Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-10-28
LOST ALL AMBITION.
Why. One OF w,dSS .smsthe's ~, ntrer
Has Ceased Calling ON Her.

LOST ALL AMBITION.
why One of w,dS,3 smstAe'a 40 mirer,
Has Ceased Calling Her.
Ihad been waiting on" the Widow
Smythe for some time, and thought
my prospects in that direction tolera-
bly, bright when one sunny afterncon
I presented myself atvher residence
with my horse and buggy and invited
her to 60 driving with me in the park.
But tine widow had 5 severe headache
and couldn't 60. d
Cant 60. mar?' bawled her
eight-year-old son. Tommy.
"Of course not, Tommy. Keep quiet.
do"
Now l hated Tommy, but l was
bound to make myself agreeable at any
sacnhce, and so, with reckless disra-
! gard of the truth, said:
~ should be delighted to have
Tommy go. if YOU have no objection.
my dear Mrs. Smythe."
You are so good. so thoughtful.
Mr.. Bulger." said the widow, with an
eloquent look. VERY well, then, he
.hail go. Hurry and get ready. dar-
ling
Tommy's preparations consisted of
filling his pockets with peppermint
lozenges-a CONNECTION l detest with a
detestation that knows no bounds
and putting on his hat Then. after
many admOnitions to me to- be very
careful of dear Tommy, and to dear
Tommy to be a good boy, we started.
II hope you will both have adelight-
full drive" werethe widows last words.
Did we have delightful drive? Well,
that drive was not one of those expert
ences calculated to give a cvnicalss and
wOrld-weary man arenewed confidence
in humanity in general, to strengthen
and reinvigoratc Kim for the battle of
life. Not exactly.
'Are you fond OF driving. my little
man?' l asked, as we started. screw-
ing my features into wins: was intended
for an agreeable smile.
..Becherlife, was the quick response.
That your horse?3 s,s' ~
'Yes, Tommy" l replied. ''that is
my horse"
"Where'd you get him?"
Bought him"
''Of course. Didn't think you stole
him. But where?' ~ =
''Oh, down town."
whereabouts, down town.?
''On Twenty-third street"
''Fron whom?" Nt.sHE
"a man named Brown. Tommy"
"When?" .e-g
"About two months ago.. IA j
IL don't think he's much good"
"Why not, Tommy?'
"Oh, cause. Y'oughter see the
horse that Captain Jowler has when he
takes mar out ridin'. Jimminy, amt
he 4 goerr' t'e't
''Oh, Captain Jowler takes your ma
out riding. does he, Tommy?'
''Yes, an he brings me pound boxes
O. mixed candy. Say, how fast can
your horse go?"
II don't know exactly"
'How fast do yer think?"
II don't know. 1 say, Tommy"
"But how fast do yer hink?''
well. perhaps milAin three min
utes."
..Pook! that's nothin'. Are you
worth much money!?
Not very much, Tommy"
That's what thought. Mar was
wonderin' the other day, an tod her
Thought you hadn't got much. Say.
if you was my dad would you lick
me?''
THAT would depend entirely upon
yourself
Mar said that when Won got to be
my dad, if she concluded to throw her
self away on you. she'd bet you'd
make it hot for me"
'Oh. your ma said that. did she,
''Yes; an have you got much sense?"
Il have some left, Tommy"
can do YOU think mas Skyc-terrier
has got much?'
Il don't think that he has very
much
ME neither. But mar said yester-
day she didn't think you had as much
sense as he's got; an she said she
thought you dyed your hair; and she
said she thought it was ridic' lous for a
man as old as you are to fix up the
way you DO; an she said--' 4
Boy said l, interrupting him
with much firmness, II am going to
drive you home now, and if you so
much as open your mouth again. I'll
take you by the neck and drop you out.
hope you understand.
Not another word did Tommy utter
until we reached his home. Then l
lifted him to the sidewalk and immedi-
ately drove Off l have not been to
the Widow Smythe's since. am not
ambitious to become Tommy's step
father. It'd Bits.
Temporarily Postponed.
A Cipoippoti youth fo,r<,oo