The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-04-23
JOHN WHITFIELD'S WIFE.


repelIinq all petty annoyances with a
patience that really had something
heroic in it. Old merchants with sha-
ven chins, who carried umbrellas and
rode to their business in the omnibus
called him "sure." Young merchants
who drove to their offices in cabs, and
thought they were paying commerce a
compliment, called him "slow.' Poo
pie generally believed him to be a
bachelor, yet he had nothing OF that
undeveloped, withered, selfish look
about him which is usually character
istic Of the single state.
Ihad, indeed, an impression that
far back in my WI childhood l had
heard something about John Whit
fields wife. I once said as much to
his head clerk, Jacob Smith, whose
assistant l was. Jacob looked up
slowly and smiled incredulously.
81 have been here, Will Lawson"
he said, lust fve-and-twenty years. l
never saw nor heard tell Of any WON.
an since l came"
"How old was Nj. Whitfield them"
"About thirty, I should think. He
had just bought this business-came
up from New Orleans to buy it,"
,"Ah! He might have been in love
and even married before that, Jacob"
HE might, but l don't believe he
was. When Mr.. Whitfield faIlsin love
it will be with a woman made to order.
Inever saw one half good enough to
be his wife"
Icalled John Whitfield "Uncle John"
but he was not really any relation.
Forty years previous my father and
he had been sworn companions, and
in a summer bathing frolic John had
once saved my fathers life. When /
left school at nineteen years OF age,
with a pretty iair record, he took me
at once into his warerooms.
Ibid not live with him, nor, indeed,
see very much Of MIN outside of bust
ness hours; but occasionally he invIt-
ed me to dinner, and when no did so,
he signalized the visit by some such
remark as the following: "Will, you
have done very cleyerly lately. Jacob
Smith says he can spare you for a
couple OF weeks vacation, and here is
a small check to make it pass pleas
antly. Your father and / are broth
ers, you know; / have the right to Of
fer it, WILL
He said something very like this to
me one hot night in July just before
my sumnler holiday, and then he
asked me where | was going. / told
him to a little farmhouse in the
mountains, where | was sure Of good
fishing.
THAT is right" he answered,
cheerily. 81 like a man who isfond of
throwing a line; 'fbut, Will, let me ask
you something-are there any girls
there?o
Isaid | thought so, but / had never
seen them.
'sThen take care of yourself. You
have had a good education, and a
beautiful, ignorant girl; whatever you
do, VIII, don't make that mistake"
He seemedto me quiteunnecessarily
exercised about this subject. He
referred to it again and again, and
cautioned me, even after he had bid
me goodbye and a happy holiday"
However, the caution turned out to
be q kind of prophecy. / fell in love
with Farmer Jones little barefooted
girl, a beautiful child of fifteen years
Of age. Ny two weeks holiday fled
like III enchanted dream, for Nellie
and | were together all through the
sweet. hot July days. Twas so infatu-
ated with her loneliness and simplicity,
and SO interested in helping her to inn
prove her neglected education, that i
determined to do very foolish and
unbusinessIike thing. | wrote to I'm
Gle John and asked for another week.
Dear Will" he wrote back, II am
glad you said you we're SO happy, and
did not plead sickness or a sprained
ankle, or some other fraud. | am
afraid you have fallen in love--I told
you not; but if this il the case, I can't
find it in my heart to be hard with
you. am an old man now, but /,
too, have been in Arcadia. One week,
mind, and no more; aad be cautious,
my dear Will. Donothingi in q hurry"
Well, all love affairs are pretty much
alike. Nellie and I made VOWS and
promises, and exchangedlocks OF hair.
/ tried to speak TO Farmer Jones seri-
ously about our attachment, but he
only laughed at us and said Nellie was
d child and was out on a frolic, and
that he had no kind Of doubt but we
would beth of us forget every word we
had said in q couple Of months. And
though ! felt hurt at being treated in
such a contemptuous fashion, / de
termined to show FARMER Jones
thar We were both Of ne very mnch IN