The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-31
A LOVERS STRATAGEM.


A LOVERS STRATAGEM.
"You sha'n't have my daughterp'
said old Felix Foster, bringing his fist
down on the table with crash, There 8
no use talking, young man. You sha MT
have hertz ...s..s 81.
'.Atleast you'll tell me why, y insisted
Rabbit Bloom, the young lawyers clerk,
who had just made application for the
hand of the old gentleman's only
daughter. .tWhat do you know against
me, sir?n 1905. G1l
For the matter Of that, nothing in
particular" replied old Felix Foster
but Tina solid man myself. have
made money, and I want that money in
a warm nest Now. if give my girl to
q poor fellow like you, when she comes
in for what I'll leave her youth spend it,
instead Of doubling it. Besides, you're
too young-not six-and-twenty. And
there's my old friend, Frisbee. five-and-
fifty, owns his block of houses and q
hundred-acre farm, factory and forty
workmen's cottages. You ought TO
have sense enough to see that he is the
man for Agatha, not goa" = g.
But il Agatha likes me bestp" pleaded
young Bloom.
STUFF and nonsenseI She'll like who
I tell her to, replied Mr.. Foster. whose
grammar was not his strong point.
"And as I've an appointment at two,
I'll say good-by to you, young man."
At this hint Mr.. Bloom bowed him
self out of the great contractors Office.
he intended to have Agatha Foster. He
did not care for her fortune, and he
knew she hated the salitor whom her
father favored f
'.Elope with me, Agatha, = he pleaded
mot on his knees, because that style of
wooing is quite out OF fashion, but IN
der the side window of her father S
house before that gentleman came into
tea. 'sElope with me We are both of
age. Let us defy everybody"
II suppose pa would come round in
time, F" said Agatha; ''but can't go
without my things, I have very nice
wardrobe, and lots of jewelry and things,
and want to be married decently, and
have an expressman-s take away my
clothes; but how can 1 do it, when all
| day long. from the time pa goes out. old
| james Davids, his watchman, sits on the
front stoep, pledged to lock me up in
my own room If | set foot outside the
door, and to let no one IMP There all
day, and in the hall all night, imu1ova-
bly, on guard,
lis hep" said the lawyers clerk, sar-
castically, as at a signal from his lady
love he kissed his hand and ran away.
Mind you, Davids,'' said Felix Fos-
ter, as he buttoned his overcoat in the
hall-'.mind you; don't desert your
pose No going on. and no coming IN.
That girl Ct mine has no mother, and
I've got to be both parents to her.
Don't let 80 much as letter be carried
in at the door = -
mo, your honor; not whilst I'm
alive" said Davids,
But, alas! who can calculate upon cir
sumstances! The late Widow Bedott
was right about that ssssa.sg
Solomon James Davids, sitting all day
IN the hall-chair with club in his hand,
the object of the detestation of all the
female servants, opened the door on Q
crack to4ah applicants, slipping letters
into his4own pockets. and keeping the
house free from intruders, Thought him
self invulnerable; but his weak spot had
been discovered by his enemy. 1t was
. bad boy. At five o'clock a ring came
At the door, which answering, he found
40 one there. Another and another fol
lowed & #E IS &k IL E
Its a boy as runs. and hides him,
sell, - said Davids, psering up and down
The street The next ring I'll catch
aim, and he waited with his back
against the door-and his. club grasped
n both hands. The ring came; out
bolted Davids; down the street; peerine
INTO areas; peeped around the corner
iound no boy, and was about to return
20 the house, when hand caught hi;
scat collar 'sHelp," roared a voice
Help! Thieves! Policer'
LET me be- shouted Davids
what do you catch hold of me for?"
you've got my pocketboDk! erieC
he young man. .'If you haven't you've
brown il awav 1 missed it as you raj
,ast me. Officer, this to a police
nan who had speedily arrived-'1 wan
; his man arrested. I've lost my pocket
book" .
4 And so amid his protestations, prayer
md cries, that respectable old person
lanes Davids, was pushed, pulled anl
ragged to the nearest station house
;ollowed by a crowd of ragamufflns ant
here locked up for the night. - asy,.
i And that young man who had lost hi
& ,ocketbook, and who was to appear
against him the next morning, looke6
suspiciously like the young lawyer
clerk, Rabbit Bloom, who OF cours
knew that one against whom a charg
was made must be arrested, even if b
was able to prove himself entire inne
cent next day. -
and who came to the door in coup
half an hour after, but this same youn
Bloom; and who got into it but Agath
Foster; and where did they drive but t
the minister's, where they were NAL
ried.
And Betsy Jane, and Sarah, an
Ellen Maria all helped to carry dow
the trunks, bags and parcels with whic
the express wagon, that came very 500
after the coupe, was heavily loaded. s
that when, at seven o'clock, old MI
Foster rung at his own bell, Betsy Jan
opened the door, meek-faced and tidy
while all the other servants listened
1.-The foot Of the kitchen stairs.
| ssWhere's DavidsP" asked Mr.. Foster
4 aFssPlease, sir, ap'liceman arrested hin
awhile ago for picking gentleman
pocket, said Betsy.
'.Davids pick pocket! Nonsense
he never did it!'' roared Mr.. Foster.
mo, sir. suppose not, please, sir,
said Betsy.
: ''And where's Miss AgathaP" aske
: Mr.. Foster.
: -'Gone to fetch ride, SIR"
WHAT"
"Gone riding sir ~
u Where? Who withp' = g