The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1880-05-27

All over our land, lar and wide.
Those doll-like creatures are W1ngng their
To the highest bidder tonight
She is sold on the block.a slave to gold
Her living anguish Is left untold.
It's enough to say of the bitter sight,
She sold herself for gold tonight.
Oh, manly hearts-if there's one can be
warning ll heed be- d. Never in nifty thy iife
At fashions auction buy wife.
Chicago Ledger.
DEACON WOULD A-WOOlNG GO,
BY EMMA II. DEMER1TT.
The sun had disappeared behind the
hill Of New Bethany, and the glitterlng
light on the mountain-top was changing
from rose to purple, when Deacon Pinch
stopped his melancholy old mare IN front
Of the village post-officc. 1t was Satur-
day night, the only time when New Beth
any reused itself from its lctllargy and
showed any signs of life and energy. The
rest CT the week IS drowscd and languishetl
alter the fashion of small country towns
remote from railways and manufacturing
centres.
"Whoa, Mary janet said the deacon,
with unnecessary emphasis, throwing the
reins on the mares broad back and spring.
= ing to the ground.
= But the Respondent Mary Jane had al
ready ceased her stumbling gait from
sheer force of habit. A tcn-years' service
with the deacon had made he: perfectly
familiar with his accustomed round of
stopping places. Wednesday night it was
the prayer-meeting; Sunday, the service
and Saturday night, invariably the post
rf1ioo and lot ~
pause at the house OF Mrs. Betsy Hill, the
town milliner. who for quarter of cen
fury had supplied the women of New
Bethany with heads gear fcarlully and
wonderfully made.
The moment the deacon stepped inside
the Office he knew, from the unusual buzz
of conversation, that something cxtraor-
binary had happened.
"Heard the news-eh, dcacon?' asked
one of the village loungers.
The deacon looked up inquiringly.
"Miss keZla's had an amazin' streak of
luck
otis been nothin' but an amazin' streak
OF luck ever since she was born" return
ed the deacon. ''It owning the very best
farm in town and hev1n' money at inter.
est isn't luck, don't know what havin'
luck is.''
y eyes, but this is someth1n out of com
mon. You used to know her brother,
who died years ago, and left his only
child for Miss Kezla to bring upt Wa'al,
when old man Mead died, Miss Kezia
took the farm as her share of the proper
~, and her brother, bein' OF IL rovin' turn
of mind, took the few thousands of per-
sonal property as his'n, and invested 'em
in Western lands, which turned out with
less, and he lost every cent he put in.
=. Folks always blamed him for being SO
3. foolish and hasty, and they say grief and
modification like fastened his death.
Wa'al, it turns out now, that they have
put railroad square through the lands
and it's sent real estate way up, nobody
knows where. Miss Kezia has been Of
fered nigh onto eight thousand dollars
for the lands, and they say she'll get ever
so much more if she only holds out"
"You don't mean it!'
II dew; it's as true MS Scripter."
"She1l hold out. never fear,' said the
deacon, "and I hold it to he our bounden
duty as neighbors to advise her to that
end.''
Instead Of lingering as usual for the
village gossip-for the Now Bethany
post-ofice on Saturday night answered
the purpose of weekly paper-the dea-
con seemed in a great hurry to get
home.
1t was the night of the choir rehearsal,
and in driving by the church he saw
- Mary Mead, Miss Kezia's neice, going up
the steps. He suddenly whipped up his
sleepy old mare and drove home at a
breakneck rate of speed.
SHOWS yer time, Solomon Pinch,' he
muttered to himself. sit mebbe long
time afore yen hev' such good chance
agin. She'll be sure to be alone for q
Il couple OF hours or so.-Hi, old lady! NO
:. stoppin' here tonight" he added, giving
I the lines sudden twist as Mary Jane
I showed an inclination to stop before Mrs
= Betsy Hills house; "we've other fish to
-. fry noao, old girl"
az When he reached home he drove the
mare under the horse shed and tied he1
there, instead Of embarrassing her as
! usual. Then he entered the house, and
Z hastily swallowing the scanty supper
(which the hired woman placed before
him, donned his best clothes and drove
= eff again at rapid pace.
+ !: 80 Law sakes alive!" exclaimed the wo.
i man, amazed. "The acacon's got suth-
FIN on his mind, sure! It's the first time
sif ever knew him to disremember to ask
blessin'."
20 - Ever since the death. of his wife Dea.
con Pinch had looked on Miss Kezia as
her probable successor. For years he
- had gazed with covetuous eyes on the
fine Mead farm with substantial build.
ings, but he never could screw his cour-
age up to the point Of facing the snap.
ping, black eyes of its owner. OF late
he had been seen several times knocking
:. at the door of Mrs. Betsy Hills little
house, and the worthy milliner was over.
Hyed at the opening 81 this brilliant
r.. prospect before her. But the news Of
r. the sudden rise in Western lands caused
~ rs. Hill, with her small possessions, to
..si sink into insigni1cancc by the side Of
this rlch woman with her well-tilled
8. acres, her over.dowing barns, and he,
(. prospective thousands of dollars.
arc The idea of failure in his matrimoni
= n venture never for an instant entered
the deecon's head. 1.-THE way afore ye
s,1A - plain and straight as a pipe.stem
Solomon Pinch" he urmured, rubbing
the palms of his hands together as hi
oiNalked toward Miss Kezia's side door
.SAsW oman is mostly alike-eager and will
in to embrace matrimonial opportuni
ties. They'll snap at an offer like ,
hungry trout at worm. She has 20
the money, and hev' got the promi
.auaAWIAsE