The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-12-22
| know I should be, If I'd

NOW uoHt-pTHy 0O0 u = ne Salu,
in ludicrous distress, fear that he had
been too precipitate in putting up his
frame house" before he was sure of
her, filling him with vague terror.
You know amt any such sort of q
feller, now, come. You know I'm true
blue-you' d trust me. come now. Su-
san, YOU know you would" NNA
II don't know, Mr.. Bradlec; Ishould
ha' trusted him; but he hasn't been
here, and heard he went down to
MOntford House most as soon as he
got home. and that he was out a-walk-
in till nigh dark with that young girl he
picked up out of the snow"
"Wall now" said Ned. quite taken
aback by this account of his favorite's
perfidy, II wouldn't ha' believed it of
Ralph. declare wouldn't. But meb-
be twas somethin' special, and he'll be
round bimeby.''
'.But it's nine O. clock now, Mr.. Brad
lee ="
81 du wish you'd call me Ned" he
interrupted, .coaxingly, land as for its
being nine o'clock. don't know; l
never can tell what time it's. here.
Now, to home it's so lonesome, know
every minute by heart. it stays SO long
I suppose it pities me because I'm SO
alone" 81 NHtEa w....ar.E
"Why do you stay alone. then?" she
asked. inEocently. '.You might get a
hot sekeeper. should Think -
"Confound it! that's what I've been
tryin' to do ever since last spring." he
cried, growing very red in the face, and
feeling instinctively that the crisis was
upon him and must be met
"Have you tried many?" she asked.
serenely. IA R&NA.1, .rr.t..
"Many! 1 hain't tried nary one.
Fve been too darned bic n coward
that's what's the matter! But I'm in
for it now, by jingo!-look here, Susan,
will you hev me?-say quick!-UW you
hev me?" he cried, in a sort of pa
thetic distress. .
Why, Mr.. Bradlee, how abrupt YOU
are! l don't believe 1 bad better
change my name--I never thought L
should until-until," and Mrs. Bugbee
pau ell in girlish confusion, and really
luShed. e aE#s
Until you see me? Glory! You
mean that, don't you. now. my dear?
Hallelujat! When can read my title
clear-Exalt the stem of Jesse's rod,
and crown him lord of all-hoorayr'
cried Ned, catching Mrs. Bugbee in his
arms. " ..-- ..
Hush, Edward" making a little
show of struggle.
80 bother! A fellow don't pop the
question every night. leastways don't.
Susan, let us be married at once t."
cried the enthusiastic lover.
I've not said Id marry you at all,
you terrible fellow" she said, smiling
coquettishly. "but if l should, L
couldn't think of being married under
a month. certainly"
"A month"; he cred, starting back.
"Pretty near that, think. You see
q woman has so much to do, and this is
so sudden, 1 don't know what Mr.. Ar
mold will say; I'm sure don't"
"And don't care, nuther. Look o
here, Susan: I've been forty-five years
a-makin' up my mind, and now It's
1sade up, I'm just going ahead, and
I'd like to catch Tom Arnold, or any
other man, a tryin' to stop me. | tell
you what I'll do; | II split the diff
ference, and call it two weeks. Come,
that's fair, now; two weeks from to-
night, and not another mnnitr
From the fact that Mrs. Bugbee gave
a fortnights "warning" to Mr.. Arnold
the next morning. it is 10 be supposed
that the difference was duly ''split,"
as possibly she intended it should be-
"This is veyatious," excla med Tom
Arnold, coming into the room where
Blanche sat nursing her wrath toward
Ralph; here Bugbee going off in two
weeks; l would like to Know what am
10 do. i believe when YOU get mar
ried I'll let You carry on the housekeep-
ing, and viii be Just hoarder."
Il was not aware | was going to be
married. / am afraid Your role of
'boarder' will have to wait some time"
she replied carelessly. .... ...
Il rather thought you might be mar
ried before Ralph went away again; he
is one of those impetuouS fellows"
Il wish. father. a slow color burning |
itself into her check, "that YOU would
not speak of my marrying Ralph He
has never asked me 10, IN IGOr,fS. and a |
woman has no business to mind any
thing else"
Tom Arnold looked up quickly. and |
.
he did not speak. Ten minutes |
afterwards he was riding down thes
prairie road at a swift gallop.
Il don, care if he is my sisters child |
twenty times over; he shall not tritie
with my girl, by Heaven" he cried,
angrily. .....- ....-..
There was faint flutter of snow in
the air, and a cutting north wind came |
up across the prairieS, and swept down |
the river, rulfiing the dark current |
fringed with shining folds of new made
ice with little. shivering. sobbing pal
pitations of chill and dread. But Tom |
Arnold's blood was up, and the per-
spiration came out on his forehead. and
once Or twice he put up his disengaged /
hand and looSened the handkerchief at |
his throat with a little gesture, as
though he were sitting.
Ralph Anderson was sitting by the |
window, gazing steadily out at the sky.
but doubt if he would have seen it if |
there had been fiery sword suspended |
there, directly before his eyes But |
when his uncle dashed up directly be-
fore the windows, and the fiery eyes and
distended nostrils of his powerful roam
stallion were so c,ose to the glass against
which Ralph leaned that it was OBJ
scured by the steam from his nostrils,
he started involuntarily. and turned |
round Just as his unc,e threw open the
door. Something in the flushed face and
firm lip-scme;hing 81 unusual from the
gay, genial, joyous expression which
usually characterized it-sent little
chill of apprehension to his heart, quick
ened. possibly, BY the circumstance that
he did not feel quite satisfied with either
his own conduct. heart or feelings But
Tom Arnold never beat about the bush;
hiS ahr,,,,tno-c and q,