The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-07-16

| C1l1O1 III LID 14dU w mlEJC LIS SlOM1up
face. Certainly he had not felt the
heat SO bad through haying.
CLOVIS your health nowadays?"
asked Dolly, frisking back with look
of resolute Inconsistencies.
every good; remarkably goodl I
don't know where you will find man
with tougher constitution than I have
got.
"Ahp and Dolly blushed like a
sumac in October.
eyes, Tn WE'LL" pursued Mr.. Wig
gin, perseveringly, "and I'm tolerable
well-to-do, with nothing to hinder my
marrying again, provided I can see
woman to my mind"
"There's the deacon's widow" sug-
gested Miss Dolly, officiously; "she's
pious, economical ="
"She's left with means enough to carry
her through handsomely" interrupted
Mr.. Wiggin, quickly. "Now, I'd rather
have wife to provide for-one that
needed home. In fact, Dolly, have
my eye on little woman I want this
minute"
He had both eyes on her for that
matter, and Miss Dolly was forced to
recognize the situation, whether she ac-
cepted it or not"
GIVE managed to sweeten my tea so
far, David, without calling upon my
neighbors," chirruped she, STOPPING to
lay straight the braided mat, 'and I
might as well keep on. I don't feel it
tax as some people would. But there's
Martha Dunning, she's having hard
time to get along. Why don't you take
her, David? She'd appreciate such a
nice home as yours"
1t would seem as if most any woman
might" said Mr.. Wiggin, in an injured
tone; all finished off complete, painted
outside and in"
"She'd be delighted with it, I'm sure
Of it, broke in Miss Dolly, with an air
of conviction, as she darted into the
kitchen to lift the boiling kettle from
the crane.
"But you don't mean that you won't
marry me, Dolly" pleaded Mr.. Wiggin,
anxiously following her to the door.
st have been dotin' on SEEM you at
the head Of things at nay house."
"Martha is q grand manager" said
Mics Dolly, coolly. "David needn't
think he can buy me with q new set Of
buildings p she added, mentally, snap
ping down the lid of the pug-nosed tea
pot. 81 never did have the name of
being cropping"
81 tell you, Dolly, l won't have
Martha; I don't like her turnp cried
Mr.. Wiggin, testify balancing himself
on the threshold, yet not daring to step
over it.
Miss Dolly gave her undivided atten-
| ton to wringing the hearth.
"You know you was always the
woman of my choice, Dolly" pursued
Mr.. Wiggin, as tenderly as he could
consistently with the distance between
"And when we were both young"
"Pshaw" snapped Dolly, scorching
her wing, "that's beyond the memory
Of man."
Mr.. Wiggin's position was becoming
painful. Miss Dolly was not to be wen
by the attractions of wealth and po-
sition, nor even by tender illusions of
the past. He would appeal to her kind
ness of heart.
81 used to believe you had some feel
ing, Dolly" said he, TREMENDOUSLY "but
you don't seem to have any for me-
Here am left alone in the world !;
children all paired off, 'thout's Matilda,
and she'll go before the snow flies !;
house empty"
I suppose you can have home with
any of your boys, and welcome" put in
Miss Dolly, still futtering about the
chimney like swallow.
eyes, if it comes to worst, I suppose I
can," assented MIR. Wiggin, mournfully,
anything but consoled by this reflection.
cit would break me up terribly, though,
you may depend, to give up my place
that set SO much by and crowd On my
children"
No respond save the gathering Of the
tongs.
''And it's dreadful melancholy bust
ness for a man at my time of life to drag
along without partner. I'm getting
too old, Dolly" and Mr.. Wiggin brushed
his sleeve across his eyes as ferruled
schoolboy might have done. eyes, I'm
getting to be old, Dolly, and it stands
to reason that I haven't many years to
live but I did hope that we might go
down hill together, Dolly, you chirpin'
ne up with that spry way of your'n that
I always took to, and I carryn' the heft
Of
Here Miss Dolly gave little sniff,
nothing worth mentioning only for the
effect it produced on Mr.. Wiggin.
Cant you make up your mind to have
me, Miss Dolly?" pleaded Mr.. Wiggin.
81 don't see how am going to stand it
if you can't
"Then Miss Martha wouldn't suit, y
said Miss Dolly, archly. "What a
shame now, when she needs property
so much!"
"Hang the property? I'd mortgage
the whole of it rather than not get you y
cried Mr.. Wiggin, with a vehemence
that quite closed her mouth.
And so at last he had Miss Dolly.