The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-11-18
PETTIDOME'S COURTSHIP.

Y
I was first smitten with Jane ct a
concert. She was tidy, black-eyed
young woman i'll pink ribbons.
thought / had never beheld such Wis
ion of purely mundane loneliness. Per-
haps / never had was young then.
Attending her was a tall, lank youth
with freckled skin and red hair,
against whom / conceived at once an
lnvincible prejudice. I did not know
the young man. Worse still, / did not
know Jane, and worst of all, he did. ]
naturally hated him profoundly for this
advantage.
1t will be unnecessary to relate the
violent means ] took to scrape an ac-
quaintance, how i surreptitiously fol-
lowed the pink ribbons home and
stealthily read the name " Porter" on
the door-plate; how J. haunted the
street in my Sunday till I made
myself an object Of suspicion to the
police; how discovered that her father
was dentist, and that she had a form
Idable step-mother; how found out
che church she attended, and hired a
seat behind her; how I sent her valen.
tines, left anonymous bouquets on the
doorstep, and all, alas to 40 purpose.
1t IS needless to describe my bitter but
futile chagrin all this time at seeing the
red-headed youth frequent the house on
the most familiar terms nothing, GER
talnly. but my native firmness of prin-
clple saved him from assassination.
Driven at length to desperate straits,
l resorted to desperate expedient.
went to consult her father professional.
n.y. / entered his Office with guilty mis-
givings. trembled lest he should
divine my real purpose. He was thin
little man with weak voice and hack.
ing cough, None the less l regarded
him with profound reverence. Nay, ]
invested him with an air OF distinction :
was not he the father of Jane? Indeed.
esteemed it an undeserved honor to be
allowed to remain in his presence, SO
long had I yearned to know somebody
who belonged to her, my hearts idol.
may say, briefly, in passing, that pres
emily recovered from that yearning.
But to return to the point, let me pre-.
mise that had fine teeth. I had never
felt twinge of toothache in nv life.
but nevertheless, that cold, hard, re.
morseless little-but no; will not stig-
matize him now. Poor wretch, his path
was not OF roses, and he has long since
gone the way of all the living. Suffice
1t to say he examined my teeth he
punched and prodded with various
tools he filed to find nerve; he failed
to make me vince. 1 think he was very
much disappointed; nevertheless he pre-
served ON ominous silence. consulted
MS face he wore an inscrutable but de.
Cermlned expression. I asked him
feebly If he found anything requiring
attention. He uttered vague and in.
articulate exclamation and proceeded to
set forth a tray of notwithstanding in.
struments; wrenches, gouges, vises,
hooks, files, pinchers and scrapers. to.
gether with much cotton wool and cold
water, as though no expected hemor-
rhage. My heart began to beat like q
trlp-hammer and my stomach felt as
though it were sinking intoa bottomless
pit. l affected to laugh, while a clammy
perspiration bedt We'd my forehead.
=" Ha ha =" cried hoarsely. "Why,
doctor, you look as though you-you
were preparing for campaign"
The doctor with q grim taciturnity
went on with his preparations, during
which every shred of courage oozed
from my craven heart.
" Do-do you find that there is much
to be done ?" l asked at length, huskily.
We shall see better, presently" he
returned coldly, as he examined the
point of q fiendish-lookiDg instrument
and waited for me to resume recum-
bent position. lay back submissively,
and he began to file away on maguifi-
cent molar
maintained my self-control by con-
stantly repeating: "Itis James father,
and, after all, what signifies one tooth %
During pause in his proceedings.
while he stopped to rest his arms, 1 took
advantage of the opportunity to make
n slight advance.
DR.. Porter" I began, "you are
ahem-haven't l seen you at the Rev.
DIR. Longtext's church?"
Quite likely"
text?"
-. don't agree with YOU"
"Ah, indeed, that isl meant to say
1t is pleasant to go there on account of
the music"
"The choir is abominable,"
This was not encouraging. l subse-
quently learned that, having for many
years been dragged to this church by
his strong-minded wife, DIR. Porter held
everything connected with it in detesta-
ton.
After this rebuff I lay back again in
the operating-chair, seeing no other al
Tentative This time he began on the
upper jaw. y
"What, another? Excuse me-" 1 cried.
struggling into sitting posture. ''Pray
excuse me, but--er--do you thinks
there anything-what can be the matter
with that tooth ?"
The implacable little doctor looked
coldly out of the window and made no
reply.
!" I think" 1 continued, weakly, "I
think that perhaps 1 won't have any
thing more done at this time"
Gas you please, returned the doctor.
with an air of displeasure.
Why, of course, added nervously.
" shall do whatever you say, but Ter
do you think there is any pressing
hurry?"
"Ahem; you must take the RESPONSE
blllty of waiting, sir " replied the doctor
with an air that need not be described
go onl" l said with a groan. as T
lay back on the rack.
Lying thus supinely, while he with
main strength honeycombed another
splendid grinder, bethought me of a
new tack, and so, taking advantage Of
the next breathing spell, I began:
Doctor-er-have you-er-a daugh
that isl have noticed young lady
IN your pew, and II thought perhaps
she might be relative of yours ?"
yes ! replied my tcrmentor. with a
rising infection, as he got out more
cotton wool.
was thinking er-of getting up
ERA little picnic; it is so desirable to
promote sociability among the young
people Of the church, should like to
invite her if-that is"
| hesitated and blushed. The doctor
sharpened his instrument and coughed
dryly.
"My dalohter knows too y,,o,,,, 1885,.