The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-10-11

Dear father; think how sick you've been,
What aches and pains you know;
On, drink no more, and then you'll find
A home where'er you CO."
Thus spake in tenderness the child
The drunkard's heart was moved;
He signed the pledge, he went, he smiled,
And kissed the boy he loved
NOT GROOMSMAN.
What time is it Madeline?" asked Gafft
Hitchcock, carefully folding the evenin
paper, and placing it on the table.
The person addressed-a tall, slende,
| woman about thirty -fve-looked up from
her knitting, and answered with pleasan
smile:
"About half-past eight, believe, and
rising, began to put her work away.
CATERS question had been for the las
six years the signal for retiring to rest, and
although it was full an hour and a half be
fore the usual hour, Madeline never though
for moment of hesitating to obey.
Something hes occurred, " she thought
and he will toll me before long," for Gaf
fer had leoke& at his watch at sight, and
few minutes ssaer, and at a quarter past hat
changed his oirszs1, and couged uneasily, ani
now he asked:
| w nat Clm0 ~ lCI''
| Madeline was the orphan daughter of al
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 ant
won by Frank Reynolds and went to dis
tant city to live. CATER had made terri.
BILE to-do about her marrying, called her ar
urgrateful good nothing, and declared
it was proper punishment for taking her il
the beginning; but, nevertheless, spared NJ
expense on the wedding trosseau. Ant
when, about nine years after, she came
back to her old home, widowed and child.
less, she was tenderly welcomed by tht
lonely man, for the grass waved over the
grave of the good, true 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 il
plenty; those who would at any momen1
have laid heart, fortune and hand at he1
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 so 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 MOI
| attention, but left her always free to listen
to him when he spoke, or play chess wher
the whim seized him, that he felt no zeal
at the attentions she received. He seldom
spent an evening from home unless Mad.
| cline was with him; and he had never left
| his native city since she came home. He
| fhir1>irov of oil to i~p% 1o
watched her folding her work so carefully.
"What are you going to do, Madeline?'
he asked at last.
"Going to put 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"
mo, it amt" said CATER, grufay; "come
back here, want to talk with you-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 more that you make
| such fuss about this pair2"
Eyes, have pair on, believe, and ir
case of emergency could borrow of you.
CATER sat for few moments III perfec
| silence; at last, with violent effort anc
with very much the air of man who hac
| inst made up his mind to have tooth pulled
| said:
"Maddy, I am going away"
"Going ngaway!" she repeated. where to-
pray?"
The tone of surprise in which the ques-
ton was asked fully satisfied CATER of tho
Importance of the revelation.
IN Nou, Vor1-.
hue is going to be married on New Years
Day, and wants me to be groomsman
Who would have thought old Bonnehut
| would have got married at last; why, he's
| at least ten years older than I, and an
most fifty. You see, Maddy, child, your
old bachelor friend is not too old TO get
married yet. Dreadful pity leap year is
most over; here I am, a hale, hearty man
in the prime of life, with plenty of money
to support wife, and no wife forthcom
ing. But what makes you so quiet-don't
you want me to go?"
mo, said Madeline, gravely, II would
rather you would not go; I had made diff
| erent calculations for New Years; in fact,
rather think of getting married myself"
Madeline, are you crazy?" and Gaffel
fairly bounded in his chair with astonish
| ment. why, what will become of the
| house? what will become Of me? II
starve, know shallr'
"You might live with me-" remarked
Maddy, in the same grave, business ik.
| tone.
"You know very WE'LL" said CATER, testi.
ly, that never could live with anothe
man in the house; I should put him out be-
fore the honeymoon was over. And wht
may the happy man be? some blind old do
tard? some conceited dandy? some LAM
mendicant? some lazy vagabond who sing
love ditties to carry away CATERS money
Or--Or-
CATER did not stop for breath, but fo
lack of sufficiently expressive words to con
vey his destation of the projected union.
mo, said Madeline; "he is not blind OF
hesitated for moment, and then contin.
| ued slowly, "he is neither very young no.
very old, very kind or very cross, very
good or very bad, very rich nor very poor
but think he likes me-"
"Of course he has told you SO in mos
affecting tones;" muttered CATER ironi
callv.
NO" she said quietly, she has not"
Madeline, are you crazy! or going into {
dotage? Why did you not tell me that you
were so anxious to get married? and
would have advertised in all the daily pa
pers for suitable lover for widow no
very far advanced in life, we'll preserved
and anxious to leave CRATER Hitchcock
Why did you not tell me all this?" and hi
face clouded woefully. Its too bad, Maddy
would never have believed you would gt
away again; it was bad enough to leave me
when sister was here, but now, now, VIII.
Maddy! Maddy! think better Of lido, ant
don't leave me alone, child
Made]ine's fingers worked nervously! how
she longed for the knitting work! "Gaffer,
she said without looking up, perhaps to-
morrow you will not feel so badly about it
It is no sudden thing, my determination t.
get married; have thought about it fol
over year, and yet last night would hav'
said there was no telling when the wedding
would take place"
Poor CATER seemed perfectly undone al
the news Madeline had impaired, but q
her last words he started from his seat, ani
drawing up chair took seat in front O
her. 1T is not too late then," he said hi
face radiant with hope. "You can yet re-
treat; oh! by the memory of past days; b:
the solemn agreement entered into will
your father, to guard his little girl; by al
the years I have loved and striven to serv
| you, do not leave nae now; you know tha
it would be taking away my life to PAL
! with you" He took the two cold hand il
his. will you leave me? Dare you leav
me?" Still no answer. IF you would b
happy away from me, my dear girl, say SO
and CATER will not say another word; speak
! Maddy, speak; don't mind me.
The face Of the woman was averted, bu
| the words, though soft and tremulous. wer'
distinctly heard by the anxious man befor
l = r k@ 1~o