The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1878-02-28
asking for his niece Berthilda's hand.

10 OOcur RSaiu, ana ne nau III iuoa VII"
women always liked to be married.
Hoskins was we'll to do and respecta.
BILE. She should have HIM, il she chose.
She had been a good girl to him, and
he really felt an affection for her.
Az for Perkins, he should not have
his horse. He had overworkei the one
he had borrowed Of his last harvesttime,
and the poor beast had died in conse
quence. Lend Perkins his gray mare
indeed He would give him a piece
of his mind for his impudence. Aud he
would settle that business before he at.
tended to Berthilda's offer. -
SO he drew his blotter toward him.
siesed pen anl ink, and indited this
peppery epistle:
SRI don't wonder you wrote, and
hadn't the face to come and ask me
f'n what you wanted. like a man. Let
you.have her, indeed When every one
knows that you killed the other one
With overwork. and only sent her home
to be buried. A pretty idea, that, in
deedl She was just a rack OF bones
when you got through with her. and,
I j1dge, half-starved as we'll as worke
to death. o4 aer
You'll promise to take good care OF
her, no doubt. You may if you get her;
but you'll only do that by stealing her,
and as suppose You quite capable OF
that, 1 shall see to my locks.
sl.s...... FLINT.
This flushed, he wrote more briefly
to Mr.. Hoskins: 4s l.-..
DEAR SIR-I cant seq anything in
the way Of your having what you ask.
You can come over if you like and talk
it over. FLINT.
Having done this, he put each in an
envelope and sent them of.
Poor Berthilda scarcely dared to raise
her eyes to her uncle's face that day;
but his manner to her was unusually
KIND, and she had allowed herself to
hope much from it, when, as she Sat at
her knitting in the evening, Peggy, the
sole domestic, beckoned mysteriously
TO her from the door; and having thus
beguiled her into the hall, informed
her that Mr.. H ,skins wanted to see her
at the gate. .-.
t. the gate Bsrthilla went in state
Of nervous agitation. which made the
blue ribbon bow in her hair. Hosklns
40 red in the face with rage that the
color was perceptible by the moonlight.
And his greeting was this:
"Berthildy. If old Flint was anybo-
iy's uncle but yourn, Id go in and
pu1nel the breath out OF him, lm
minter do it now.
"Oh, dear" sobbed Berthilda, what
is the NATTER"
"Her writ ms letter that was jest
shock full of insults from fust to last,
said Mr.. Hoskins.
At these words Berthilds trembled
more than even. The fountains that
were in her head overhowel and ran
out OF her eyes adown her cheeks.
"Oh, oh, oh!' she sobbed. "was ever
A poor woman in such trouble? Oh, OH
"Choose!' cried Hoskins; and darned
il amt 30. mad I don't keer much
which way you choose. I'd rather
like to be at liberty to go for old Flint
and mash him-by iingo. had!'
"Why don't I diel' sobbed Bsrthil-
Ia, "But. oh, Silas, I can't leave
Uncle Flint like that. It wouldn't be
decent" .l
"Then he goes" said Silas Hoskins
taking off his cuffs.
At this moment long, lath>like fig
IRE strobe past them and began to ham
ner at the door.
The servant opened it, and Perkins
7oics inquired for Mr.. Flint.
Mr., Flint at once appeared in the
,ntry.
"Well, ~ha. do you want here?" was
lis salutation.
"Wall, Mr.. Flint" said Peter Per-
lins. "seein' you was 81 iaigin' and
about that gray mare, L
kinder reconed I'd jest step in and lead
,er over tonight. You sse tgit in my
aay to-morrer, aud thsrs d rain O
,omin' mp slong the end Of the week,
,r I amt no prophet"
$50 you do mean to steal herr" said
,ld Flint. "Pve seer impudence be
lore, but this caps all. 7" a
kinder guess you've forgot who
sm," said Peter Perkins, Don't you
remember writin to ma this mornin'
I'm Mr.. Perkins. Mr.. Flint.
II know yon we'll enough said
Flint. "D'ye think I'm in my detage? !?
You re the man that killed my brown
horse last summer, aud asksi for my
gray mare to do the sama by this. And
told you what I thought Of you in my
note. You must have been drinking
Mr.. Perkins! You must be drunk. Sir,
10 ask me for my gray mare after what
wrote You this mnrninz.
81 drinking? ! never touch anything
but tea. I'm Q Son Of Temperance.
,ir!" shouted Mr.. Perkins. so that his
voice reached the ears Of the unhappy
couple at the gate II drunk"
..Then if you are sober, you cant
read!'' said Mr.. Flint
"You wrote me note telling me to
come over. saying that there was moth
ing in the way Of me having the grsy
mare" said Mr.. Pergins.
That's untrue. said Mr.. Flint.
"Yon'rs a lying. siri'' said Mr.. Per-
kina. Hanged il I'll stand it,
And now Miss Berthilda saw her