The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-10-10


Brother Mcars packed n valisc, took "A
bundle of books and went forth into the
cold world. But finding the accOmoda-
tons in the world far Inferior In those
Ofthe Home, he returned III four days, ina
dilapidated and Inundated condition.
Mrs Mears received him kindly, and in
stead of doing as many would have done,
she never referred to the matter in any
way The intidels still hung up at the
Home, and Minnie became more talka-
tive every day, and Brother Mears could
see plainly that she was falling in love
with one of them but for the life of him
he could not tell which-and in fact hc
did not much care. They were both
sober, intelligent and industrious, and
Brother Mears often thought what pity
il was that their parents had not educat-
ell them for the ministry. But the mere
fact of their being in possession of that
circular direct from His Satanic Majes-
TVS most energetic agent was enough to
set a worse mark on them than Cain was
ever branded with
One thing was apparent to all concern
ed Brother Mears's four days expert
ence with the world had taught him to
attend strictly to his own business. He
had made up his mind to let things go
as they would, but come what might lac
would never again desert his family and
leave them to the care of the cruel world.
No, he would not, even if his conscience
would allow him to.
Everybody in Mearston did not know
eyerybody's business, but they thought
they did, and were just as happy as a
community could be. One thing caused
some annoyance, however, and that was
the real friendship existing between the
two competing lovers. Everybody ex-
pected Dick King and Frank Howard to
fall ont and have a grand blow-up and
perhaps duel; but they did nothing of
the kind, and seemed to think more of
each other every day, until the joke pass
ed around that if Minnie did not soon
marry one or the other of them, they
would probably marry each other.
AS time wore on, Mearston as a COM
munity began to get anxious, for the
longer the young folks lived the less
Mearston knew about the matter. Min
ME was hopelesslY in lOve-there was no
doubt about it; and so were the young
men, Everything proved it, and every
body talked about it, and those who were
al u,ayo nOta1 for 1noDaO1nn nthnr non
pies love affairs more successfully than
their own, began to prophesy evil. In
the mean time the young folks and Mrs.
Mears appeared perfectly happy, and
not at all concerned as to how the thing
would end
Suddenly, the whole town was thrown
| into a state of excitement, and had some
thing to talk about for a week. The
justice of the peace had sold Out-nol
his office, oh, no! Millions would not
buy that; but his store. "Richard King
81 CO." now appeared on the old sign
board, and all Mearston said he could
never meet the payments; but the justice
said there were none to meet. Then
they saw at once that the &c.," whoever
that was, had furnished the money. But
again they We're thunderslruck. when
the justice showed a check for half the
amount of the sale, signed by Richard
King alone He declined to tell who
the Go" was, and MearstOn knew there
was some trick in the matter. The ne "
firm began to ship in enormous quaint
ties Of gaods-gOods that had never he
fore appeared in the market ut Mearston
Glowing advertisements appeared il
the county newspaper, and King 81 Co
appeared on every fence board within
six miles of town. Everybody expected
to have grand chance to buy goods at /,
bankrupt sale in Mearston. 1t wa.
true that farmers for miles around, who
had always gone to the city to trade, wer,
now bringing their produce in and buying
and selling at King & Co.'S. But King haC
hired a clerk from one of the othe
stores and was paying him more thai
any other clerk in town was getting, just
because he was a favorite with til,
SOOhiJ POoplC- hOIC tlluu all, hlHk
was paying the same for grain as tn,
dealers in the city. King could neve
make his expenses, and Mearston knew
it.
1t was settled thing now as to whC
Minnie Mears would marry. No youn:
man would show such energy and in
dustry as Dick was showing, unless hi
love matter had turned out favorably
They began to pity Frank Howard
Minnie had only been flirting with him
Everybody knew that now. But how h
could still hang on and keep in a GOO
humor with Dick was a confoundeC
mystery. Instead of the mystery gettin,
thinner and breaking up entirely, it go
thicker every day. They had for SOM
time been taking Minnie out to driv
turn about; but now they rugged up
two-seated arrangement, and drove ant
to all appearances spanked together
did ever anybody hear of the like =
was the question Mearston asked; an,
the answer was, at beats the Jews"
Dick bought ground and began t,
build house, and the last shadow of
doubt in the matter would have bee
gone had Frank not bought neat it'll
house and proceeded to furnish i
Thus matters stood when eVerybod
knew that preparations were going O
for wedding in the Mears family. Fran
had finished fitting up his house, an
: everybody knew that Mrs. Mears all
: Minnie had superintendent the j0l
; This, with the fact that Dicks hous
was being built and arranged accOrlin
to Mrs. and Miss Mears's directions
nearly drove MearstOn wild. At Ia.
, Minnie told all of her girl friends (ul
der strict promise not to tell who slI
was going to marry; but when the girl
got together and compared notes, the
e were forced to the conclusion that Mil
ME had either lied or was going to ma
e ~ two distinct husbands.
One morning Mrs. Teagarden, the cit
1 intelligence Office, made complete eli
: cult of the town to tell every one thu
= Frank Howard had absconded with
I large amount of railroad funds. 81
had been passing the depot, and seeing
strange young man IN charge she ste
4 ped in to see what was going on. Viii