Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-03-18
LAW VERSUS LOVE.

the name-and sympathy for the con-
dition. He was welI-to-do In the world,
if owning fine farm and being plain
tiff in a lawsuit is any criterion. Aside
from Mr.. Popkin's misfortune in being
bachelor, he had one fault-a general
aversion to female society and partic
ular aversion to Miss Sallie Hopkins,
the defendant in the above named law
suit.
Now, be it known, that though Miss
Sallie's name was put down on the list
of o. Ms told maids), she was the
roundest, cosiest, dimple-cheeked spin
lister that ever lived in Lincoln. She
has the softest brown eyes, with trick
of looking down and peeping under the
lashes, perfectly bewildering, and her
hair waved and shone in such man.
ner that susceptible lady like you and
me would have felt an irresistible de-
sire to have sole ownership of the nut
brown locks.
But, however fascinating Miss Sallie
was to the sex in general, as | have
said, between her and Mr.. Popkins
there was deadly feud, and the cause
Of all the trouble was a meadow,
spreading far and wide and unconscious
between Miss Sallie's and Mr.. Popkins'
farm.
Now the truth of the matter was this:
The meadow justly belonged to Mr..
Popkins, but instead of going to Miss
Sallie and frankly stating the case, he
must serve process of law. Miss Sal
lie flew all to pieces, and declared that
she would maintain her right at any
cost.
From the manner In which it ended
she could see that had Mr.. Popkins
gone to her himself she would have re-
linquished it gracefully, but a woman
has mortal terror of being forced to do
anything. Tie q string around her
neck, feed her sugar plums, and you
can lead her to the jumping off place,
but to drive her, and for obstinacy she
will beat Mark Twain;s mule all to
pieces.
When Miss Sallie met Mr.. Popkins
on the street her nose was decidedly
"retrousse," and Mr.. Popkins looked
like an automaton Cardiff giant. The
neighbors were forced to take part in
the case, and when invitations were is
sued for the regular tea-parties those
who invited Mr.. Popkins were obliged
TO omit Miss Sallie, and vice versa.
In the meantime the lawsuit dragged
its slow length along from session to
session, from term to term, until it was
as familiar as A sc. But the fate had
taken in the destiny of these two OBJ
stinate individuals and soon brought
matters to most satisfactory concIu-
sion, though the unconscious mediator
Inv n John
tragedy daily enacted,
There lived close to these belligerents
good-natured old man, nearly as deaf
as post, who had the greatest faculty
for laundering on unfortunate facts of
any individual known in either ancient
or modern history.
He never heard anything correctly,
and II was an utter impossibilitv to try
to explain, and if you attempted it you
would find elffloundering in per-
feet sloHgn of despair.
Miss Sallie and Mr.. Popkins had re-
Ceived notice that their case would
come up for the final hearing in Har-
row on Tuesday of next week. Miss
Sallie concluded to take the stage;
Uncle Ben Dropper, our deaf friend,
had business a little distance on the
road, and he would take the stage too;
and Mr. Popkins' saddle horse fell sick
just as he was needed, and there being
no time for other arrangements, he
must take the same conveyance.
Miss Salhe came floating down to the
gate with white ribbons and bows, and
dainty dress, sufficient to bewilder q
Cfn ~
sphinx, and saw approaching from the
opposite side her foe, in immaculate
broadcloth and shirt front. For mo-
ment the color rushed to her cheeks,
and she half resolved to 60 back, but to
be outdone by q man, and he Pop
kins, was not to be thought of, so she
stepped into the coach with an air of
sixteen Queen Victorias, elevating her
head until it made an acute angle with
her nose, and became sublimely IN
conscious of any ones presence. Mr..
Popkins seated himself as though l.
had swallowed whole foundry, and
had his pockets full of eggs for dessert.
just then came Uncle Ben, putting and
blowing, utterly unconscious of the
oatfs of the impatient Jehu.
GOOD morning, Miss Sallie," said he
carefully seating himself beside her.
Good morning, Mr.. Popkins. And
where might you be going, and what
for?'
'sTo Harrow" said Mr.. Popkins, in
his most polite manner, answering the
first question and ignoring the last.
"Du telll' and the round face fairly
beamed with placid surprise. "Going
to marry?. Well, 1 told Hester last night
that was the suit after all. There air.
no more capable girl anywhere than
Sallie, and I'm glad you found it out.
And Mr.. Popkins is wonderfully
clever" turning to Sallie," and instead
of their being two farms and lawsuit
there need be only one. Law, bless
me-" rubbing his hands with increased
satisfaction, ''if it amt a tip-top ar
rangement!'
Mr.. Popkins clutched at his throat as
though he was chosking to death, and
made spasmodic efforts to utter a word
of explanation, but his tongue was ut
terly palsied and failed him in this
emergency. Miss Sallie, with face of
the deepest rose color, placed her hand
to her mouth aid shouted so as to star
tie the horses:
81 am going to see Mr.. o bust
ness:
Oh, day of bunders! Mr.. Stiles was
her lawyer, but the unfortunate girl was
unaware that a Presbyterian minister
had the same dignified cognomen.