The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-12-23
THE SIREN OF TO.DYA.

| AAA1 0AASAIAN VI AVO IA
Tears and Vulgarlsms Prey OF
Kindly Youth.
How a Plump Girl Got q Good Illus
band, Because She Made Up Her
Mind to Marry Him.
A Story by E. A. Pratt.
.Cholly," as the girls called him, ha
been reared in q family of sisters. He we
a smooth-faced youth, very gentle
manner. and the girls thought no more {
him than one OF themselves. He and h
sisters, Dora. Emma and Fannie. and h
sisters three bosom friends, Ber'ie. Cert
and Myrtle, had many d jane OF hide an
seek" and ..blind mans buff" together; IL
in a quist way, the sisters were what Nigh
be called romps.
In some respects it is a great advantaa
to a u man to have been thus brough
up in intimate association with sisters an
sisters bosom friends. 1t cultivates
gcntlemanliness which is rarely attained b
other means, softening the manners b
constant contact with gentler natures, ant
at the same time, from being habitual'
looked up to as the escort and protectore
weaker beings, it c%ultivates certain OF tn
masculine qualities. Another advantage
sometimes considered not the least. is tina
companionship Of this kind often destroy
the tendency borne in every masculin
heart to defy femininity. There is niue
nonsense said and written about the IT
spect due certain members OF the family
irrespective of personal qualities worthy q
admiration, simply because they belong t.
one of the two sexes. A wicked cynic ha
said that no man is a hero to his valet d
chambre. In like manner a thoroug
acquaintance with the ways and wiles q
woman ia apt to divest her OF that witch
cry which casts a glamor over the eyes q
the more distant devotee. And thus i
happened that Charles reached the age q
II without ever having INDUCED in thos
morbid fancies which are the symptoms o
the condition known as being lin love-
Soon after attaining his majority he re
- 0l ~ AAVe6NoOo NV O>
friend of his fathers engaged in the com
mission business in the leading $own . hi
section of the State.
When the arrangements for his departure
had been made there was a great commo
ton among the girls. They were really sorry
to lose him. Whom would they have now
to climb the cherry trees for them? Who
would bring the sisters home at night from
visits to the three bosom friends? Who
would take the three bosom friends GU,
sleighing in the winter and who would push
| them by the hour over che ice? But never
mind said Dora. "Cholly will come back
in a few years a rich man and marry oul
little Myrtle"
Myrtle grew redder than a cherry, but
| said never a word. She was the %gentlest,
the youngest and the prettiest OF these SIX
sweet kittens. Charles did not know that
he cared for more her than for the other five
dear girls. Such things are often detected
by an outsider before we are conscious Of
our own condition. Probably, but for the
foolish remark Of Dora's and the blush on
Myrtie's cheek and the coming parting from
her, it might have been Years before Charley
would ever have sighed and softly breathed
her name, as he did the night before he left
home to enter upon the business OF life.
The next day when the hour Of parting
came, Charley kissed. his mother and his
| three sisters and then BERTHE and then Ger.
tie and then-but Myrtle drew back.
Its only Cholly," said Gertie, and SO
said BERTHE. But it was not till all five Of
the dear girls had shamed her well that she
modestly turned hercheek and allowed him
to touch it with his lips. Over the bright
crimson that gathered beneath the gentle
pressure OF his lips glistenea a solitary tear.
She turned and quietly withdrew. The
other girls waved their handkerchief
to Charlie as long as the stage
coach WAS in sight, but when it passed the
bend In the road they looked at each other
in blank dismay, then fell upon one anoth-
er's necks and walled and lanented. Seven
minutes later the familiar conclusion OF
croquet mallets and balls was heard upon
the lawn, and five voices cried in chorus:
. | bid for first co.
When the stage turned the bend in the
road that shut out from sight the old
homestead, and the group OF girls waving
fond adleus was seen no more Charles ex-
perienced for the first time a strange feel
ing for which he did not aver know the
name. 1t was a dull pain in his throat and
chest, and his heart seemed to stop beating
for d moment and to sink from it's proper
place. He lie lrned to know the feeling well
in after years, as, perhaps, have some OF
us.
Well, he went to work, and was too much
engaged learning the details OF his new bus
mess to have much time to think about
the girls; but now and then Dora's foolish
remark and the blush on Myrtie's cheek
and the tear she shed at parting would
come back to HIM, and he would dream
bright day-dreams OF the future. and in
them she was ever the central figure.
Once in while he went home, but for
some reason he did not seem to enjoy the
visit much. Perhaps it was because his
time was so short. Perhapsit was because
his youngest sister, Fannie. had gone off to
a boarding school. He always liked the
youngest girls best, he said to his mother.
Myrtle was away, too, at the same school
histories of the progress they were making,
and these accounts always interested him
more than any OF the other things they
had to tell him.
He vent On working industrously, laying
up a little money month by month, and
after two years he was able to purchase a
partnership, though he did not by any
means at once become a rich man as the
girls at home supposed. A new sign was
painted bearing in large Roman gilt letters
the euphonious device, Smith johnson &
Montgomery.
johnson was the friend OF his father who
had assisted his progress in making a start
in the world. He and his wife were an aged
and childless couple, and it was no doubt
ON chat account they did SO much for
Charles. Smith, the other partner was one
of those "most prominent men in the com
munity." Though not possessed OF much ed
~ucation or culture himself, he had taken
care to buy a large lot OF it for his chill
dren. His son. De Montague Smith, Esq,
was attending lectures at the Columbia
Law School, and his daughter, Miss Cy-
temuestra DEM. Smith (Clytie for SHORTY
had just finished off at Miss Plyglot's
Private Parlor Seminary at the time
Charles entered the firm.
Having his time more at his disposal now
he was not at all reluctant to attend Miss
Clytie's debut reception and to pay her
some polite attention thereafter. He had
been working hard during the last two
years, had seen little of female society, and
it was with no little sense of enjoyment
that he entered upon the mild social dis
sipations of the little city in which he was
fast becoming lone OF the most prominent
young business men," He met Clytie at
one place and another, took her to little
entertainments and 500 came to know
her right well. She was very polite to him.
Clytie was a Iine looking young woman.
She had received some fine finishing touches
at the Private Parlor Seminary. Among
these was vocal music, including piano ac-
compartment to nine songs. She sang
three OF these songs each evening to Charles.
She certainly was a finely developed young