St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-10
THE OLD BACHELOR.

Philadelphia Call.
About little Magdalen. l was coming
down Broadway in great hurry to catch
an uptown stage before all those ferry
people blocked into it, when there she sat
on curb-stOne, the wind blowing her yell
low hair abont and her poor little hands
blue with cold, crying as if her heart would
break. 1 didn't think the veriest savage
could have helped stopping to ask her what
the matter was, and don't call myself a
savage, if l do happen to have my little
crusty fits now and then. So says L:
''Child, what's the matter?"
''I'm lost, says she.
The poor little elf was fatherless, mother
less, friendless, in all the wide world! OF
course took her home, and you ought to
have seen old Hannah, my housekeeper,
stare when l walked in with the yellow
haired baby clinging to the little finger of
my left hand. For she wasn't more than s
years old, and small at that.
Il give you months waNling, STRIP says
Hannah But, bless your soul! she didn't
60 Maggie took her heart by storm, as
world, and at the months end YOU couldn't
have hired Hannah to leave the child.
Well, sir, she grew up as tall as a reed,
Madame Aimard's fashionable French
boarding school, for | wasn't going to have
my Maggie whit behind any one else's
girl | can tell you.
When she came home from the boarding
school, she was prettier than ever-tall, as
l said before, with yellow silky hair, great
shady-loOking blue eyes, with lasheS that
curled up at the ends, and cheeks as fresh
and pink as | remember the inside of two
big shells that used to stand on my grand
fathers best room mantel fifty good years
ago.
SO / cast about in my mind to find some
new plan for making the old house lively
for my little girl. [ knew she couldn't
thrive without her innocent gayeties, any
more than bird could without free air and
sunshine; so | invited company and made
up little impromptu parties and frolics, and
beat my brains for something to keep her
amused. And believe | succeeded, too
for her step was as light as feather, and
you could hear her sing all over the house
when she thought she was alone.
And one day old Hannah came in, dust
ing chairs and prying about for finger
marks on the paint in her odd, Lnear-sighted
way.
''Mr. Pelham" says she, rubbing away
at dOOr-knOb that was as bright before as
hands could make it, ''what would you say
if we were to have wedding in the old
hOuse?"
"a weddingr dropped my pen so that
it made big round blot on the paper, and
stared. ''Why, you're not going to be
married. Hannah. after all these years?"
''DO look like it?" shifted Hannah con-
temptuously-and,t to tell the truth, she
didn't very much. mo, indeed, sir; I hope
l know my place better than that. It's
Miss Maggie Pm thinking of, SIR
''What makes you think so, Hannah?"
l asked rather dolorously and the old wo-
man lowered her voice mysteriously as she
answered:
''It's that Mr.. Carlisle-he keeps coming
all the time, and it's my honest belief he
just worships the ground my young lady
walks on. He is very handsome, too, and
folks tell me he's worth money"
Mr.. Carlisle! Well, old Hannah was
right. He was tine-looking fellow, and
well-to-do in this worlds goods; but-who
was there. after all, worthy Of my tall,
gold-haired princess with the dewy blue
ewes and the lips like scarlet coral newly
plucked out of the sea? began to hate
Carlisle.
"Poohr' said I. 81 don't think she
cares for Carlisle"
''Just you watch her, then, and see for
yourself" said old Hannah, wisely wag-
ging her cap border II never did set up
for prophet, Mr.. Pelham, but them as
isn't blind can't help seeing, and our eyes is
given us to Use.
So old Hannah went her way, leaving me
about as uncomfortable as a man has any
business to be.
l think hardly slept at all that night.
tossed to and fro ON my pillow, counting
the chimes of the old clock, as one by one
it told the hours, thinking about Maggie
and Carlisle, and wondering if the tardy
daybreak would never redden over the hill
tops.
But by that time my mind was made up.
| would repress all those selfish ideas and
only think of my girls ultimate happiness.
If she liked Carlisle, why, Carlisle should
have her.
l rose, dressed. and went down to my
study. The first thing / saw was note
lying on my library table, Probably it had
arrived late last night l broke the seal; it
was from George Carlisle. asking permits
sion to address Miss NIagdalen Pelham.
Welt was nothing more than | had
expected-in fact, it rather expedited mat
ters, which ought MOTTO run too smoothly.
l refolded the epistle and looked severely at
myself in the opposite glass.
''You middle-aged old fogy," duoth /,
staring at myself with the severest express
sion of countenance | could call up at SO
short notice. Il see through you. You
have dared to suppose bright-eyed Magtla-
len could prefer you to these gay young
fellows nearer her own age-you have even
10 foI in, with,
her yourself. 1t will do you good to have
some of the nonsense taken out of you. At
your time of life too. Did you ever see
chestnut tree poisoning in November, or a
grapevine loaded with blue fruit at mid
winter?n
SO off trudged into the garden where
Magtlaien always walked in the early morn
ing, to tell her of young Carlisle's pro-
pOsal.
She listened looking very pretty and
preoccupied, until had finished.
''Well?" said she.
SWELL" l reioined, 'what do you say?'
''What do say? No, of course.'
''You mean yes" my dear. said /, IF
You'll only take time to think
Il mean no.' she flashed out. "Oh,
Mr. Pelham, how can you think so basely
of me?"
'Basely, my dear? I don't comprehend
you"
She was beginning to cry now-big.
sparkling drops like the first glittering dia
monds of a July shower.
Il don't love him. / never can love
him.
.'But why not, my dear?"
Because | love somebody else" she
sobbed. growing pinker and prettier than
ever.
''Who is it Maggie? You'll tell me.
wont you? Why, child" as she shrank
blushingly back, Il am old enough to be
ynl,r fo+J,ay -