The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-06-10
CHAPTER V.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS.

CHAPTER v.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS
For days after this call Fitz was in the
seventh heaven of delight, and, as he freely
confessed TO Jimmy Marks, in love- "FoI
the vewy first time in my life, mo boy
Aw! she's -well-a-simply chawmine
wosebud, you know. Wouldn't she make
a lovely object to dash awound town with?
How the fellahs would slaw when they saw
me awound with her. But paw is so con-
foundedly tight, you see. He didn't come
down enough faw that business, you know"
Perhaps he would if you just explained
70 him that you wanted regular allow
ance, say five thousand a year, and what
you wanted it for. Tell him the truth.
Say you're in love, and extol Miss De-
lormes b auty and charms; that's the way"
why why-whv-h wing my neck
in two minutes. Why, Jimmy, you don't
know paw.
"Well, I've seen him enough to know tina,
he's sensible old governor. Just tell
him you're old enough to get married, and
you've found the on you'd like to marry.
Then sail in and tell him about Miss De-
lorme, and he'll consent as soon as he sees
her."
What" stammered Fitz. "Mawwy!
Who said anything about mawwying? l
don't want to mawwy. I've got to mawwy
wich.
"Whlt are you talking about them" said
Jimmy. Indignantly. didn't you Just say
you was in love with Miss Delorme? WHAT
the matter with you?"
80 | am; but has fellah got to mawwy
evewy gwrl he's in love WITH"
See here Fitz, it's none of my business.
perhaps, but Tn a little responsible in this
thing. l feel Just the same as l would if
had sold goods to some house for my firm,
and that house had tlunked out. That's
what's the matter with me. introduced
you to the party, and want to see you do
the square thing, and l advisey ou, for your
own sake, to do it, for Miss Delorms isn't
without friends"
"Aw! Ya-a-s. l know it." said Fitz,
slightly embarrassed, and feeling that he
had let himself out too soon to Jimmy. i
don't know Miss Delorme yet, you see, aw,
and you wouldn't have fellah mawwy
Gyul before he knows her, would you, eh?"
"No!" Jimmy agreed to that PROPOSE
ton, and adjourned the case to give "fel-
lah" q chance to know the "gyul."
And. by strange coincidence, the next
day after his call on Miss Delorme, Fitz
was interviewed by nav" on the matrimo-
nial subject.
=Flz James" she said, with grea,
gravity, as Fitz was lolling in the parlor
Just before going out, we hardly ever get
a chance TO speak TO you nowadays. What
with your club, and your balls, and your
promenades, you're as busy as if you had
to work for your income"
Il amt got no income, nav, responded
Fitz, testify, and that's what l complain
! nf Jf I hoh I no1,1l do oc
some other fe labs do | could 60 to the
WAGES, could have dog cart or q tam
dem, or something and then the fellahs
would think me somebody. Why, there's
Iincum, of our club, whose father isn't
any wicher than paw, or not as wich, and
he's always got hundred or two in his
pocket, and can dwaw check. | nevaw
could dwaw a check, and nevaw have any
money"
Never have any money!" exclaimed
Mrs. Berthe Smith. She always insisted
on this as her first name, and was indignant
if even her husband called her Bertha.
"Why, it's only a week ago that gave you
twenty dollars"
Twenty dollarsn echoed Fit. What's
twenty dollars, nav? Why, l can spend
| twenty dollars in day, aw, and not do me
bit of hlwm. And when l ask paw
lOf lnUHeN he says, W Hll nave you uOne
with that five dollars gave you last week?
Why. when l was your age, didn't spend
five dollars in three months, except for my
living"
"Well my dear Fitz James, said nam.
ma, soothingly, its very dreadful, l
know. Your pa is very queer at times, but
he's getting old you know, and it'll soon
be over But, my dear Fitz James, it's
Just about that very subject thlt | wanted
to talk. There's a remedy for it, you know.
"A remedy?" said Fitz, waking up, q d
showing a little interest in the subject.
"Yes, my dear. Your pa and 1 have
been talking about it, and we think that you
are old enough to get married.
Who's been telling you anything,
maw?" said Fitz, almost jumping from his
chair, and staring at his mother wildly, his
mind running directly to Miss Delorme.
"Why, nobody, Fitz James. Nobody
been te ling me anything. How strange
you act!" exclaimed mamma startled at
the oarnostness of her darling, something
she was no. accustomed to see, general
lassitude being the prevailing condition.
Il only thought you were old enough to
marry, and here are so many fine girls in
our set who would be glad to have YOU. !"
Who are they?' said Fitz, gloomily.
Why, first. there's Miss Wlgginson. Her
fathers worth a million, you know, and
there's only two children
! "Awl Nav, she's ten years oder than
me, said Fitz, with disgust, and as ugly
as sim.
"Well, that's moth ng against her, Fitz
James. If she'd been pretty she'd been
married long ago; and then, you know, you
won't be jealous Of her. Bu. if you don't
like her. there's little Miss Cobbs. She's
rich in her own right.
"Ya-a-s, NAV, and she'll stay so. Why,
nav, she's too mean to dress decently, or
wear clean clothes, and all the fellahs
know it. She wouldn't, aw, allow me a
cent.
But see whit c.ety she goes into, my
dear Fitz James. See how she could ele-
vate rs, and we want elevation, you know.
She could take us among the Van Swoops,
and the De Blkingtons, and all that set
Aud then we can arrang, all that, for youl
pa says that, whoever you marry he'll dc
as they do, and come down with as much
in the way of a settlement as they do.
This walked Fitz up, and he began to
think whether there might not be some way
of turning this willingness of his father tc
Immediate financial account.
Then why don't he give me some money
to work on, eh?" said Fitz, fretfuily. "Aw
I've heard him say NAV, that no fellah car
do biz without capital, and yet he won't le
me have any, and wants me to capchaw
| aw, some gyul with a hundwed thousand
dolaws. without capital enough, aw, tC
take her out widing, or to the opera, ol
9nywheres, eh, maw?'
q Mrs. BERTHE could not help thinking thi:
a good argument. and said:
Vel, now, Fitz James, I'll speak tt
father about it and see if he's willing, foi