys and two dogs.
The wicked should not prosper, but
they sometimes do, ali TIE sarae.-
Detroit Free Press.