Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-06-29
CHOOSING A WIPE.

In from the bayfield, came John West
lake and went into the cool sitting.room.
threw himself upon n sofa. picked up n
paper. and read as follows:
"A young man having matrimony In view
SHOULD ascertain before taking this important
tondcd one am. Many man has hal hath
fortune aud happiness wrecked by overlook
ing this Important point.
ANY man, by little strategy. can obtain
The dcsircd Information. he can have some
business NJ her fathers house early IN the
morning. or VI she lives by the Roadside, bc cnn
ride ~ and glance IN nj the open door or win.
upw and thus see which. mother or daughter,
cooks the breakfast.
'tlr he can take position behind some tree.
n tho orchard. commanding n view of the
harn-yard, and hnd out who does the milking
nc sngwledge can be obtained aud II should
~ obtained ~ some means. aud In this caSg
the ond justinrs the means"
What paper i this?" said John.
looking fur the heading. 1.-THE Cramp-
ton HcTgid Yes. and this is good adj
vice for n farmers son. Now solilo-
quizcd he. 81 have about concluded
To marry Mary johnson that l., II she
will have me. and think she will-but
! must confess that I do not know much
about her abilities n n housc-kecper. I
Know that everything in their house
that Il, as far "a have seems i'm per-
feet order; but who takes care Of the
house don. : know perhaps Mary. per-
haps Mrs. johnson. MARY. know. has
taste. for she comes into company ne
neatly dressed as any young woman i'm
the ncighborhood; but then she has had
the advantage IL two or three Years
city schooling. which fact may account
Tor her knowledge II dress. hut II srplIrs
somewhat against her knowledge of
domestic affairs will find out
John, dinner sail his little sister
Kate Poking her curly head in at the
While eating. John outlined plan Of
operation.
II WILL thought he. "gct M earlv
Tomorrow morning 20 across the
meadow tO JuhnsOn's corn-feld. then
through the coru-iicld 10 the barn-vard.
cross the barn-yard to the meadow
fence ami Then creep along this until I
get to the bushes In front Of the sum-
mcr-kitchcn window. wlpre I will hide.
anu there, not more than n rod away. |
can see everything that goes on.
Nhat n splendid General I'll make.n
SAN ne, chuckling. rs he went To the
hed ~ himself; and the more he CON
templated his plan the more he became
convinced Of Its brilliancy Of conccp-
ton and ease ~ execution.
IL will tell Mary" said he. "of NV
strategy after we are married that i.
~ she suits me, and | think she will.
Love- continued he, lis said In be
blind. hut | will show Mr.. Cupid that n
he has pierced my heart he has NOT NJ.
lcc.e1 my vision. And again. getting
married y said tn be like putting your
manu- INTO bag In which are ninety
n'uu SNAKES and one eel, and know Just
where IN reach for IT,"
Next morning John arose very early.
dressed quickly, and went down stairs
very quietly.
Going first 10 the barn he went half
way around II 10 get IL between himself
and the house, and then struck n bec-
Inc across the new-mOwn meadow to-
wards Squire Johnson's corn-field.
lie had not gone far before he heard
noise behiDd him. and looking around
he saw his old dog Nero at his heels.
Go home. YOU old scoundrcl. 90
homcl exclaimed John. iiercely.
Nero looked mp into his masters face
win an injured expression. then turned
round and trotted slowly homcward.
The COMPOUNDED old scamp.n mut-
tercd John, "wOuld have all the
'Squire's dogs about me i'm less than n
minute anu Then goodbye To my plan"
Mary johnson was the daughter. as
we have seen. Of Squire johnson. who
hVeu on the farm adjoining Westlake's.
She was handsome. intelligent girl.
anu OF course good sc-keeper. as
most Intelligent country girls are. and
as al girls ought to be. Mary's several
years nj school had made some chance
in her, bat John found To his sorrow
that she had not lost the habit Of early
rising.
This morning she arose somewhat
earlier than usual and went to the harm
yard To do the milking. A she was
about To begin she glanced towards the
corn-held aud saw some one coming.
Who can that hep" she said. "As
SURF ~ the world It's John Westlakol I
wonder what he l. afierl And he's
coming right here. and I've nothing ON
but this thin gown! Oh, dcarl what
shall I do2''
Her hrst impulse was to run, but oh
serving that he was coming very can
tously. "a n IN fear IT being seen. and
knowing that she was undiscovered
curiosity prompted her To- STAY: 40 0lid-
ing behind n hay-stack near by. she was
In a position 10 note his actions undis-
covered.
Coming 10 the barn-yard. ne ran
across V. In a half.stooping posture. to
the meadow fence. Getting inside. ne
began 10 creep along the fence towards
the house. much like n savage trying 90
steal upon his enemy.
What does he meanPm said MARY.
her blue eyes dilating in wonder.
The summer-kitchen was n short dis
lance from the main building and be-
tween q and the meadow fence was the
spring.
Prom the spring issued quite a large
stream. howing under the fence and
across the meadow. Where IL flowed
under the fence. near the summer kitch-
On, was a small but dense thicket of
alders. briars and wild grape-vines.
This was the point for which John
was making.
Arriving within a few rods of the
house. he ran, STOPPING. across the liz!
tie open space Of meadow between the
fence and stream then, behind the
alders that lined the bank be hurried
along until he reached the thickef- into
which he crawled. and fixed himself 20
mat ne could have view Of the win
Mary I. eyes flashed in anger.
30. John. said she. s.vou have
been reading the Champion Herald
Well, We'll see how much information
yonl II obtain for your trouble"
Then. taking roundabout way. so
mat DO might not see her, Mary entered