McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-03-12
THE NEIGHBORHOOD FAILURE.
CHAPTER T.

CHATTER L.
81 am a plain woman, Mr. Forester,
very plain woman"
Eyes, madam, you are very plain.
still for woman OF your age, think
that you appear well enough"
81 didn't mean that" she said with
a jerk of her head, accompanied by a
sharp noise that sounded like a snap.
IF you think that L am so i'll looking,
you needn't come where l am. Yes,
am plain woman, and think that it
is best to be frank with you. Frank
ness is one of the virtues that should
receive special cultivation, and 1 have
cultivated it. l do not approve of
your attentions to Caroline. You are
a kind-hearted and generous man, per-
haps, but-but-I dislike to say it
but your habits are bad"
"HowP"
well, you gamble"
$50 do you"
'What! you impudent man; 1 never
grambled in my life"
you are gambling now.'
"Whatr'
eyes, gambling now. Specializing
on my lack of morality
"Mr. Forester, in spite of myself,
you keep me in a good humor, but
good humor is one thing and Judgment
is another"
That's a fact, Mrs. Andrews, and I
have noticed that persons of best hui
NOR are frequently people of poorest
judgement. l can commend YOU for
the former, but of the latter, l fear
you are somewhat short. 1t is true
that L bet on an occasional horse race.
but | hope you do not think that I'd
put up my wife on the bob-tail horse
against anything put up on the bay. l
have won about as much money as
have lost, and taking the amusement
as profits. my net gains have been
quite large
That's all very well, Mr. Forester,
but | cannot tolerate gambling"
''Let me see. Madam, once heard
of widowed lady who dabbled some
what in cotton futures. The market
went against her, and-well, she was
slightly frost-bitten.
''Whe told you that?"
''Never mind. This lady, according
to her own confession, is very plain,
but it seemed that the sharpers
found her to be decidedly attractive"
''You ought to be ashamed of YOUR
self to stand up there and talk to me
that way"
''Well, I'll sit down.
''No, you needn't. do not wish to
give you any evidence of my approval.
You may make this visit as short as YOU
please. You cannot make it too short
to suit me-"
''Now, of all gambling" said the
young man, seating himself, ''basing
hopes on cotton futures is the most
hazardous. My father lost his head
that way"
''Don t taunt me. I was advised to
invest a few hundred dollars. lost,
but l learned lesson"
eyes. never to put your money on
the red when you should have put it on
the black. That's all very well, but
suppose you had won? Don't you think
that you would have risked few more
hundred dollars?"
''No, don't, for I saw the evil
CATER you had lost; but that has
nothing to do with Caroline. 1 love
that girl, hanged if [ don't. She is not
beautiful-taking somewhat after her
mother, but she is attractive-tak-
ing somewhat after her father.
1 love her very devotedly; yes, more
SO than | can ever love any one else.
l think that [ can make a good wife
of her,
"You good for nothing, audacious
rascal, you ought to be ashamed of
yourself to sit there and talk that
way"
''I'll stand up, Them
''Id rather see you walk"
(Which I'll have to do if I swap
horses many more times. Now,
Mrs. Andrews, any one can speak
lightly of marriage-Caroline loves
me.
''She does not"
''She is a truthful girl, Mrs. An
drews. You may not have discovered
this, but it is a fact. Where is the
damsel?"
''None of your business
''Of course not, but where is she?
Out chasing the tawdry butterfly or
engaged in the exciting ride of stick
horse?"
"You are a fool'
"You compliment me. Oh, crested
Mrs. Andrews, in perilous night, whose
banners arise on the battlements
height"
''Tom Forester, you are crazy?"
''Can see the damsel?''
"When in sight. yes"
s'Oh, crested"
Mrs. Andrews rushed from the
pom. The young man sauntered
lazily away. Stopping for q moment,
be leaned on the gate, then with low
hum, as though he were too lazy to
sing, he crossed the road, climbed