Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1882-02-15
III marry her. Men are such fools |"
The sick woman could not forbear q

II marry her. Men are such fools /"
The sick woman could not forbear
smile.
All, but there are no men, no fools
here In this remote corner We see no
one, and the poor child, taken up with
nursing me and tied to sick-room, has
made no acquaintance. 1t is killing
me to see her young life sacrificed and
TO think Of the future"
The mothers tears began TO flow.
Her hearer, never very amiably in
clined toward the weaker sex, OF at ease
in its company, increased shis quarter
deck pacings in much discontinue as
these symptoms Of wnter-works turned
on" became apparent. His hurried
steps soon subsidized, however, TO Q
steady march mp and down the little
drawing-room, while, with frowning
brow and occasional chuckles, he seemed
to be concocting some scheme. After q
few minutes he came to sudden halt
before the invalid's sofa.
Scan the girl act p he asked abruptly.
"Act2 How do you mean? T."
"Oh. You needn't look frightened,
I'm not going to propose sending her to
the Gaiety or the Criterion"
"Well, except in the little make.
believe plays and dressings-up that chill
dren delight in-all children are, I think,
actors born" e. ~, and men and
women too" growled the cynic) Eek
cept that sort of thing she has never
seen or had any opportunity of acting.
Why do you ask ?"
And in reply her brother unfolded the
plan he had been concocting-namely,
that his niece, laying aside her "Trip
perry and her trinkets and other girls
nonsense" was TO put on the mourning
garb and act the part of q widow, in
which assumed character she was to
come to stay with him in his London
home.
"But / don't understand
"And you're not wanted to under
stand," he snarled. "It's MY whim /;
and it may be for the girls advantage,
fishes willing, and can hold her tongue,
I'll come back for her when she's ready.
And I'll pay for her outfit. Grape and
weepers ! Ho, no, ho!"
When her first surprise at her uncle's
strange proposition was over, the young
girl jumped eagerly at the prospect of a
yet had left. She was young and
spirited; at an age when love of variety
and longing to see the world and
plunge into its unknown delights are
natural. The playing the widow she
thought would be excellent fun. There
was spice Of adventure in it, and it
would be like the private theatricals and
acting charades she had read of and i'm
agined so pleasant. The old gentleman's
reason for wishing her to do 80 was
puzzle; but then who could wonder at
he did /? absurd oddity that he
was! Perhaps it was TO avoid having to
provide a chaperon for her; he hated
ladies so, and elderly ones especially.
The result of the scheme we have
seen and the scheme itself was what its
originator proceeded to divulge to the
would-be husband when that individual
presented himself with considerable mis-
giving and agitation on the appointed
morning. .n
CAS- the lady has not turned out to be
what you took her for, is not, in fact, q
widow, perhaps the whole matter may
be of. A disappointment, no doubt.
wound up the uncle with one of his grim
chuckles; "but twas only righs to tell
you in time. Young man, il you can
pardon the deceit, take her."
"Well," exclaimed the young man TO
his fancee, when all things were cleared
up and satisfactorily arranged, and the
engaged pair were talking over the queer
circumstance that brought them together,
al always knew your uncle was eccen.
tric, but this surpasses anything 1 conld
have imagined Of him"