Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-03-13
BERTHILDA'S OFFER.

Mr.. Flint had the reputation of being
rs hard as his name. Certainly he was q
crusty sort of an old gentleman, with 3
disasreeable habit Of telling what he con-
sdered to be the pain truth to every
one. AS every one did not at once bow
low and SAY: Mr.. Flint you are per-
fectly right this habit of frankness
had brought him into q great many
quarrsls with his friends and relatives,
50 that at last the only one Of his own
blood with whom he was on speaking
terms was his orphan niece, Berthilda,
who kept house for him; to whom he
was unusually kind, and who believed
him to be modern solomon.
She had never once contradicted him.
When he told her that the Flints were
generally good looking, but that she
took after her mothers family, who were
all as plain as pike statis, she answered,
= Yes, uncle, but that is rot my fault,
you know" When he said she need not
mind about being good-looking, because,
after all, she WAS nice little thing and
would be more apt to be lett to keep
house for him forever, she appeared to
be comforted.
She was mild anu meek, and her vanity
had been quite taken out Of her by her
uncles frankness.
She was, really, by no means, so very
plain; but she accepted Mr.. Fint's
opinion without murmur.
1t was all genuine. Sac was one Of
those little women who naturally bow
down to the male head Of the family
and worship him. She had not even re-
fected that he might leave her his
money, Or some portion of it. It was too
dreadful to think Of Uncle Fl;nt's ever
dying at all.
AS for marrying, it did not enter
Berthiida's mind. She had written her
self down spinster as soon as she had
heard Uncle Flint's opinion on the sub
ject, which was oracularly given when
she was about sixteen years of age; but
now that she was nearly thirty, she was
astonished at the appearance Of a lover
in the shape of stout farmer of forty,
widower without children, and owner
of as fine piece Of property as could be-
found in the state.
1t was case of love at first sight on
his part, and Berthilda finding herself
made love to, and being quite unused to
the situation, felt that it was her duty to
refuse him, since to marry would be to
contradict Uncle Flint's distinct asser-
ton that she was born to be an old maid
and yet she yielded to the advances of
Mr.. Hoskins, so far as to allow herself
to be seen home from " meeting" kissed
at the gate, and occasionally encircled
by a very large arm, which. after a
squeeze or two she always put away with
shocked little scream.
Finally, Mr.. Hoskins offered himself,
and Berthilda, having confessed to 3
partially for him, ended 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.. Hoskins,
IS l amt afraid Of no man, and if your
uncle has anything agin me, he can out
with it and prove it. I'll write and ask
him, since you are so partickerler, Ber-
thildy; though bein' Of age, can't see
why he has anything to say about it,
that her uncle's word was her law, and
was kissed at the gate IS usual, this con.
versation having taken place on a Sun
day 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
where he transacted his business as
notary public, found lying on his desk
two letters already left for him that
morning, and on opening them found
that each asked him for something.
One was from neighbor named Per.
kins, who desired to borrow horse OF
him. The other from Farmer Hoskins,
asking for his piece Berthilda's hand.
Mr.. Flint was not in the habit of lin.
gering long over any decision. He re-
garded the fact that Berthilda had an
offer as a sort Of miracle not likely to oc
cur again, and he had an idea that women
always liked to get married.
Hoskins was well-to-do and respecta
BILE. She should have him, if she chose
She bad been good girl to him, and ht
really felt an affection for her.
As for Perkins, he should not have
hishorse. he had overworked the one he
had borrowed of him last harvest time
and the poor brute had died in conse
quence. Lend Perkins his gray mare in
deed! He would give him a piece O:
his mind for his impudence. And h
would settle this business before he at
tended to Berthilda's offer.
So he drew his blotter toward him
seized pen and ink, and indited thi
poppery epistle:
s1E:-I don't wonder you wrote, ant
hadn't the face to come andlask me for wha
you wanted, like a. man. Let you have her
indeed When every one knowsyou kille,
the other one with overwork, and only sen
her home to be buried. A pretty idea that
indeed! She was just rack of bones whe1
you got through with her, and, Judge, hal
starved as we'll as worked to death.
You'll promise to take good care of he
no doubt. You may if you get her; bu
you'll only do that by stealing her, and as
suppose you're quite capable of that, shall