Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-12-13

"Why, father" Phil exclaimed, exc,edly,
you don't mean TO say, after what you
promised the, that you went-and-and"-
"Poied my nose into other Peoples bust
ucss' Not l. Mr.. Tramlay took me home
to d.Hncr-s-iy. what an outlandish way these
city folks have got OF not catiu' dinner TIL
nigh onto bedtiinel an after the meal, long
about the edge o the evenin', when Tramlay
had gone for some papers 70 show me. an the
oil lady WAS ont Of the room for eomethin', |
tod. 'casi0n 10 congratulate the al on har
engagement, that's the proper thing in such
cases made an puryidcd. you know She
looked Kind o Gabbergaste'l, an at last sho
said twas the fust she'd herd Of it tried
TO git out Of it hy sayin' if it want true it
ort 20 tie, If young men in York had eyes in
their heads. Bat it didn't seem to work. She
asked how Leeri Of it, an had to say that
somebody in the city had told my son about
it
Phil frowaed
Then" continued the old man. "she bust
out cryin'."
"Oh, dear" sighed Phil
We'll" said the old man, II see somethin
had to be done, 50 ! put my arms around
herr
Why, fatherl" said Phil in alarm
Il put my arms around her, an said that
when gal was cryin' she ort TO have her
parents to comfort her, an. as neither CT
EN- was present. hoped she'd make b'lieve
for a minute or two that ! was her grand
father. So She took my advice; an it seemed
to do her a sight O. good"
What advice did you give herr asked
Phil.
'None--in words" said the old man.
"Wait till you're my age; then you'll under
stand"
II don't see," said Phil, after a moment or
two of silence, that things are much better
than they were Perhaps she's not engaged;
but that fellow Marge is hanging about her
oil tie time From what I've heard people
remark, he's been paying attention to her for
year or two When the family were at our
house last summer he was the only man she
talked about. I'm pretty sure. too, from
what I've seen, that her mother favors him
So, putting everything together, and think
ing about it q good DEAL as I've had to do in
spite of myself since I've been up home, I've
made up my mind that it's foregone con-
clusion."
$50 you're goin' to flop like a stuck pig On
let it go on, are your Just because you've
thought somethin' you're goin' to do nothin,
II I'd thought that of you don't b'heve I'd
have brought you down here to be a business
man in the city. A fellow that hain't got
the grit to fight for gal that he wants is
likely to make mighty poor fist Of 1t flghtin'
| for fortune. No, sir; you're not goin' Ia
knuckle under while you've got father to
egg you on. / don't say she's in ev'ry way
the gal I'd have picked out for you, but any
/ gal thatll live up to the best that's in her Il
| good enough for any man alive. II you care
as much for her as you thought you did
when met you in the street that day, that
| gal is the one for you to tie to, unless she
breaks the rope. A man sometimes gets o
bad lickin' in love fight, an a powerful big
scar besides, but both together don't do him
as much harm as backin' out an playin
coward"
'rm not a coward, father" protested Phil
and his eyes flashed as il he meant it.
"You don't mean to be, my boy" said the
old man, with q pat on his sons shoulder
but ev'rythin' In this affair is new to you
an you're in the dark about some things thai
mebbe look bigger than they are. That sor,
Of thingn make towards out Of the best Of
men, If they give in to 1t; that's the reason
I'm crackin' the whip at you"
II wonder what Mr.. Tramlay wants Of
me, :" said Phil, moment later.
"Reckon you'd better 60 down and fine
out. the old man replied