The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-06-20
MAMIE.

l CANNOT set down in so many words
Just when or how it came to be under.
stood between my partner, John Still.
man. and myself that l was to marry
his daughter Mamie when she was old
enough. | have vague impression
that she was in long clothes at the time
we first talked of it.
Her mother died when she was lit.
tie girl. and old Mrs. Stillman took hel
home to the family house at Owls Cor.
ner. one of the prettiest little villages
ever had the good fortune to see. But
Mamie was eighteen when first met
her as woman, and this was the scene
of our meeting.
John had sent for me to come to
Owls Corner on certain July day,
promising to drive over to the station
and meet me, rs my elderly legs GOV.
cred the ground but slowly. We had
retired from business. rich men both,
some five years before, and CORE
sponded regularly. But l had been
abroad. and this was my first visit to
Owls Corner in ten years. remem-
bered Mamie rs a rOmping child, fond
of swinging on the gates, climbing up
grape-arbors and imperiling her neck
fifty times day. John always saying
on each occasions:
shes a little wild, but she'll get
over that"
waited at the station for half an
hour: then, seeing no sign of John,
started to walk home. 1t was midday
and fearfully hot, and when l had &C
complished half the distance turned
off the road and started through a
grove that gave me a longer walk, but
thick shade. l was resting there on a
broad stone, completely hidden by the
bushes on every side, when 1 heard
Johns voice:
where have you been?'
There was such dismay and astonish-
ment in the voice that l looked up in
surprise, to find that he was not greet
ing me but a tall, slender girl coming
toward him. Such sight! She was
dark and beautiful, dressed in thin
dress of rose-pink, faultless about the
face and throat, but from the waist
down, clinging to her one mass of the
greenest, blacklist, thickest mud and
water.
.'In the duck pond,' she answered
with voice as clear and musical as a
chime of bells. Don't come near
me
You are enough to wear man into
his grave"'
There, don't scold," was the coax
ing reply; little Bob Ryan fell in face
down. 1t did not make any material
difference in his costume, but l was
afraid he would smother, so l waded
in after him. The water is not over
two feet deep, but the mud goes clear
through to China, imagine. 1t is
rather pity about my new dress, isn't
it?"
"A pity" roared John; "you'll come
to an untimely end some day with your
freaks. AS if there was nobody to
pick little brat out of the duck pond
but you"'
There actually was nobody else
about. There now, don't be angry.
I'll go up to the house and put on that
lswitching white affair that came from
New York last week, and be all ready
to drive over to the station with you, at
what timer
about 5. Lawrence is coming on
the 2:1O train"
And had come on the 1910. This
accounted for the failure to meet me.
kept snug in my retreat until John
and Mamie were we'll on their way
homeward. wondering a little how many
young ladies in my circle of friends
would have so recklessly sacrificed a
new dress to pick up a beggar's brat
out of the mud.
When |, in my turn, reached the
house, John was on the porch, waiting
for Nannie's temperance. He gave
me a most cordial welcome, or rather q
luncheon, called Mamie, his mother
and man to go for my trunk, all in one
breath, and seemed really rejoiced to
see me. 80
Presently slender girl, with truly
bewitching' white dress, trimmed
smoothly braided black hair, tied with
scarlet bows, came demurely into the
room and was introduced. Never, how.
ever, in that first hour could the wild.
est imagination have pictured Mamie
Stillman wading into duck-pond
But the half-shy, half-dignified com
pany manner soon wore away, and
Mamie and were fast friends before
dinner. She sang for me in voice a
deliciously fresh as bird's carol; she
took me to see her pets, the new horse
that was her last biEthday gift from
papa" the ugly little Scotch terrier
with the beautiful brown eyes, the rab.
bits, Guinea hens and the superannu.
ated old pony, who had preceded the
new horse.
In a week was rs much in love q.
ever John could have desired. Nanni.
was the most bewitching maiden hal
ever met, childlike and yet womanly
frank, bright and full Of girlish. freak
and boyish mischief, and yet well edu
Gated, with really wonderful musica
gifts, and full Of noble thoughts. Sh,
was a perfect idol in the village, hel
friends and neighbors thinking n,
party complete without her, while tn,
poor fairly worshiped her.
John allowed her an almost nnlimite1
supply of pocket-money. and she w!
lavish in all charity, from blankets IA,
old women, tobacco for old men. 8
candies for the children, and rides OF
horseback for the urchins. And sh,
had a way of comforting favors tha
never wounded the pride of the mos
sensitive. 1872
We rode together every morning; W
walked in the COOL evening hours; ~
spent much time at the piano, and dii
cussed our favoritdt aethor1 Ard on
day when I asked Mamie to be m,
wife, she said, coQlly:,~.
why. of course; ! thought that wa
all understood long ago"
was rather amazed ht such matter
of-fact wooing, but delighted at the re
suit, How could : / expect any soft
blushing speechesp 1 suppose ] ranke,
Just where John and, Naapis's grand