The examiner. (Hartford, Conn.) 1881-188?, 1888-03-03
A DERNIER RESORT.
What Miss Corbett Said Because
It Was Leap-Year.

@s w SsS @A0cR SeeAs
A middle aged man was walking up thi
prettiest street of little country towI
one afternoon in early june. It was q
quiet, tree-shaded, grass-grown street
and the man, as he walked along with
Jaunty, swinging steps, seemed wonder
fully wide awake in contrast to it. Hl
was well-preserved man, who m ust have
been very good looking, if not positively
handsome. in his youth. He was dressed
in a gray suit of fashionable cut and wore
his silk hat slightly tipped on one side oil
his abundant brown, curly hair. This
brown, curly hair was very lightly touch
cd 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 he ad,
ed cane. He glanced from side to side,
as he walked, at the windows of the
cottages 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 disappoin ted, for from at least
half a dozen doors and as many windows
he caught their glances, though they were
really more of wonder than admiration; !;
albeit, he choose only to admit the latter.
IL a
drawing tone as, the last cottage passed,
he emerged into the highway again and
came in sight of picturesque old black.
smith shop, before which stood an inn
mense weeping willow, show little the
place has changed. What sleepy old
town it is. I don't believe there have been
twenty buildings added to it since left
here nearly quarter of a century ago.
And there's the smfthy just the same as
when worked there in a grimy apron
paughp And then stepping across to the
shop where a man Of about his own age
a stout, round faced, merry looking fellow
was welding 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,u said
the newcomer, in a louder and quicker
tone than that in which he had sl;usszen 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 clinking ceased and the
blacksmith turned slowly about and
gravly-regarded his visitor with no hint
of recognition in his honest blue eyes.
'sWhy, Jim, don't you know me?' asked
he of the gray suit. "Surely you haven't
forgotten Jack Palmer?"
"Jack Palmerw repeated the black
smith. "Be you Jack Palmer? IL you be
you don't look much like the Jack Palmer
that used to work aside of me at this very
forge"
''But am, all the same" said Palmer,
"though fancy city life has removed ali
trace of the country youth. That is, all
trace of his rusticity. I fatter myself
some of his good looks still remain. Hey,
Jim?n
To this speech, made with a self-satis-
fed smile, Jim replied by another ques-
ton: 81 s'pose you invested that money
SOS you made heap out of it?"
"Wer, did-at first" answered Pal
mer, "but the heap soon dwindled away.
1t was only thirty thousand in the first
place, you know"
''Only thirty thousandp replied Jim,
with grim chuckle; "w'y wen you fust
heard of it thought you'd go clean daft.
i swan I did. sThirty thousand,' say s
you to me a-tearin' off your apron
thirty thousand fur me that never got
thirty dollars together since the day I
were born am that's SIX an twenty year
ago. Thirty thousand, says you1n
"Yes, yes" interrupted his companion,
hastily; al suppose it did look like
large sum to me then, but when one lives
in q great city and associates with
wealthy people it soon begins to look
like a very small one, and by Jovel it
and all made by it got Hess and less as
the years went on until / am actually
down to my last hundred"
"Down to your last hundred!" echoed
Jim Farlow. SWELL, you must have lived
high. And now, if may make so free as
to ask, what have you come back here
for? You surely amt a lookin' ~ and
glancing at the kid gloves he broke out
Sr,k1 1~rr6 L. .t~.fk
lookin' for job at the old smithy again?"
"Pshaw! Nonsensew rerlied the other,
half angrily, and then he resumed, in his
former drawing tone: "Old Corbett's
dead, I hear, and left Ruth all his prop
terty. Must be worth tidy little sum!"
s'It is worth tidy little sum and she's
a tidy little woman" asserted the black
SIN it'll, with emphasis.
''PIainer :san ever, though, suppose.
Naturally such homely girls make still
homelier old maids"
81 never thought her humbly nor
neither did any one else but you, guess,
Palmer, and you didn't think SO till you
got amongst them city gals You treated
Ruth aII-fired mean, you did" and Jim
Farlow turned to his anvil again.
'tOh, look here. Jim, don't go to work
for minute or two more. Does she live
at the farm? 1 know I didn't treat her
exactly right, but when one finds ones
self surrounded by handsome, fashionable
girls one can't help but forget the rustic
maidens one leaves behind. But have q
good reason to think can still make it all
right. Better late than never, you know.
She has remained single for my sake,
am sure, and have came here to reward
her constancy at last. In short, to marry
her.D
'To marry her."
'.Great heavens! what parrot you are,
Jim. Yes, to marry her. She is q dernier
resort"
'.What's that?" asked the blacksmith.
"a last resort. can't live any longer
in the city. Pm over head and heels in
debt there-owe for this very suit have
on. So Pve made up my mind to return
to the home of my childhood, marry my
Did sweetheart and settle down into
p quiet country gentleman. Not a bad
thing to do when one can't do any thing
.Well, swan you are a cool card said
Jim. "But you won't find her at the farm,
but at the little red house just this side Of