San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-06-08

about Patty's welfare all along), he be-
gan 10 hold forth to him in most inco-
herent and surprising manner, till at
last Shangles asked if he might 60 in
and see her, upon which Peter looked
rather amazed. Peter demurred, but
Shangles insisted.
"The fact is" said Shangles-" 1
may as we'll tell you, Robinson" for they
had grown quite intimate during Pat
tvs sickness)-" that l don't know
what serious consequences may come Of
our little adventure with Miss Burr. I've
never been able to get her sweet face
from my mind and memory, and your
touching details of her during her sick
ness have won my heart. l believe l
shall be tempted to marry her if this
sort of thing goes on"
Peter stood still and looked at him
from head to foot, a gathering express
ion of scorn upon his face.
"You're a greater fool than I took
you to be, Shangles," he said.
"If Hove a woman" said Shangles,
getting very red, 81 don't care any
thing about her condition in life; no OBJ
stacle of that kind has any weight with
me-"
"Suppose it's more formidable OBJ
stacle," said Peter; "suppose some
body else loves her, you blockhead, and
is going to marry her himself?"
"Oh, that, indeed" said Shangles,
sulkily. "Why in thunder didn't you
say so before?"
Peter didn't tell him that he had only
lately made up his mind to the audacity;
but he Immediately took Mrs. McGlosky
into his confidence, and they patched up
the matter between them, Peters natural
prudence and forethought finding sole
vent in his doleful singing:
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had wife, and couldn't keep her.
To which he shortly added more cheer
full refrain:
He put her in pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.
So, one day, when Patty was well
enough to 60 out and hunt up her old
boarding-place, where they hailed heras
resurrected ghost, she found in the old
hiding-place her handbook, as good as
new, and, as good luck would have it,
the bank hadn't even broken during her
sickness, but the big door opened to her
touch, in she went, drew out her money,
and, though it was small sum for
wedding trousseau, according to popu-
lar opinion, it more than sufficed for
Patty, who hated to be beholden to
Peter for even this necessity.
They had quite a wedding, after all,
for the boarders each and all took per-
sonal interest in the affair, and Shangles,
who was Peters best man, never took
his eyes off the beautiful blushing Patty.
Mrs. McGlosky gave them room on
the lower floor, but Patty brought with
her the picture of Prince Charlie, which
she declared was as good as photo
graph of Peter, it was so like him. No
body else could see the slightest assimi-
lation in the stumpy and irregular fea-
lures of Peter to those of the young
Pretender, but Patty stuck to her opin-
ion. Every thing went merry as mar
riage bell, and as the months went by
the only thing wanting to Patty's full
felicity was little home of her own.
Boarding was all very nice in its way,
and Mrs. McGlosky was like mother
to her, but the time was approaching
when Patty coveted seclusion, and
shrank from the presence of strangers.
Besides, there was so little for her hands
to do; sometimes they lay folded in her
lap for hours together, and this she
thought was sin, when poor Peters
every minute was filled with toll. 1t
seemed so strangely out of place to
Patty to have her food not only pre-
pared for her, but almost put into her
mouth, and some one at her back to pull
away her chair.
"If one were cripple, Peter" she
said, "one couldn't be more helpless"
Peter said it was too bad; that he
wished he could go to housekeeping, but
money was so hard to get; and then he
would draw down his mouth dolefully,
and sing:
Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater,
Had a wife, and couldn't keep her.
Patty would be remorseful, and promise
never to speak of housekeeping again,
until Mrs McGlosky would tell her what