Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-03-20

Those VINO remain nave little 20 do, Tor
there are hours together when there is
not a penny's worth sold.
1t happens that AT" is reigning alone
In the glove department, and she is a
refreshing object for contemplation this
sultry afternoon in her blue organdy,
with pale ribbons auttering at the throat
and waist.
Above her head her wares are displayed
most effectively In a complete canopy of
long WTisted gloves in every conceivable
color and shade of color, and, there being
nothing else TO do, she sits on the ledge
below the shelving and yields a mon
strous palm-leaf.
When nothing is selling there is no
change to he made, and the cashier steps
out of his narrow, sitting enclosure and
wanders in search of breeze. The long
lace mitts that fringe the canopy over
the glove counter are stirred as if by
zephyr, and the airy freshness of "47'' is
attractive. He goes behind the counter
and sits down behind the ledge.
you look aWfully gloomy to-day.
What is the matter p" she asks.
"Well, I have reason to look gloomy.
have made an unpleasant discovery or
perhaps [ should say, I've been unpleas-
antly discovered"
"Tell me about it."
ooh, it is long story" he says, more
than half persuaded.
'"This is very long afternoon"
"Well, I have a very rich and very
crochety old uncle, and about seven
months ago 1 received letter from him
| telling me that if l would come and take
| charge of his business and marry a girl
he had picked out for me he would leave
me his fortune. He said the girl was
i i 7 E.
| pie, and as l was not getting on any too
well where l was you will infer that l
! did not hesitate long before accepting
| the proposition. 1t was all arranged
with the girl, who seemed fascinated
with the romance of the affair, and
started for the town in which she and
my uncle lived. But on the way got
to thinking about it and it struck me
that | would like to see her at least once
before the die was irrevocably cast, sc
when reached the town hunted up q
| cousin of mine who knew her and told
him that he must arrange for me to cal
on her incognito. He assented very
readily, and, as I only reached there the
day before the wedding was to take place
we called the night of my arrival. She
came in directly, and l was introduced
as Mr.. Falkner.
eyes on her grew rigid with indignation
to think that my uncle dared impose OF
me in such a way. He had led me tt
believe she was everything man cOulC
want in a wife. 1 found her painted like
an Indian, dressed in hOrrid taste, talk
ng at the top of her voice, and altOgethel
the most ill-bred creature had ever seen
could not stand it, so I wrote a note tt
my uncle, left the town that night, anC
have never been back since. I learned
to-day for the first time that the girl
saw was not the one I was to have mar
ried, but friend of her cousins, whom
, he had taken into his confidence, anC
,, that her horrid curls and her vulgarity
were assumed for the occasion, all par
, of Dicks little pleasantly; and my fa1acet
who Dick says is the prettiest woman b,
ever saw, was so cut up by my brutal be
haviOr and the note l left that she raj
away, and for a long time they though
she had drowned herself. OF course Their
was big sensation, and everybody de
, nOunced me. Dick, cowardly knave
, hadn't the nerve to tell the truth abou
it and acknowledge his part in the affair
but the girl who abetted his fiendish de
ceptlon went straight to my uncle am
told him everything as soon as she hear'
1 was gone.
'EWhen he saw how it was he swor
that we should both be found, dead o
5 alive, and if we were alive the marriag
should be cOnsummated. They startet
l detectives after us and advertised us eV
erywhere, and at last they got on tn
7 track of the girl, and they've traced he
to this very town. Think of it! Die
, says they are sure she is here, and b
2 was here looking for her when he acci
, dentally stumbled upon me. They
l find her of course; it is only a question
} of few hours, and then L must b
5 dragged up, like school boy that ha
? been playing hockey, and married to
wife of some other mans choice, or leav
t here between two days and giveup goo
l position"
r He turns toward her, but she manage
: the palm-leaf so that he does not see he
2 face, and asks presently in a hesitatin
2 way: "But if she is as pretty as they sa
g she is and-you would get the money be
2 sides, why do you object?"
2 Because am in love with somebod
J, else, and Pm done with matrimonial ne
3 gotiations by proxy. I will attend t
= my own love affairs hereafter"
: He proceeded to carry out this resolu
ton by insinuating an arm between tn
8 shelving and the slight figure that is rest
: ing against IL.
}, owe been in love with somebody els
7 ever since found her crying in a cOrne
I not thousand miles from here, and
t she can only say the same of me II
whistle the fortune down the winds AM
: defy all the detectives in Christendom.
2 He draws his arm little closer abou
f the yielding figure, and, screened fror
:, view by the swaying fringe of gloves, b
feels safe in bringing the other arm int
post on, so forming a complete circui
. The accommodating palm-leaf is quit
t large enough to conceal two heads, an
J. a sound like half-audible OSCILLATION il
sues from behind it.
J, A long, low whisper breaks the silencc
4 Proceedings are Immediately adjourned
and haunted by visions of presumin
s and prying cash boys they both start U
and confront-Dick.
o "Have you found her?" asks the cash
S Ter deiectedly.
/ ! :. -. -,--o n