The Red Cloud chief., 1885-10-23
MR.. PATTERSON'S MISTAKE.
a Chance Proposal, and It's
Happy Result.

Happy HcSuIC.
Peter Patterson was iil-at least ne
thought so-a:d depressed; he had Il
headache: and he hated the dusty
streets, in which the summer heat
burnt and the summer sun shonc before
the green leave, had drapcd the trees.
and pottcd gcraniums. which had come
to he % blcsscdly popular in New York,
lent their SUMMER freshness.
What shall | do, d"ctor??' he said
80 the w~hite-hcaded old physician.
You say nothing all, me. but can
tell what my feelings are better than
YOU ear. | know / shall be- down with
something soon. | role in a ear with
a h~alf-dozcn dirty children the other
day to the small poX hospital. |
haven { a doubt very red and nasty
looking, all of them; and while | WAS
buying something in Il store down
Broadway the other dav "A horrid old
woman b ggci of me because her hus-
band was sick with typhoid fever. No
doubt 1 have cauwh. both diseases, and
its the conn l~ication tina. puzzles YOU.
touldnt relish my coffee this morning;
left my m lk-ioast untouched. Hateful
life, that of a bachelor at a hotel. Oh,
dear me-
Why don't you marry, then?' said
the doctor.
They need SO much counting said
Patterson. ''iouspcnd six months or so.
at lea t. dangling al IA woman's apron
strings. You must 80 to the thcater
and opera if she i gay, and to church
il she i piouS. Al nifty a man likes his
slippers and d~rcssing-gown and chair
of an evening. If ii was Just stepping
over &" the ~clergyman's and GETTING
married. putting Il ring on her finger
and saying or nOdding yes two or
three times. why. | wouldn't mind it,
you know"
...ih. well. counting is the fun Of it
all. in my opinion" said the old
doctor. :. but every one TO his taste.
And my advice 10 YOU Is to get out into
tie country"
TO another hotel and more mcrcc-
nary walters" said MIR. Patterson.
No said the doctor; "go to a
nice. private home. | know "nc-a
mothcrlv widow lady. who cooks a din
ner fit for Il King. River before the
house. woods behind it. orchard to the
left, kitchen garden 10 the right: no
fever and ague; no mosquitoes. Heav-
emily. 1 am going up there Tomorrow,
and I'll see if she'll take YOU"
Very well" said Mr.. Patterson; IL
think | will try it,"
'And YOU must drink plenty of milk
and cat plenty of nice homemade
bread
"Yc>. | will said Patterson. over
ioycd ut last at hearing something
that sounded like Il prescription. And
YOU would advise IN lkg'
Quart Of it every day." said the
doctor.
''i'll take a note of it," said Patter-
IN. land if | should be- very i'll she'll
nurse me-
'Splendidly.' said the doctor. and
Wen his 4
Mr.. Patterson thought the matter
over and thought better of il every dav.
and when the little note informing him
that the widow would be willing to
take him in and do for him. reached
him. he had his trunk and p~ortnlanteau
already packed. and was already TO
start that afternoon. As for the widow.
the doctor had prepared her for her
boarder's peculiarities thus:
Nice fellow; social: plenty of
money: thinks himself i'll, but isn't:
ought TO be married; told him SO. but
he hates the idea OF counting; marry of
some day. no douSt; 'Will YOU have
me- Yes Call in clergyman. Over.
Very peculiar old bachelor, but then
old bachelors are peculiar. generally"
The widow was what the Yankees
call Al amazing smart woman. She
had married at sixteen. and had never
failed to have her washing over when
other people were hanging out theirs.
Her bread always rose. her cake was
always good and her butter ALWAYS
sweet At forty-iive she had married
off all her daughters, was well-to-do.
buNOm and happy.
Her son and his wife boarded with
her. and she added to her plentiful saw
ings by taking a summer boarder or
two. if they happened TO offer.
Fifty and a bachelor" said Mrs.
Muntle. looking in the glass. Well.
it seems a pity; but whcr elderly CEN
tlemen marry it Is 10 some hity-tity girl
tha, leads them a terrible life. and
likely it for the best
Then she looked in the glass again:
for the widow was but 4 woman. after
all.
Mr.. Patterson came 10 the widows
and obeyed the doctors prescription
carefully. He ate bread and milk.
robbed the orchards like 4 School-hov.
and REFINED over the strawberry short
cake after a fashion that would have
made his reputation ut the bar. Then.
too. Mrs. Mun,le did not smile II his
aches and pans ard insist that he must
be perpe,ually we'll because ne had a
fresh complexion and diniples in his
cheeks. She had savory herb teas and
potions which she produced when he
complained of feeling miserable. and
she had that blessing for all hypocon-
.driacs, a homeopathic box in the house.
There were remedies in that box for
everything: and it was pleasant to lind
that when there was = crawling sensa-
ton in your flesh. or . kind Of an un-
easy feeling in your legs. there were
daily little globules to be had Just
suited for your symptoms; that to ind
yourself very angry about nothing IN