The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1881-11-22
PETTIBONE'S OOURTSHI d.


young woman in pink ribbons.
thought had never beheld such
a vision of purely mundane loveliness
Perhaps | never had was young
then. Attending her was tall, lank
south with freckIed skin and red
hair, against whom | conceived al
once an invincible prejudice. | 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 | surreptitiously fol-
lowed the pink ribbons home and
stealthiIy read the name Porter" on
the door-plate; how | haunted the
street in nv Sunday-clothes till [
made myself an object of suspicion 10
the police; how | discovered that her
father was a dentist, and that she had
a idablestep-mother; now / found
out the church she attended. and
hired seat behind her; how [ sent
her valentines, left anonymous bou-
quets on the door step. and all, alas,
to no purpose. 1t is needless to de-
scribe my bitter but futile chagrin all
this time at seeing the red-headed
youth frequent the house on the most
familiar terms; nothing. certainly, but
nv native frmness Of principle saved
him from assassination.
Driven at length to desperate
straits, resorted to a desperate expe-
dent. | went to consult her father
professionally. | entered his ocffie
with guilty misgivings. / trembled
lest he should divine my real purpose.
He was a thin little man with a weak
voice and hacking cough. None
the less regarded him with profound
reverence. Nay, l invested him with
an air of distinction; was he not the
father of Jane? Indeed, | esteemed
it an undeServed honor to be allowed
TO remain in his presence, so long
had | yearned to know somebody
who belonged to her, my hearts idol.
may say, briefly, in passing, that
presently recovered from that vearn-
ing. But to return to the point, let
me premise that [ had fine teeth. /
had never felt twinge of toothache
in my life, but nevertheless, that cold.
hard, remorseless Iittle-but no;
will not stigmatize him now, Poor
wretch, his path was not of roses, and
he has long since gone the way of all
the living. Suffice it TO say he ex-
amined nv teeth; he punched and
prodded with various tools; he fled To
find a nerve; be failed to make me
vince. / think he was very much
disappointed; nevertheless he pre-
served an ominous silence, | con
suited his face; he wore an inscrutable
but determined expression. | asked
him feebly if he found anything re-
quiriDg attention. He uttered a
vague and inarticulate exclamation
and proceeded to set forth tray of dia-
bolical-looking instruments; wrenches,
gouges, vises, hooks, fie., pin b is
and scrapers, together with much
cotton wool and cold water, as though
ne expected a hemorrhage. My heart
began to beat like trip-hammer and
my stomach felt as though it were
sinking into bottomless pit / at
feeted to laugh, while a clammy per-
spiration believed my forehead.
''Ha! ha!" l cried, hoarsely. "Why,
doctor, you look as though you-you
were preparing for campaign"
The doctor with a grim taciturnity
went on with his preparations, during
which evry shred of courage oozed
from my craven heart.
'Do-do you find that there is
much to be doae?" | asked at length,
huskily.
1--WE shall see better, presently" he
returned coldlv, as he examined the
point of a fiendish looking instrument
and waited for me TO resume a recum-
bent position. l lay back submis-
lively, and he began TO file away ON a
magnificent molar.
maintained my self-control by con-
stantly repeating: "It is James
father, and, after all, what signifies
one tooth ?"
During pause in his proceedings.
while he stopped to rest his arms, l
took advantage to make slight ad-
vance.
"Dr. Porter" 1 began, "you are
shem-haven't | seen you at the Rev.
DR.. Longtext's church,"
Quite likely"
"Very fine preacher, Mr.. Long
sextT
Il don't agree with you"
"Ah, indeed, that isl meant to
&