The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-05-15

L
| my wisdom, as compared with hers. is
beneath contempt. / can hardly be-
lieve you have a son twenty-four.
Why, you arc spruce young man your
self"
| Thanks to life free from excesses
of any kind" said Mr.. Leigh. And I
married early-I advocate an early mar
rage if man has money enough to
support family. This waiting to
scrape together paltry income is terri
bly, hard ON young man. Yes, mar
ried early, and l have every reason to
believe that my son will follow my ex-
ample"
$50" the parson exclaimed, raising
his eyebrows very high. 81 am glad
to hear that / married early myself,
but it was on one OF the paltry incomes
"a thousand dollars. to be accurate.
"a thousand dollars!'' cried Mr..
Leigh, in horror.
eyes; and we were happy" DR..
Melton rose as he spoke, his eyes stray
ing toward photograph of his wife
that stood on the mantel shelf He took
his pipe and filed it, smiling absently
the while. 81 can't offer you cigar"
ne sald "Dut II pipe
Thank you. I have cigar with
me" said Mr.. Leigh.
The two gentlemen smoked for a
minute in pensive silence.
"And when is your boy to marry?"
asked the doctor.
ooh, it is not quite arranged yet"
$50 you arrange marriages in Phila-
delphia? And this particular marriage
is not quite arranged? Humph don't
understand that sort of thing. Up in the
country it is, Mary, / love you, and
Jack, love you in return, and then
my services are called for. How does
one arrange marriage in Philadel-
phia?"
The touch of sarcasm was quite lost
on Mr.. Leigh, who mad crossed his legs
and sat absorbed in. thought, frowning
at the patent-leather tip on his neat
shoe. His host watched him until he
uncrossed his legs and looked up.
"Have you any daughters, doctorP"
he asked.
1.-TWO of them"
''Grown up?''
81 hope so; otherwise they will tower
over my head"
''And do you understand then?"
asked Mr. Leigh, with gravity that
made the parsons blue eyes twinkle
and the corners of his mouth twitch.
''Oh no, don't understand them; /
don't understand any creature in petit
coats; but my daughters are good girls,
and their mother assures me that they
are remarkably gifted. What do want
to understand them for?"
cit might be an advantage under
some circumstances, Mr.. Leigh re-
marked. "Curse it'' he exclaimed, with
sudden energy. "Oh, beg your par
don," he added.
81 don't mind; there are times when
a man is refreshed by the trill of a
curse" said the parson, who read Jean
Paul "What is the matter, thought
What girl do you think it might be an
advantage to understand"
"My ward" answered Mr.. Leigh.
"She is an orphan, a far-away cousin
of my wife, and she has lived with us
for the past five years She has nice
little fortune; she is pretty; she is we'll
bred"
THAT goes withoutsaying," muttered
the parson, stroking his long beard
"Butt she hasn't grain of common
sense" Mr.. Leigh rose, took up
position on the rug, slipped his left hand
under the short tails Of his cut-awav
coat, and gesticulate1 with his right as
he warmed to his story Last sum-
mer," he began, "she was twenty-one.
and just out of school. She went to
Cape May with the Phippards. people
in whom placed the utmost confidence.
thought she was safe with them; but
10 and behold! she must make the ac-
qualntance OF young gentleman who
held the responsible position of book
keeper in one of our lasge hardware
shops, retail concern, and he has sold
many aspaper OF tack over the counter.
was in Europe; SO this interesting
tack-seller ran down to Cape May every
Sunday, ana staid until Monday. Then
he had "a clerks two weeks vacation,
and he spent that at Cape May. / came
| back in October, and before had been
home twenty-four hours who should
call at the house but this young manp
He wanted to see me, and I saw him,
and was informed by him that he had
wooed and won my ward I asked if
he proposed to take her to live over the
Shop"
Mr.. Leigh's thin lips curled down
ward; he glanced at the parson for
sympathy, but he encountered steady,
somewhat critical look. DR.. Melton
took the pipe out of his mouth and blew
a cloud of smoke upward through his
mustache.
"Why shouldn't they live over the
shop?" he said.
"Oh, you don't understand" Mr..
Leigh exclaimed, fretfully. .'She has
been brought up in luxury, and she
ought to have some idea of what is
proper and fitting. There has been a
terrible time. Why, l assure you
have had the sympathy of all Philadel-
! phla. This hardware man had the
effrontery to say that he had money
enough to take care of wife, Just as
though he had never thought of my
wards little fortune He begged me to
go and see his employers people /
never heard of-and | told him I did
not want their recommendations; I did
not propose to hire book-keeper. He
was insolent and ordered him out.
Then she blazed away at me, the weak,
infatuated girl. tried to reason with
her; my wife talked to her; my SON
Wen, you see, my son wanted to marry
her, too, and he would have made just
the husband for her, but she told him if
he spoke to her she would ask her hard
ware man to protect her. Think of it!
AS though Morton would insult her
the best-mannered man that ever liyed.n
Mr.. Leigh had grown excited. His
cigar had gone out, and he relghted it,
drawing at it fiercely until the end
burned bright like a bit of coal.
''And Morton is very fond of her. he
continued-''s fond OF her, in fact,
that he is waiting like hero for this to
blow over. l think the farce is nearly
ended, for the hardware man became
partner the other day in a nail factory
or something of that sort, and week
ago be sailed for Europe He will have
| to STAY q wear TRAVELLING for his firm,