St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-19
A DERNIER RESORT.
BY MARGARET EYTINGE.

BY MARGARET EYTINGE.
A middle-aged man was walking up
the prettiest street of little country
town one afternoon in early June. 1t
was quiet, tree-shaded, grasS-grOwn
street, and the man, as he walked along
with jaunty, swinging step, seemed won
derfully wide awake in contrast to it.
He was well-preServed man, who
must have been very gOod-looking, if
not positively handsome, in his youth.
He was dressed in gray suit of fash
iOnable cut and wore his silk hat slightly
tipped on one side of his abundant
brown, curly hair. This brown, curly
hair was very lightly touched with
gray here and there; so lightly, indeed.
as to not be perceptible to the careless
observer. In his right hand. which
was firmly held against the small of his
back, he grasped heavy, gold-headed
cane. He glanced from side to side, as
he walked, at the windows of the cot
tages with the air of one who had been
used to, and still expects to, catch the
admiring glances of peeping women.
And in this expectation he was not
wholly disappointed, for from at least
half dozen doors and as many win
dows he caught their glances, though
I they were really more of wonder than
admiration; albeit, he chose only to
admit the latter.
"By Jove!" said he to himself in
drawing tone, as, the last cottage passed,
he emerged into the highway again and
came in sight of picturesque old black
smiths shop, before which stood an i'm
menSe weeping willow, chow little the
place has changed. What a sleepy old
town it is. / don't believe there have
been twenty buildings added to 1t since
l left here nearly quarter of century
ago. And there's the smithy just the
same as when worked there in a grimy
aprOn-paugh!" And then stepping
across to the shop where man of about
his own age-a stout, rOund-faced,
merry-looking feilOw-was welding a
hammer with mighty, force, striking
brave sparks from the horseshoe he
was .fashioning and singing loudly
the while to the musical clink, clink,
clink that answered his blows.
"Hallo! Jim Farlow." said the new
conner, in louder and quicker tone
than that in which he had spoken to
himself.but it was not until Jim FarlOw
was touched upon the shoulder by the
gray kidded hand that the loud singing
and musical blinking ceased, and the
blacksmith turned slowly about and
gravely regarded his visitor with no
hint of recognition in his honest blue
eyes.
"Why, Jim, don't you know me?'
asked he of the gray suit. Surely you
haven't forgotten Jack Palmer?''
--1.Jack Palmer!' repeated the black
smith. BE you Jack Palmer? If YOU
be you don't look much like the Jack
Palmer thatsused to work aside of me at
this very forge.'
''But 1 am all the same" said Palmer.
though j fancy city life has removed
alb trace of the country youth. That
isxatl trace of his ruSticity. flatter
myself some OF his good looks stilEre-
main. Hey. Jim?''5 .sF.
To this speech, made with a self-Satis-
fled smile, Jim replied by another ques-
ton: 1s'pOse you invested that money
SOS you made heap out of it?''
Palmer, 'but the heap soon dwindled
away. 1t was only thirty thousand in
the first place, you know
only thirty thousand 7 replied Jim
with grim chuckle; IVY wen you
fust heard of it thought you'd go clean
daft. l swan L did Thirty thousand
says you to me, a-tearin' off your apron
thirty thousand for me that never got
$50 together since the day l were born,
an that's six an twenty year ago.
Thirty thousand says yOu-'
Eyes, yes" interrupted his compan-
ion hastily; Il suppose it did look
like large sum to me then, but when
one lives in great city and associates
look like very small one, and by Jove!
it and all 1 made by it got less and less
as the years went on until l an actually
down to my last hundred.''
Down to your last hundredr echoed
Jim Farlow. "Well. you must have
lived high. And now, if I may make
so free as to ask. what have you come
back here for? You surely aint look
in" and glancing at the kid gloves he
broke out into a loud gutfaw-'yOu
surely amt lOOkin' for job at the old
Smithy again?''
''Pshaw! Nonsenseu' replied the
sumed, in his former drawing tone,
'Old Corbett's dead, hear, and left
Ruth all the property. Must be worth
a tidy little sum?''
1T is worth tidy little sum and she's
tidy little woman" asserted the black
smith with emphasis.
''Plainer than ever, though, I sup
pose. Naturally such homely girls
make still homlier old maids" -.
II never thought her humbly nor
neither did any one else butyOu, Igness,
Palmer, and you didn't think so till you
got amongst them city gals. You
treated Ruth ALFRED mean, you did,"
and Jim Farlow turned to his anvil
again.
''Oh, look here, Jim, don't go to work
for minute or two more. Does she
live at the farm? know l didn't treat
her exactly right. but when one finds
oneself surrounded by handsome and
fashionable girls one can't help but for
get the rustic maidens one leaves be-
hind. But l have good reason to think
! can still make it all right. Better late
than never. you know. She has re-
mained single for my sake am sure,
and l have come here to reward her
cohstancy at last. In short, to marry
her.
''TO marry her?"
"Great heavens. what parrot you
are. Jim. Yes. to marry her. She is a
dernier resort"
whats that?" asked the black
smith.
"a last resort. I can't live any
longer i'll the city. I'm over head and
heels in debt there-owe for this very
suit | have on. So I've made up my
mind to return to the home of my child
hood. marry my old sweetheart and set
tie down into quiet country gentle
men. Not bad thing to do when one
can't do anything else, is it?''
hWell, swan you are cool card"
said Jim. But you won't find her at
the farm, but at the little red house Just
this side of it. She isn't bit stuck up
though she has come into fortune.
You'd better go right along, and l wish
you all the luck you deserve"
Palmer eyed him suspiciously for a
moment and then staggered up the