The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-07-17

thing thought of in connection with
| that gentleman. He had accepted the
situation like q man., Jennie told me,
| and for fifteen years carried a load OF
misery that few could have endured.
Death came to his relief at last, and
now the poor fellow actually believed
himself an alien from domestic happi-
| ness.
Singular as it may appear, Cousin
Mark was the embodiment of good
health ana good nature; fifty, perhaps,
though he didn't look it, and as ro-
tund and fresh in his way as the little
dressmaker was in hers. AS | looked
at him l defed anybody to see one and
not be reminded Of the other. True,
he had more Of the polish which comes
from travel and adaptation to differ
ent classes anG individuals, but he vas
not a whit more intelligent by human
nature than the bright little woman
whom Jennie determined he should
marry.
II was surprised you should thinkit
necessary to caution me about that,
Cousin Mark" coOed the plotter, as
she stood by his side, looking out Of
the window. "The idea of my beingsO
ridiculous," and in the same breath,
with a wink at me Come let usgOt o
my sitting room. We are at work
there, but it won't make any differ
ence to you, will it,"
OfCOurSe Cousin Mark answered NO.
promptly, as innocent as adoveabout
the trap being laid for him.
This is my COusin-Mr. Lansing,
Miss Kent" and Mr.. Lansing bowed
politely, and Miss Kent arose, dropped
her scissors, blushed, and sat down
again. Cousin Mark picked up the re-
factory implements, and then Mrs.
Jennie proceeded with rare caution
and tact to her labor of love. Cousin
Mark, at her request, read aloud an
article from the Popular Science
Monthly, drawing Miss Kent into the
discussion as deity as was ever fly
drawn into the web of the spider.
"WhO was that lady, Jennie?"
Cousin Mark inquired in the evening.
"You mean Miss KENT" said Jennie
looking up from her paper. ooh, she
is a lady | have known for alongtime.
She is making some dresses for me
now. Why"
"She seemed uncommonly well post
ed for a woman"
Under any other circumstances, Mrs.
Carlisle would have resented this, but
now she only queried, "Do you think
so?" and that ended it..
Two or three invitations to the sew
ing room were quiet sufficient to make
Cousin Mark perfectly at home there,
and after a week, he became as famil-
lar as this:
"If you are not too busy, | should
like to read you this article" and this
is what Miss Kent would say:
"Oh, | am never too busy to be read
to. Sit down by the window in this
comfortable chair and let's hear it,"
After a couple of weeks, when the
gentleman came in, hoarse with a sud
den cold, Miss Kent hustled about,
her voice full ofsynipathy, and brewed
him a dose which he declared he should
never forget to his dying day; but one
dose cured. After this, Miss Kent was
a really wonderful woman.
All, what an arch-plotter. She let
them skirmish about, but not once did
she give them a chance o be alone to-
gether-her plans were not to be de-
stroyed by premature condolences
until the very evening preceding Cousin
Marks departurefor California. Then
Miss Kent was very demurely asked to
remain and keep an eyeon Master Car
Isle whom the fond mother did not like
to leave quite alone with his nurse.
"Wearec ompelledt to begone couple
of hours but Cousin Mark will read to
you, won't You cousin?"
Certainly, if Miss Kent would like
it." replied the gentleman.
The infant Carlisle, thanks to good
management, was never awake In the
evening, so the victims of this matri-
monial speculation would have plenty
of time. The back parlor was the
room most in use during the evening,
and out of this room was large closet
with a large blind ventilator, and out
of this closet a door leading to the
back stoop and garden. Imagine my
surprise whenI was toldsthat Mr.. Car
Isle was going to the lodge, and that
we, after profuse warnings about the
baby, and promises not to begonetoo
long, were to proceed to this closet
overlooking the back parlor, via the
back gate and garden. In vain / pro-
tested.
"Why, you little goose" laughed
Jennie, s'there'n be fun enough to last
a lifetime. John wanted to come aw-
fully, but I knew he'd make an aw-
full noise and spoil everything, SO I
wouldn't let him."
The willy schemer took the precau-
ton to lock the closet door from the
outside, SO there was no fear of detec-
ton. On a high bench, still as two
mice, we awaited results.
Cousin Mark las if arousing from a
~protracted reverie): Would you like
to have me readv'