The Northern Pacific farmer., 1885-04-23
THE NEIGHBORHOOD FAILURE;
CHAPTER I.

CHAPTER 1.
II am plain woman, Mr.. Forester,
a very plain woman
yes, madam, you are very plain,
still for woman of your age, I think
that you appear well enoug b."
81 didn't mean that" she said with
a jerk of her head, accompanied bv a
sharp noise that sounded like snap.
If you think that am SO i'll looking,
you needn't come where 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 / have
cultivated it. l do not approve of
your attentions to Caroline. You are
kind-hearted and generous man, per-
maps, but-but-I dislike to say it
but your habits are bad"
''Howp"
..Well, .. you gamble.''
$50 do you"
"What! you impudent man;I never
grambled in my life.'
'You & are gambling now.'
'What!'
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"
''Thats fact, Mrs. Andrews, and
have noticed that persons of best hu-
NOR are frequently people of poorest
Judgement. 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. [
have won about as much money as I
have lost, and taking the amusement
as profits, my net gains have been
quite large.''
"rhat's all very well, Mr.. Forester,
but cannot tolerate gambling.''
''Let me see. Madam, l 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 rlain,
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."
mo, you needn't. I 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, chasing
hopes on cotton futures is the most
hazardous: MY father lost his head
that way.'
''Don't taunt me. 1 was advised to
invest few hundred dollars. lost,
but learned lesson"
Yes, never 10 pu, your money on
the red when you should have put it on
the black. That's all very we'll, but
suppose you had won? DON t you think
that you would have risked few more
hundred dollars?''
*'No, l don't, for 1 saw the evil
"After you had lost; but that has
nothing to do with Caroline. l love
that girl, hanged if 1 don't. She is not
beautiful taking somewhat after her
mother, but she is attractive-tak-
ing somewhat after her father.
love her very devotedly; yes, more
SO than can ever love any one else.
I 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, then.''
I'D rather see you walk
(which I'll have to do if l 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 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.:'
'Oh, crested"
Mrs. Andrews rushed from the
lazily away. Stopping for moment,
hum, as though he were too lazy to
sing, he crossed the road, climbed
the fence and disappeared in the
woods,
Mrs. Andrews was widow of sew
eral years experience. She had been
widow ever since old General Andrews
was found dead in New Orleans ho-
TEL. The old fellow was a convivial-
ist, and it was thought that his death
resulted from the inability of his phys
ical self to keep pace with his appe-
tite. Mrs. Andrews, as the season for
''pitching" the crop had come, spent
but little time in mourning. Rainy
days, whsn the land was too wet to be
plowed, She grieved gently, but when
the sun shone. she was out among the
hands, urging them to vigorous dis
charge of duty. Young Forester was
known as the ''neighborhood failure"
He had rollicked through college and
spluttered through law course; had
opened an Office in the county town
and had promptly closed it; had Sc
cured position on a daily paper and
had been dischargcd-had done nearly
everything to exhibit a lack OF stabil-
ity, but had accomplished nothing to
exhibit a purpose in lite.
Caroline Andrews was as Forester
had said, an attractive girl. She, was
bright and original, and report said
that she had been expelled from a
boarding school for playing an embar-
RAISING prank on maiden teacher.
She and Forester tel in love with
p r -