The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-10-12
NOR GR00MsMAN.


NOT GROOMSMAN.
What time is it Madeline?" asked CATER
Hitchcock, carefully folding the evening
paper, and placing it on the table.
The person Addressed tall, slender
woman about thirty -fve-looked up from
her knitting, and answered with pleasant
smile:
"About half-psst eight, believe" and,
rising, began to puther work away.
CATERS question had been for the last
six years the signal for retiring to rest, and,
although it was full an hour and q half be-
fore the usual hour, Madeline nevsr thought
for moment of hesitating to obey.
Something has occurred, 7" she thought,
Aand he will tell me before long," for Gaf-
fer had looked at his watch at sight, and
few minutes after, and at e quarter past had
changed his chair, and couged uneasily, and
now he asked:
"What time is it?"
Madeline was the orphan daughter oil an
old schoolmate; CATER had taken her home
with him when she was only ten years old,
and his sister had cared for her with moth
erly solicitude, until she was wooed aud
won by Frank Reynolds and went to dis
tant city to live. CATER had made terri
BILE to-do about her marrying, called her an
urgrateful good for nothing, and declared
it was proper punishment for taking her in
the beginning; but, nevertheless, spared no
expense on the wedding trosseau. And
when, about nine years after, she came
back to her old home. widowed and child.
less, she was tenderly welcomed by the
lonely man, for the grass waved over the
grave of the good, true hearted sister.
For six years she had kept house for him,
cared for him, humored him, and made
everything bend to his comfort, as few
daughters ever do. Lovers she had in
plenty; those who would at any moment
have laid heart, fortune and hand at her
feet; and when CATER heard that Madeline
had refused them, he chuckled at their dis
comfture and smoothed her soft, brown
hair, telling her she was good girl, every
way worthy of their love, only he knew that
she would never leave him.
He had grown 80 accustomed to seeing
her happy, contented face by the opposite
side of the fire, with some kind of work in
her hands, that occupied neither brain nor
attention, but left her always free to listen
to him when he spoke, or play chess when
the whim seized him, that he felt no fear
at the attentions she received. He seldom
spent IN evening from home unless Mad
cline was with him; and he had never left
his native city since she came home. He
was thinking of all this tonight, as he
watched her folding her work so carefully.
@What are you going to do, Madeline?"
he asked at last.
Going to pit away my work, she an
swered, simply.
What are you putting it away for?"
You asked me the time, and that is
equivalent to saying I am tired of you,
Madeline; go to bed
No, it amt" said CATER, grufiiy; come
back here, want to talk with yon-there,
let that knitting work alone. What is it,
that you are in such hurry to finish it?"
Stockings, answered Madeline, senten-
tiously; stockings for Madeline Reynolds.
Haven't you any moro that you make
such fuss about this pair?"
Yes, have pair on. believe, and in
case of emergency could borrow of you."
CATER sat for few moments in perfect
silence; at last, with violent effort and
with very much the air of a man who had
inst made up his mind to have tooth pulled
said:
1Maddy, I am going away"
Going away!" she repeated. Where to,
pray2"
The tone of surprise in which the ques-
ton was asked fully satisfied CATER Of the
importance of the revelation.
Yes! am going to New York; Bonne-
hue is going to be married on New Years
Day. and wants me to be groomsman.
Who would have thought old Bonnehue
would have got married at last; why, he's
at least ten years older than I, md I am
most fifty. You see, Maddy. child, your
old bachelor friend is not too old 10 get
married yet. Dreadful pity leap year is
most over; here am, a hale, hearty man,
in the prime of life. with plenty of money
to support q wife, and no wife forthcom-
ing. But what makes you SO quiet-don't
you want me to GO"
aNo, said Madeline, gravely, II would
| rather you would not 60; had made diff
erent calculations for New Years; in fact,
rather think of getting married myself
Madeline, are you crazy?" and CATER
fairly bounded in his chair with astonish-
ment. Why, what will become Of the
house2 what will become of nae? I'll
starve, know shall:'
You might live with me, /" remarked
Maddy, in the same grave, business like
tone.
You know very well, said CATER, testi-
ly, that never could live with another
man in the house; I should put him out be-
fore the honeymoon was over. And who
may the happy man be? some blind old do
| tard? some conceited dandy? some lame
mendicant? some lazy yagabond who sings
love ditties TO carry away CATERS money?
or--or-"
CATER did not stop for breath, but for
lack of sufficiently expressive words to con-
vey his destation of the projected union.
No, said Madeline; ahe is not blind or
lame, or seeking after your fortune" She
hesltated for q moment, and then contin-
ued slowly, she is neither very young nor
very old, very kind or very cross, very
good or very bad, very rich nor very poor
but think he likes me"
4Of course he has told you SO in most
affecting tones;;" muttered CATER ironi-
callv.
NO. she said quietly, ahe has not
Madeline, are you crazy or going into q
+. dotage? Why did you not tell me that you
would have advertised in all the daily pa
| pers for suitable lover fora widow not
very far advanced in life, well preserved,
aud anxious to leave CRATER Hitchcock.
Why did you not tell me all this?n and his
face clouded woefuliy. lis too bad. Mat3dy,
would never have believed you would go
away again; it was bad enough TO leave me
wheD sister was here, but now, now, why
| MaddyI Maddy !! think better Of lido, and
don't leave ne alone, child"
Madeline's fingers worked neryously! how
she longed for the knitting work! CATER, :
she SAID without locking up, perhaps to-
| morrow you will NOS feel SO badly about it.
1t is no sudden thing my determination te
| get married !; I have thought about it fsr
over year, and yet last night would have
said there was no telling when the wedding
| would take place."