The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-09-12


as well as myself.
One night, Narrowly escaping him in
the hallway, Violet ran into me quite
pale and trembling. ooh, Lide, let's 90
home Please take me home"
With all my heart, Vio," and the
very next day we started for the city.
Mrs; higgins was too i'll to be dis
turbed, but the rest of the household
took our departure sorely to heart, the
children calling after us to come back
again, and kindly tears rolling down the
honest face of Betsy Crouch a. she Open
ed the gate for the farmer 10 drive his
horses through. His hands were I'M
steady and his face was pale through the
tan and treckles. A singular change
had come to the farmer. He was cleaner,
he was quleter, he was wonderfully hu-
named. There was sort of pathos in
the broken smile with which he listened
to Vlolet's conversation.
We had reached the top of the steep
hill that overlooked the stage road. Vio-
let looked eagerly for the yellow lumber
ing wheels of the coach that was to
speed us on our way. | was somewhat
charmed and terrified with the rugged
grandeur OF the ravines on either side of
us. One false tug of the reins and we
were done for; in Farmer Higgins hands
was our destiny, and his hands had been
very unsteady. At this precarious part
of our journey be turned and looked at
Violet, who shrank for a moment from
his side; and confess | was glad, when
he leaned over her and spoke very low
| was glad to see her bow her head and
get back steadily in her seat again. It
was no time FOR display of girlish van
ity of any sort; we might all have been
tumbled to the bottom of the ravine in
the twinkling of an eye. When | think
of 1T now | shudder, as well | may.
Violet was subdued and gentle, and
heaven forgive her! when she babe the
farmer good bye, her voice trembled and
the color fled from her face As for
| poor Higgins, there was SO sore a strug-
gle in his rugged features one could not
! tell the emotion that had the mastery.
Violet gained her color and her spirits at
! the first sweep of the steamboats, wheel
city-ward; and upon our arrival who
! should be there to meet us but our prin-
cipal, Mr. Baxter We were hurried
! into a cab, and Mr.. Bakers peculiar air
of ownership with Violet was soon ex-
planned by his remarking that / might
as well give my consent to his happiness
and Violet's, that she had sent for him
to be there, and wouldn't | kindly make
the best of it?
bowed gravely without a word, and
that night Violet and | had a serious
| talk together.
81 think | had better be married at
once, Lide," said Violet. My endeav-
ors to cultivate the human race are, like
all missions of this kind, sometimes
fraught with danger. Oh, Lide," said
Violet, with sudden tremor of terror,
eve might have been thrown off that
horrible rock, and horses, Higgins,
trunks and all come to sudden and
awful grief, had l lost presence of mind
in that dire extremity"
~ was afraid So" l replied, "and
took a long breath when | saw you sit
close to Higgins again. Now, vi, | for
give you on one condition-that this is
your very last offer of marriage"
"My very last, Lide, promise you"
But it happened that, some months
later on, Violet and ! were sewing away
at the wedding fnery that Uttered our
/
boarding house bell, and presently the
maid knocked at our door, with the mes
sage that visitor was waiting for Miss
Violet in the parlor. We both thought
it was Mr.. Baxter, and Violet, running
to the glass, pulled her curls down over
her forehead, smoOthed out her dress,
put some roses in her hair, and nodding
to me with pretty blush, fed lightly
down stairs.
Ten minutes later she came back to me
pale and trembling; the roses had fallen
from her hair and fled from her checks );
she clasped her hands with an air of
distraction.
$50 down, Lide," she faltered-" do
go down and get rid of him if you can
Don't stop a moment. There is a person
there, old acquaintance-perhaps he had
better hear of my engagement from you"
is is another offer of marriage,
VioletY'
eyes, yes, Pm afraid so,' she replied,
"Do 90 down, Lide. You know Mr..
Baxter may be here at any moment"
| / went down, running over the six re-
iected lovers in my mind, and upon en-
tering the parlor saw Mr.. Higgins lean
ing against the mantlepiece, with his hat
in his hand. He was well brushedss and
shaver, and / saw at once that the gray
material had been made up for the boys,
and that Providence had ordered the
turning of Mr.. Higgins black panta-
looms. / also saw that he was of a re-
markable pallor, and that the muscles of
his face were twitching in an alarming
manner.
Chow DE do, Miss Eliza?" he said.
i "Where's your sister-where's Vileti
| hope | didn't brighten her; she looked
so like them little things in the woods
they call after her, so sweet and fresh
like when the sap's beginnin' to start in
the arliest spring, no meltin' with"
4 elbows your wife, Mr.. Higgins?" ]
aid, abruptly, to bring him to his senses
But it only precipitated matters.
"She's dead and buried, a'am, thi:
! six weeks and more, and Betsy she's 6
!. keepin' house for me; and bein' quite
unstrung what with night-watchin' and
} worry with one thing aud t'other, il
seemed to me / had to come, whether OF
no; and / says'to Betsy, says |, Mought
} | COP and she says to me, says she, You
mought, and the sooner it's over with
the BETTER and Bety's sensible woman
, Miss Eliza, as you will allow"
Avery sensible woman, Mr.. Higgins
and now may l inquire the nature OF
, your business with me?'
"The natur' Of my business?" he re
: peated, sinking into chair, twirling biz
hat between his knees, and looking a
: the carpet, "Why, hesn't VTlet tolC
you? [ hope to the Almighty nothin''
| goin' to upset me now. I've been sorely