The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-01-02


one to be put aside or debated about for
an instant, and / sat down at once and
wrote to Brown Gas we'll as that internal
melody would permit me) a letter of
courteous remonstrance. WAS on some-
thing more than speaking terms Wits
him, and believed him to be On the
whole a good-natured fellow, but I had
a suspicion that he had a termagant for
a wife. Mrs. Brown laced too tightly
not to have a temper, but still she must
have a woman's heart beating some
where, and surely in q Christian country
but L anticipate if that can be call
ed anticipation which is the very reverse
of what one has ventured to expect.
My letter ran as follows:
DEAR Mr.. BROWN: In thus address
ing myself to you, I know T am relying
upon u relations as friendly neigh
bors. and by no means urging q legal
right. In the eye OF the law an English
mans house is his castle, and he can,
if he pleases, fire royal salutes from his
battlements night and day. Unfortun-
ately, l am SO constituted that noise
utterly destroys my power to do literary
work, in which Gas you are aware) I am
of necessity engaged from seven to ten
every evening. Your dear little daugh-
ter's piano playing is quite wonderful
for her age-[this was very true; no
fullgrown demon, Ishould have thought
far less all imp of her years, could have
created such discord]-but if you would
kindly contrive that she should pursue
it during the daytime instead of be-
tween the hours aforesaid, you would
lay me under IN eternal obligation.
Awaiting your kind consent, for which ]
thank you beforehand,
1 am yours truly,
CHARLES JONES.
I was in such a state of anxiety and
excitement, the hideous cannonade
continuing all this time without
one instant's cessation, that I wrote up
on the envelope Bearer waits" and
bade my messenger bring back the an
swer. Itcame quickly enough, but put
an end to my suspense ouly to substi-
tute for it an agony o~fdespair. 1t was,
as l guessed in a moment from the
handwriting, all sloping like the ears OF
adonkey in a state of obstinacy, the fe-
male Brown who addressed me as fol-
lown:
DEAL STR: My husband is from home, but
your application is one of which have no hest
tation in answering i'll his name in the mega
tive. You are, as you very properly remark,
urging no legal claim whatever, and you must
forgive me for adding that your request is pre-
posterous. 1t ls not convenient for my daugh-
ter to pursue her musical studies except be-
tween seven and ten, to which hours as here
to-fore she will confne them. Yours truly,
ABIGAIL BROWN.
Late as it was I clapped on my hat,
repaired to the house agent of whom /
had purchased Eden Lodge, and pro-
cured from him an advertisement board,
which / stuck up on a pole in front of
the house that very night: "This villa
residence to be sold, with immediate
possession; no reasonable offer will be
refused"
After that I walked about the streets
till ten o'clock, and returned home a
little comforted. My wife assured me
that the noise had ceased precisely at
that hour, but the echoes Of it seemed
to be still ringing through the house; I
felt that l was on the brink of q nervous
fever, and wrote to my employers to say
that my return to business must for the
present be uncertain. I intended to
stop at home de die in diem, until sew,
en- o'clock,) 50 as to miss no chance of
any one calling to bid for it, till that
house was disposed of.
The very next morning q card was
sent in to ME with "Mr. Joseph Plum
lin" OF it. He was a thickset nan OF
by no means arlstocratic appearance,
but / welcomed him as if he had been
M of the royal family. His manner
was curt in the extreme, but 1 thought
he looked an honest man, and the city
side Of my character assured me at the
first glance that he was the sort of per-
son who means business.
II see this house is to SELL" he said.
81 Am a builder, and l know when q
house is worth buying: if we can come
to terms 1 near to buy Eden Lodge;
now what do you want for it?"
/ mentioned the sum I had fixed upon
as q reasonable one, but in truth, /
would gladly have taken half the money
rather than not have got the place off
my hands.
"Too much" he said, shaking his sol
id head-"too much by a hundred
pounds"
If had been aFrenchman I should
have got up and kissed him on both
cheeks; being an Englishman with
half my time devoted to the main
chance,) I concealed my JOY and shook
my head almost as resolutely as he had
done. "The house is cheap" I said, "at
the sum | have put upon it."
mo doubt it is; 1 know that as well as
you-indeed a deal better" he answered
cody. "But q man don't put with i'm
mediate possession on his notice board
unless he has reasons for wanting to
quit. Now, look here, 1 am q man of
action" am sorry to say he used an
aspirate.j II am always for setting
matters off the reel. I will split the
difference between us, and give you
your money less ESQ. I'll draw you
check for it if you like. this very mo-
ment." And he actually produced from
his breast pocket q large and greasy
check-book, and threw it open like a
front door.
"My dear Sir" I answered with effu-
sion, there is no need to be SO precip.
itate; q letter from your lawyer to-
morrow will be quite sufficient, but on
the terms you mention, the house is
yours"
"By Immediate possession I under.
stand that I can come in at once" pur.
sued Mr. Plumlin-" say in a week."
nodded assent: 1 could hardly pre-
vent myself from saying. Come this
evening"" which would have been fatal
indeed; if he had heard that piano, the
bargain would surely have been off a,
once. felt that, since lie was coming
to live in the house himself, I was about
to take his money under false p%retenses
for the poor fellow was looking forward
to "a homer Still, the city side of my
character reminded me hat my first