The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1885-07-02

minutes in pensive silence.
"And who 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! 1
don't understand that sort of thing
Up in the country it is, Mary, I love
you,' and Jack, love you in return,
and then my services are called for.
How does one arrange marriage in
Philadelphia"
The touch of sarcasm was quite lost
on Mr.. Leigh, who had crossed his legs
and sat absorbed in thought, frowning
at the patent-leatller tip of his neat
shoe. His host watched him until he
uncrossed his legs and looked up.
"Have you any daughters, doctor ?"
he asked.
1.-TWO of them,"
"Grown up?"
Il hope so; otherwise they will tower
over nv head"
"And do you understand them"
asked Mr.. Leigh, with gravity that
made the parsons blue eyes twinkle and
the corners of his mouth twitch.
ooh no, I don't understand them; I
don't understand any creature in petit
coats; but my daughters are good girls,
and their mother assures me that they
ore remarkable gifted. What do I
want to understand them for?"
1T might be an advantage under
some circumstances" Mr.. Leigh re-
marked damn it'll" he exclaimed,
with sudden energy, ooh beg your
pardon, he added.
II 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, though? What
girl do you think it might be an advan-
tage to underestimate"
my ward," answered Mr.. Leigh.
She is an orphan, ar-away cousin of
my wife, and she has lived with us for
>, the past five years. She has a nice lit
tie fortune; she is pretty; she IS we'll
bred"
"That goes without saying" NUT
tered the parson, stroking his long
beard.
But she hasn't a grain of common
sense" Mr.. Leigh rose, took up po-
sition on the rug, slipped his left hand
under the short tails of his cut-away
coat, and gesticulated with his right as
he warmed to his story. "Last sum-
mer," he began, "she was 81, and just
out of school. She wentto 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 &C.
quaintance Of a young gentleman who
held the responsible position of book
keeper in one of our large hardware
shops, retail concern, and he has sold
many paper of tacks over the counter.
l was in Europe; so this interest
ing tack-seller ran down to Cape
May every Sunday, and staid
until Monday. Then he had a clerks
two weeks vacation, and he spent that
at Cape May. I came back in October,
and before I had been home twenty.
four hours who should call at the house
but this young man? 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 a steady,
somewhat critical look. DR.. Melton
took the pipe out of his mouth and
blew cloud of smoke upward through
his moustache.
"Why shouldn't they live over the
shop?" he said.
ooh, 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 terrible
time. Why, I assure you have had the
sympathy Of all Philadelphia. 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 en-
ployers-people I never heard of-and
I told him that / did not want their
recommendations; did not propose to
hire bookkeeper. He, was insolent,
and. I ordered him out. Then she
blazed away at me, the weak, infatuated
girl I tried to reason with her; my
wife talked to her; my son-well, you
see, my son wanted to marry her too
and he would have made just the hus-
band 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 hammered man that ever
lived"
Mr.. Leigh had grown excited. His
cigar had gone out, and he relighted it,
drawing at it fercely until the end
burned bright like bit of coal.
"Ana Morton is very fond of her," he
continued fond of her, in fact,
that he is waiting like hero for this to
blow over. think the farce is nearly
ended, for the hardware man became
partner the other day in nail factory
or something of that sort, and week
ago he sailed for Europe. He will have
to stay a year, travelling for his firm,
and when he comes back, Mr.. Leigh
broke off to smile astutely and to drop
the lid over his left eve.
II don't exactly understand your OBJ,
jections to him." said DR.. Melton, slow.
ly. "Does he keep low company"
No." answered Mr.. Leigh; "but-'
II beg your pardon" said the doctor,
interrupting him, "but want to speak
in his behalf, He must be induclous,
and no fool, and prospecting, or
he would not have jumped into
this new position. confess I don't
think you have made out q clear case.
OF course you want to see your son
happy; but if she does not love your
son, that ends the matter, And if she
does love this other man, and he is hon
est and upright, why should he not
have her?
Gle is not her equal, said Mr.. Leigh.
"You know in Philadelphia"
The parson rose up with stided ex-
clamatioq that, coming from layman's
lips, might have sounded profane.
1T is warm in here" he said. II