Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-06-10

Dolly, To see DAVID N:ggIn Tying Ills
horse at your gate" said Mr.. Blount ro-
guishly, gathering up the reins.
"Nonsense, Brother Anything the
matter with his own hitching post?" re
torted Miss Dolly turning in the door
way.
Mr.. Blount laughed Everybody felt
bound To laugh at Miss Dolly's crisp say
ings that kept her friends in good hui
NOR these forty years.
And when David does call ON you, y
pursued Mr.. Blount more seriously, 81
do hope, Dolly, you'll give him chance
to do his GRAND. That'll be no more
than fair, and the man won't be easy I'M
till he has freed his mind"
What mischief are you fOrerunner
of now, James BIount," cried Miss Dol
ly, facing about like soldier on drill
What on earth have | to do with Da-
yid's errands?'
well, his wife has been dead year
or more" said Mr.. Blount, suggestively,
shutting one eye, and squirting with the
other down the length of mis- whipstalk,
"and lately he has been asking about
you. You can put that and that togeth-
tosuit yourself"
"Fiddlesticksw said Miss Dolly ener-
gctica,ly.
Il shan't say have him or don't have
him though there isn't likelier man
living than David-but | do say, Dolly.
You ought to give him a hearing" and
having convinced himself beyond Il rea-
sonable doubt that the whip was all
right, Mr. Blount tickled his sleepy
horse with il and drove away
oh, my sorrows" calculated Miss
Dolly, closing the door with al afflicted
countcnance, and sitting down SO quiet
~ for once that photographer might
have copied her then and there Not
that he could have done her Justice, for
her expression was to quick and varied
to be caught by any trick ofchemicals,
and without it Miss Dolly's physiogno-
my would have been rather character
less but for her prominent Roman nose
This organ gave tone To her face, By
which | would not be understood literal
ly, rs saying that she talked through Il
nasal whine. | mean simply in Il met
aphorlcal sense, this bold feature spoke
loudly Of energy. And Miss Dolly had
abundant need ofcnergy else why the
nosc2 Every two years during her
childhood She has been tiptoed into the
east bedroom 10 soc new baby till at
her mothers death, five little brothers
fell to her charge to be coaxed and scold-
ed into manhood.
you can't bring up those boys" said
II dolorous aunt They'll run square
over you, Dorothy Almeda
Let them run over me SO long rs it
does not hurt emf laughed Miss Dolly,
skcwlng her flaxcn hair with goose
quill, and tying il calico apron over her
long-short, preparatory to bringing up"
said youths.
From that day forward she went
cheerlly on, making the best of every
thing, though it must be confessed she
often had odds and ends To work with,
rs people usually do have who are born
with i faculty. Somehow she found
time for MI her duties except matrimo-
ny, Ii that were duty, 1t was one she
could not and would not attend to
while her father and the children need
ed her. Diverse young men thought
this Il great pity, among them David
Wlggin. Don't hc silly, DaviJp' said
Dolly, when he limited rs much to her;
whereupen David went of and married
Olive searle, the pleasant girl up in the
parish
This happened thirty years ago, and
David was again wifelcss, and again the
current Of his thoughts turned toward
Dolly, who still lived at the old home
stead mt the foot of Bryant's Falls. Her
father had died some months before
Of the boys, James and Ezekiel had set
tied on neighboring farms, and the re-
naming three had gone west. David's
benevolent heart warmed with compass
sion rs he remembered Dolly's lonely
condition, and he felt that it would be
exceedingly kind in him to offer her n
home, especially rs he owned rs good
Il place rs you would find on the river,
while the Blount cottage was falling
into decay. He wouldn't lie. her former
refusal tell against her, for rs he looked
back, lie couldn't really see how she
could have married any one ut that
period. She ought to be rewarded for
the devotion she had shown to the fam
lily. and for his part he felt magnani-
nous enough To give her second
chance To accept him Such was the
worthy widower's state of mind when
he asked James Blount with mock hu-
militv whether it would ne of any use
for him to try and make bargain with
Dolly.
That's more than | can tell. Mr..
Blount had answered. '.Dolly's Il puz-
zle: you'll have to find her out your
self
Mr. Wiggin smiled in complacent an
ticipation of acceptance, indeed if it
might not seem like reproach to the
memory of his lost Olive. | should say
the klnd-hearted man rejoiced in this
opportunity Of making Miss Dolly s
happiness. Benevolence was in his
face, henevolence was in his spirit, as
he sailed forth at m early day TO ac-
quaint her with her good fortune. The
broken harrow which he had strapped
into the wagon to give the neighbors a
plausible reason for his trip to the
Falls, was by no means typical of men,
tai laceration to its owner. His feel
lngs rs he approached Miss Dolly'S
moss grown cottage was purely one Of
thankfulness that it was III his power to
provide her a better home. Not that
he was grateful to his dead wife for
leaving a vacancy there. Mr.. Wiggin
had mourned faithfully for Olive a year
and day.
Miss Dolly was out in the garden
gathering catnip. She had built chip
fire under the tea kettle and Their
whisked off to pick an apronful Of the
pungent leaves while the water was
boiling, There she was STOPPING be
meath the caves of a log-cabin sun
bonnet, and humming lively tune
when Mr.. Wiggin drove up.
Come, my love, haste away,
piped Miss Dolly cheerily. swapping
away briskly at the stalks.
" Cut short the hours of thy delay;
Fly Ike youthful