Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-01-09

Joe had been in love with Caddy
Haclkett for almost as long as he could
remember; SO much in love that he had
found it altogether impossible to con-
tine his wooing strictly to the Goddess
OF Fortune, as he had stoutly resolved
to do, until her favor was fully won.
he had thriving law practice now in
flumport and the adjacent towns, and
was beginning to be looked upon as a
rising young politician. He was quite
ready now to take to himself wife,
and Notwithstanding the attractions of
Lyddy Stone, it had never occurred
to him that that wife could be any
other than Caddy Hackett. But as he
had become outspoken and impatient,
Caddy had grown coy. She persisted
in staying away from Ptumport; and
when Joe went to see her she treated
him In matter-of-fact and sisterly
way more discouraging than GOODNESS.
Joe had never meant to give her up;
he was only waiting for her to be
brought to a better mind; but he was
sensitive about the matter, and Cap'n
Laban's inquisitiveness was constantly
touching q nerve. But this was in
formation that might be worth some
thing, this matter of grammar. He
laughed. and was. mortified also, at
Cap'n Laban's candid account of her
laughing at him. A fellow did fall
into the habit of using expressions that
he had been brought up to hear, without
thinking whether they were ridiculous
or not; it took girl to be so finifed
and self-conscious as to be always
thinking of her speech. A very au-
dacious plan came into his head; if
grammar was what she wanted. he
would give her enough of it. There
had been lurking in the background of
his mind an idea that he has been
putting himself too much under Caddy's
feet.
cit is a way that has gone out of
fashion, according to the novels, and
Caddy likes modern fashions. This
matter of grammar has given me an
idea Come, let us BE- bold!'' said Joe
to himself. And the next day he sad
died his horse and rode over to Pink
ham for the first time in weeks.
Caddy met him with certain shy
ness and shifting of color, instead of
the sis,erly frankness which she had
shown him of late. This great i'm
provement Gas Joe regarded it) was
the result of letter which she had
just received from her father. In spite
OF Cap'n Sanders absorption in gram
mar, Cap'n Laban's assertion that Joe
was making up to Lyddy Stone re-
turned and ranked in his mind. He
had always been fond of Joe, it had
been one of his dearest hopes that
Caddy would marry him, and he had
once fancied that Caddy's happiness
depended upon this. He would not
venture to dictate or even to suggest to
her, but he might hint that she was
losing Joe irrecoverably.
He found it very difficult to COM
pose the letter that evening. He was
tired out with his grammar, and was
unfamiliar with the art of putting
things. When it was completed it ran
thus:
MY DEAR DAUGHrER.-This is to let YOU
know that we are all we'll and there is no news
except that we have new Jersey calf, and Joe
Kent is making up to Lyddy Stone, and folks
thinks the new minister wears wig So NO
more from your Low .ng father. P. S.-Proputty
is great thing, and some folks thinks Lyddy
Is harnsome.
To Cap'n Sanders mind this letter
was Machiavelian. It certainly pro.
duced in Caddy a change of manner
which was both cheering and puzzling
to Joe. It was difficult to carry out
his plan under its softening influence
but to finch from his purpose was
quite foreign to Joe's nature.
It was Joe who was easy and con.
versational to-day, while Caddy made
an effort that was plainly to be seen
A silence fell between them at length,
which Joe broke with an air of hest
tation.
"Caddy, I hope you won't mind if
make q little suggestion. OF course
every thing you say is charming to me-
and little carelessness doesn't matte,
in Plumport. I am a little careles.
myself sometimes, though it doesn'1
matter so much for a man"
Caddy's eyes were growing roun6
with wonder. She could not in the
least imagine what was coming, but
this was decidedly new tone for Joe
to take with her.
Don't look so scared, Caddy''-she
afraid of Joe!-''it's only a little
matter of grammar. You make few
slips that would affect peoples opin.
ion of you in cultivated society. A
little while ago you said to me YOU
had better do this; of course YOU
knew that you should say YOU
sooula better, but you were care
less. And l notice you always say
you should have liked to haze seen q
thing; of course, you know that you
ought to say you should have liked to
See it, but you think it doesn't matter,
Or. perhaps. you even think it's more
stylish to be a little careless. I've