Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-01-04
BERTHILDA'S OFFER.

Mr.. Flint had the reputation of being
~ hard Ms his name Certainly he was
n crustv sort Of old gentleman, with II
disagrceablc habit of telling what he
considered to be the plain truth to
every one. AS every one did not Mt
once bow low and say" Mr.. Flint
YOU arc perfectly right" this habit of
frankness had brought him into n great
many uunrrcl5 with his friends and
relatives, 50 that ut last the only one Of
his own blood with whom he was ON
speaking terms was his orphan niece,
Bcithildn who kept house for him, to
whom he WINS unusually kind, and who
believed him to he u modern Solomon.
She had never once contndictcd MN
When he told her that the Flints were
generally good looking, but that she
took after her mothers family, who
were al as plain as pikc-stnils, she
answered, Yes, uncle, but that is not
nv fault, you know" When he said
she need not mind about being good
looking, because, after ALL she was N
nice little thing and would be more
MT to be left to keep house for him for
ever, she appeared to be comlortod.
She was mild and meek, md her
vanity had been quito taken out OF her
by her uncles Grankness.
She was, really, by no means, so
very plain; hut she ncccptcd Mr.. Flints
opinion without n murmur.
II was all genuine. She was one Of
those little women who naturally bow
down before the male head OF the
family and worship him. She had not
ever reflected that he might leave her
his money, or Somc portion of It, II
was too dreadful TO think of Uncle
Flint's ever dying atnll.
Az for marrying it did not enter Der
thilda's mind She hnd written her
self down spnstcr rs soon rs she
had heard Uncle Flint's opinion On the
subject, which WINS orncularly given
when sho was about sixteen years Oi
ago; but now that she was nearly thirty,
sho wns astonshcd by the appearance
Of lover in the shape Of il stout fur
mcr of forty, il widowcr without chill
drcn, and owner Of rs fine u piece Of
property us could be found in the state.
II WINS case Of love ut first sight on
his part, and Bcrthilda finding herself
made love to, and being quite unused
to the situation, felt that it wns her
duty to refuse him, since to marry
would ho to contradict Uncle Flint's
distinct " sscrtion that she was born to
be M oldmaid; and yet yielded to the
advances of Mr.. lloskins, so far us to
allow herself to be seon home from
meeting, kissed ut the gate, and occa-
sionaly cncrcled by n large arm, which,
after . squeeze or two she always put
Away with chokod little squcal,
Finally Mr.. Hoskins offered himself,
and Berthilda, having confessed to II
partalty for him, ending by asserting
that Uncle Flint should decide the mat
ter. and that she dared not mention the
subject to him.
"Well then will, said Mr.. lloskins,
81 amt afraid of no man, and if your
uncle mas anything ngin, me he can ont
with il and prove it, I'll write and ask
him, since YOU are SO particklcr, Bcr-
thildy; though being of age | can't
sec why he has anything to say about
it,"
10 which Bcrtmldy, sobbng, replied
that her unclo's word was her law, and
was kissed ut the gate rs usual this
conversation having taken place ON II
Sunday evening ON the way from
church.
On Monday morning old Mr. Flint
going after breakfast, into the little
room which he called his office, and
transacted his business MS notary
public, found lying on his desk two let
tors already left for him that morning,
and opening them found that each
asked him for something.
One was from u nclghbor named
Perkins, who desired to borrow n horse
of him. The othor from Farmer Hos
kins, asking for his niece Bcrthilda',
hand.
Mr. Flint was not in the habit q
lingering long over amy decision IL,
regarded tho fact that Bcrthlda hat
M oncr rs il sort of miracle not likcl,
to occur again, and he had MI idcs
that women always liked q set mar
rird
HoSkins wns wclltu do and rcSpcc
table. she should have hmm, IL Sh,
choose she had hccn i good girl I,
him, and hc really fclt au affection fo
her.
AZ for Perkins, liz should not hay,
his horse. llchad ovcrworkcd the on
hc Had borrowed III him laSt haryco
time. ana the poor brute had died u
consequences Lend Perkins his gra
marc indeed! Ic would rive him
Piece of his mind fiji hiS impudcnct
And In would settle that business Y,
fore III attended ~ Bcrthilla's oticr
81 MI drew lii hlntter toward him