The Red Cloud chief., 1879-06-05

green cotton oracle tip downward upon
the noor. He ies 20 Of Is vi;h . trem-
bling hand. Il toppled ovsr and Sli
with 0 decisive thud upoa The very thrcs-
hold Of The calves stable
"I'm going down % the store 30
night 70 gei your cod hsh. marm." sad
HezekiAh, on the following evening.
an get my fish on the vsy." hs
thoughI SOS 20 make sur Of IL"
While Mr.. Laxies wN haEgiing over
the price Of his Och, for. like Mr.. Gilpin.
" although on pleasure beet" be I" hsd
q frugal misd," he heard 3 remark
which arrested his assennon-
A young Atlas Who WAS supporting
the doorway asksd, in m unnecessary
load voice: "Do you calker.sse tbs;
Jones junior and Ketur.A kiddle win
conclude 10 make . match onts"
"Wa'al. !. sounded thu; wsy, from
whs; Jones said here the other night.
Pretty coed haul for him." responded
one Of . couple Of caryaiides who were
hokiing up the posts Of the piazza
Mr.. Lazier pricked up his ears like 8
war-horse. He grasped bis umbrella.
and the touch of that oracle Of his des-
tiny seemed 70 inspire him.
al can tall you - much about it, !
s'pose. a. any man." he said; land I
can tell you they amt s-xoing % make
o match ont, nor ro.hing like II. I
calkerl,te to marry her myself. Shs
aia't so handsome as some, but I ~
overlook such things. You tell young
Jones there's many . alp 'twixt the
cup and the lips" and the prospective
bridegroom walked away. wiih light
ming in his eye and the cod fish under
his arm.
As soon as he csngat sight OF Miss
Riddles cottage his pace sla .kened.
ats too late 70 back down now" he
soliloquized "I've let the ca, out Of
the bag. II she want so Wa'al,
she'll appreciate what II is 10 get a WE'LL
favored man more than II she was one
Of the handsome kind herself. 1t would
be a drefful disappointment 70 Ter if /
should fail her nj this pint ;" and Mr..
Lszier walked up 10 the door feeling
the good Samaritan, and entirely un-
conscious Of the incongruity Of the
cod fish. -e
Miss keturah was at that moment put
ting On her shawl TO 60 To ella >s-meet-
ing, and met her sutton on the threshold.
miss Kiddie," he beg an, impress
lively, "I've come tO"-he had nearly
said, "tell you some good news
''l've come to see you on business. I'm
q maj of few words, SO l come To the
pint nj once. Iwon't detxin you long
speaking very fast, lest his mind
should change. "I've heard such good
reports Of you that, thinking Of it over,
I've come to the conclusion that j
couldn't find u woman better calkerlsted
TO suit me than you"
Miss Keturah looked as If q meteoric
stone had fallen at her feet. why,
Mr.. Lazier," she said, "tbis is really
very unexpected. l."
"Oh, of course it's natural you should
be frustrated at first. / oughier have
broke it to you more gradual; but you
needn't try TO put it into words. No
matter If you don't know what 10 say,
we've got an understanding now. and
that's enough" interrupted the lover.
"Oh, rs To knowing what to say, |
know Just IS well tonight as / ever
shall, and I'm obliged to you for your
consideration, Mr.. Lazier, but ! really
must decline your proposal =" and Miss
Riddle pinned her shawl more closely
around her, as If no more remained TO
be said.
snow you know you don't mean it,"
demonstrated her admirer. 81 know
women; they always say no when they
mean yes"
"But l meas no." said the cruel Ke-
turah.
"You don't know your mind" per-
sisted Mr.. l..
ayes, l d." said Miss Riddle, firm
ly; and l know it won't change about
this matter. I Am in earnest"
"Oh, now don't! You can't mean
it. You don't know what you're
ADDING" cried the rejected sutton, in
CONSERVATION. "Don't say no. I'D
sot my mind on you from the first. You
are Just the q for me. You're just
right in every way. I can't find
your equsl," cried Mr.. Lazier, his
blessings Frightening as they seemed
about to take their flight. He tried to
wipe his eyes on the cod. fish, under the
del usion that it was the Prodigal Son.
81 am sorry to cause you any un-
happiness; but I have several reasons,
any one of which I consider sufficient"
said Miss Riddle.
"What be theye" entreated the
bachelor, with q vague suspicion OF
Jones floating through his mind.
The hard hearted keturah hest
tated. 81 would rather not give
them" she said at last.
81 insist on hearing one Of EN-"
persisted Hezekiah, thinking, "She
can't have any objection to me"
"Well, l suppose you viii consider
the one | am going to give as one which
no sensible person would be Influenced
by, and will call it - woman's reason,'
but the fact is. Mr.. Lazier, you are
really too homely. ] am not at all
handsome myself, and / consider that
plain-looking person in . family is
enough. Goodnight"
Mr.. Lazier is still . bachelor, and to
this day breads to 90 to the store, where
he is liable to be reminded that I" there's
many q slip 'twixt the cup and the lip;"
but Keturah Riddle has lately married q
well-to-do mill owner, and lives in .
manufacturing town, where she evolves
mission classes, sewing schools, and
temperance clubs to her hearts content,
ard l am told that her husband is not
only an excellent "~provider," bit q re-
markedly hne-looking mAn.-Harp.r's
Bazar.
A Chicken Case.