The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-05-15
that Dolph Dacrc can't get rs many shoe
as he Mants?" l.f --.

as ne wants! 5i assl 3sli.ea
Swell, sis, if it come to that, can |
Can you? Poverty is a blamed uncomforta
bic thing; but l hope it's no disgrace
''It is disgrace. 1t is u hidcous, helm
Gus, unbearablc crimev' said Mollic, anC
pushed her chair away, and went up stairs
to cry her pretty eyes out.
Her mother found her with her heaC
buried in the pillow, her whole littlt
body quivering with excitement.
"Why, Mollic, my child began poo1
placid Mrs. Mudoon; and then the young
tcrmagant turned upon her.
'Its your business" she cried, "to put
an end to this madness between Dolpf
and me. Do you think it's very nice
thing to have your daughtcr--papa's
daughter--engaged to be married to "a man
that can't afford to buy himselfDa par of
shOes?n ..-. ..... .....-... ..
"a little temporary embarrassment
my child" .-... .......
"a little temporary tiddlcstick!' broke
in Mollie. s'Its forever and ever, and
hopeless, and / wish was deadr' Here
she began to sob again. ..-
"What can + do?' said poor Mrs. Mul,
doom ,..
''You can break off the engagement
forbid him to enter your doors~-insult
him-tcll him you wont give your daugh-
ter to Il paupcr-makc him so mad he'll
never look at me again" .. . 10 Il
'I'll do nothing of the kind said the
poor lady, her cheeks beginning to burn.
II admire and respect the young man too
much to cause him any unnecessary suffer
ing; but I'll tell him to give you up, for
his own sake as we'll as yours
Poor Ddph met Mrs. Muldoon half
way. He confessed it was the merest
presumption upon his part to aspire to
the hand of a creature so fair and sweet
and suprcmcly perfect; he owned that his
| pecuniary prospects were hopeless, and
his future blank season of despair.
81 can get him back again. sad Mol
lie; but she found this not SO easy, after
all. Dolph had a pride of his own that
had long battled impotcntly against his
love. He came no more to the house
the skating pond missed its champion;
the main street lost its most graceful
promenador; no more little ! blletsdoux
went into the vest pocket nearest his
heart, or lay in the pertumed recesscs of
Mollic's battered writing desk. The
brokers' Office where Dolph was employ
ed opened late and closed early, for there
was very little business doing those times
of commercial depression, but he haunted
the busy streets of the financial center
with SO haggurd and distracted IN air
that he passed for a youth who had ven
tured his all upon some rotten security
| 1nSt fb,, fr,Jt1
in more ways than one.
Mollle, who had not looked for this
flrmncss of resolve upon his part, began
to grow pale and listlcss; she also forsook
the familiar haunts that love had made
SO delightful and busted herself more
than ever with patching up the outward
appearances of her toilet and the shabby
surroundings at home. She grew less
plump, less rosy; faint lines of thought
traced her fair white brow; her eyes took
a shade of melancholy in their depth that
made them a deeper, softer, darker blue.
"She's losing her health,' sighed poor
Mrs. Mudoon.
1t was midsummer, and Babbleton was
at its lovliest and best, and it became nee
cssary for fashionable people to leave it
at once. Among the arrivals at a popular
watering place might have been noticed
the names of Mrs. Cinqbar and her niece
Miss MOllic Muldoon, and within month
letters began to reach Babhleton that made
the heart OF, poor Mrs. Muldoon beat with
alternate hope and fear.
"MolIic behaves like an angel wrote
Mrs. Cinqbar; ";nd if you show the least
discretion and sense in following up this
providential opportunity of hers, it will
be the luckicst thing in the world for you
all. Mr.. Fithian is q man Of distinction
and influence as well as wealth, and will
be able to give Jack push in life. We
should all of us be exceeding grateful
for Mollie's success; and do hope you'll
manage to get that moldy -dining-room
of yours repapered and painted before
Mollie's return. Jack might help in these
things during his holidays, and I'll see
that you have prcsentablc linen and china
for the table. If you lived within the
pale of civilization, Mr.. Fithian needn't
of course, stay to Il meal; but no one can
tell what may happen in that miserable
Babblcton, in the way of a flood, or hur-
ricanc, or something
Mrs. Muldoon did her feeble best, aid
ed by some abortivc efforts of Jack,
whose invention far outran his executive
ability; but when Mollie came back the
whole domestic menage began to wear an
air of comfortable serenity. Mollie sooth-
cd the fear and tluster of her mamma, al
| tered her old black silk to the newest
style, coaxcd and bulaied Jack into semi
recognition of the inevitable, and every
thing went merry as marriage-bell.
Aunt Cinqbar was astonjshingly generous
for one of her cautious proclivities and
other relatives, who had hitherto been as
adamant to the calls for relief, became
plastic as putty in the face of this joyful
extremity. VT +
Mollie's wedding trousseau far exceed
ed her widest ambition; and as she had
considerable versatility of soul, these
smooth expanscs of silk and velvet took
some such a shape to her as the lump of
rough marble to the sculptor, or nicely
stretched canvas to an artist. Her eyes
began to glow before tile scissors snipped
into the material; and when the whole
! ideal conception was realized, and par
ticularly as the train hung WELL and she
was fitted to nicely, she was wildly hap.
| py.
Only once was there an open allusion
to Dolph. When it was proposed that
the bridal couple should kneel during the
bcnediction, mo, no. cried MolDic;
men never kneel gracefully, at least there
are very fewonly one; but never mind: I
Two or three hours after her mother
came upon her unawares, and found her
with her face bowed upon her hands
When it was lifted, it was wet with tears
but she would bear no carcssing, and only
said she was tired, and so glad the storm
would prevent Mr. Fithian from coming
down. In truth, it was a day in which
no man, beast Or reptile would care to be
abroad Heavy black clouds hung oveI
Babbleton; the wind swept wildly through
the deserted streets, increasing at night
fall to hurricane, bowling and shriekmg
like an unloesed demon about the, dwell
ings Of that hapless suburb, tearing ruth
l.aoI,,