Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-05-11
NUMBER FIFTEEN.

| write a story. Some authors like to
commence a story in the middle and
work at both ends; but that isn't my
way. or, rather it wouldn't be my way if
l was in the habit of writing stories,
which, thank Heaven, l am not. I get
my living in a respectable way, by the
sweat of my brow, not by writing liesfo
newspapers. Consequently I've but one
story to write, and that is my own.
My..name is Roderick McStivers, and
Pm a native of the good old town ofTad-
mouth; Pm forty years old if I'm q day,
and, if l do say it, as good looking for
my age as any man you ever set eyes on.
Twenty years ago l was fully as hand
some as | am now, and at that time I
was engagedt to the charming Mary Black,
the belle of falmouth. That was the
beginning of all my woe-that engage
ment. l was poor then Il own the largest
boot mandatory in falmouth to-day
and the Lord only knew when 1 should
be able to marry Mary. But she said
she didn't care, she could wait two or
three centuries Just as we'll as not, if I'd
only be true to her meantime
Sooner shall the blue ocean melt to air,
Sooner shall earth resolve itself to sea,
Than l resign thine image, oh nv fair! '
Or think of anything excepting thee.
That's just what / said. You wouldn't
think, to look at me now, hat 1 could
say anything quite so soft as the above,
would you, chi? Bless you! l had more
poetry in my head twenty years ago
than you could shake a stick at.
Many are poets who have never penn'd
Their inspirations, and percnance the best.
That's what's the trouble with me. If
l hadn't confined myself to leather, I
should have played the deuce with :the
nine" Well, you understand from the
above that Mary and | were all right. |
swore that I'd be true, and she dittoed;
but, bless me, my dear sir, the sweet
girl had q father, and he was not so
young as we were by several years.
"Those We're days when my heart was
Volcanic" but the old gentleman's palpi-
tator was as hard and cold as a cast-iron
grindstone. The pa,ernal Black did not
believe much in love, you see.
he had married for money, and, in
his opinion. that was the only thing
worth marrying for; and so, instead Of
throwing his only child away upon a
miserable vagabond like myself, he very
unceremonlously showed me the door
one evening, and the very next day
brought a lover of his own choosing
home to Mary. The lovers name was
Bunsby, and he rolled in gold, METAPHOR
ically speaking; owned a fine house in
New York, and had horses, carriages
and servants "too numerous to men
ton" Oh, why should 1 linger over
this period of my existence Pm sure l
don't know why, and hang me if | do.
You guess the rest. Mary was daz-
zled with her new lovers wealth. She
forgot poor Roderick McStivers, and
married rhos. Bunsby, ESQ, and IL,
alas, was not invited to the wedding!
Anything more heartless than The above
car scarcely be imagined. l uppose l
might have "gone into mourning"
They told me | couldn't be a nun on &C
count of my sex.
"Oh, what shall l do?' I asked, in a
voice that sounded horribly strange, not
withstanding that it was my own. 1
defy you to tell me what 1 did do. In
the light OF my twenty years experience
am convinced that l did the best thing
l could under the circumstances. I
Ad1A IL boaISlilS ultSlleSS. DIG
was 35 and l was 20 years of age; she
was
A maid unmatched in manners as in face,
Skilled i'll each art, and crowned with every
grace.
And, though I never learned to love her
extrayagantly, l must confess that she
could make the best apple dumplings
that l ever ate. In the course of time l
became a father. A daughter was born
to us, and we called her Julia, after my
grandmother, who was the most beauti-
full woman in the country, to Judge of
her portrait now before me. My daugh;
ter looks much as my grandma her did
at her age. Well, as l said, a daughter
was born to us and a son was born to
Bunsby, and they called him Tom. We
heard of the aforementioned event up
here in falmouth, but for years l never
saw either Mary or her son, notwith-
standing they used to visit her father
quite often while the old gentleman
lived. But at last MIR. Black was
gathered to his fathers, and about the
same time my wife wa gathered to her
mothers, and l was left alone with my
little Julia. l was rich then-the most
wealthy man in Tadmouth-and | bad
built me a fine house, the same that l
have lived in eve since, with my little
Julia as housekeeper. Well, how things
will ONE about Last summer young
Tom Bunsby came out to Falmouth and
put up at the hotel-they have quite a
number of summer boarders there-and
the first thing the young man did was to
fall in love with my daughter Julia. OF
course the poor fellow was not to blame
He couldn't help it, for she was the
most bewitching little woman that you
eve saw, not withstanding that old Nc
Stivers is her father.
He saw her first at a picnic, danced
with her, kissed her in the ring, and
walked home with her at night. I re-
member the evening very well. l wa
sitting in my library smoking a cigar and
thinking of the late Mrs. Nc Stivers-oh
those apple dumplings! nv mouth wa
tiers every time l think o them-when
the windows being open, l heard voices
at the door. | knew it was Julia, and ]
knew she had a young fellow with her,
and, tear my wig, if he wasn't begging
for a kiss.
How silvery sweet sound lovers tongues by
night,
Like softest music to attending ears.
REMARKED earnestly to Mr.. McStivers.
In about Eve minutes Julia came in blush.
ing like a ten-acre flower garden, and
looking as lovely as a fairy queen.
"Oh, papa! I've had such a splendid
time!" said she, throwing herself into