Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1889-02-22

PETE's ESCAPE.

| u
kept watchful ego on the male asso,
ciatos of that young lady. One day he
said to her:
Laura. who was that young man
who called on you this afternoon y
"What young man, pa z
"Did SO many young men call on you
this afternoon that you do not know
who moan? You know we'll enough
who | mean. / don't mean the one
who called day before yesterday, but
this afternoon.
"His name is Peter Randle, pa"
81 want to know where you made his
acquaintance p
II made his acquaintance at the ball
the other night. and he asked me to let
him call at the house. He belongs to
a very respectable family, One of his
uncles is an alderman right here in
New York"
That may be, but, Laura, he looks
to me as if he might be addicted to
meat. He looks like ono of those de-
PRAYED wretches who cat beef
We may as we'll explain right here
that the Sniverly family were cranky
on the subject Of vegetables. They
were vegetarians of the strictest sort.
They never tasted meat in any form or
shape. They were of the opinion that
living on vegetable products would make
them healthy, wealthy, wise, cookbook
ing, etc
They gorged themselves three con-
secutivo times day with such tooth
some viands as boiled cabbage. beans,
milk, pumpkin pies, etc 1t would not
have required much persuasion to have
induced them to browse on grass a la
Nabuchodenoso
They regarded all persons who ate
meat as being incipient criminals. Even
the man who only ate soup, in their
eyes, unworthy of confidence, aud fit
only for stratagems and spoils.
1t is strange that there should be
such cranks, but somehow or other the
world is full of them. There are lots of
eccentric people in New York. There
is said TO be an alderman who is per-
fectly honest. This will, in measure,
explain what Mr. Sniverly meant when
he recoiled with look Of horror and
nausea and expressed dread that
Laura's young man was victim OF the
meat habit.
an ask him il he is that kind Of q
social outcast, and if he is I'll tell him
that can never be more than sister
to him, even il it breaks my he-he-
heart" said Laura, and the poor girl
pressed her hand on the left side Of her
collection Of ribs and heaved sigh that
sounded like the wintry gale blowing
into an empty bottle.
That's right, Laura, I'm proul Of
you. Stick to your principles, and your
beans and your mush and milk. Never
trust your happiness in the keeping of
a man who devours meat like the wild
animal that he is lie might compel
you to have soup for dinner
Pete was desperately in love with
Laura, and so was she with him.
Pete called again the next day. lie
was tall, handsome-looking fellow,
with Il red face, suggestive of beefstcak
and mutton chops. 1t was difficult to
believe that his beefy appearance was
caused by batter cakes and mush and
milk.
Laura, be mine" he said, getting
down on his knees and paving around
on the carpet.
"Pcte--I mean Mr.. ltandlc-l have
loved you with passionate fervor from
tho minute first perceived you, but
"But what /? Speak, dearest, and lei
me know what is the obstacle"
81 have registered vow never to give
nv hand 10 any man who is not stric
vegetarian"
, "Grcat heavens. Docs she take INT
for a rabbit" thought Pete to himself
but he looked up into her lovely eye
and said II am one, too"
80, Pete, what happiness This il
= too much !"
,, "Yes, began early in life; drank
nothing but milk when was a littl'
!, child"
"And you don't touch meat p
"Not with ten-foot pole"
He spoke the words Of truthfulness
for he did not touch meat with ten
: foot pole He used a&nife and fork.
They embraced on the European plan
How happy they were in each other
Z love. They lived for each other alone
I. and when Pete took dinner with tn
it family be surprised his internal struc
= ture by introducing it to such messe
as mush and milk, baked beans. frie
apples and other enticing vegetables pr
., ducts. He felt very much like apol
m giving to his stomach.
It was summer. One Sunday NJ