Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-08-29
AN INDEPENDENT PAIR.
They Were Too Spirited to Marry
to Please Others.

son. you are twenty-eight years old
to-day"
80 the family record says, father.
responded The elegant young gentle
man addressed al am disposed to
place implicit reliance upon 1t and on
YOU
You have done nothing since you
left college but kill time"
1T is only retaliation in advance,
sir. Some day or other the old chap
with the scalp-lock and scythe will kill
me-"
You are too fippant. Since your
Aunt Priscilla left you five thousand Q
year you have done nothing but spend
the money. Your income ought to be
enough for single man. but you draw
on me. too"
"rll try 10 draw ON you less, sir "
ut is not that, Philip. You are
quite welcome 10 a check now and
then. for know that you neither
game nor revel, and don't mind your
horses, your club. your natural history
craze, nor your luxurious tastes. But
still you spend more money and get
less for it than most young men of
your age-have too much, in fact
II don't find it too much, sir. In
fact. | was thinking what graceful
thing it would be If you would double
it-a mere trife to gentleman of
your means. have to use the most
pitiful economy. assure you
"Oh, that's it. Ell? Well. there is
mode to increase it very much. You
have heard me speak OF Philander
6priggs. OF New YorkPn
"Nioney-lcnder and skinflilt? Ihave
heard of him :
Nonsense. Philip. He is a quite
worthy as well as very wealthy man;
and il he prefers to invest ready money
in short loans, what OF that? lend
my money. or some of it sometimes.
'But not at cent per cent"
mo matter. | don't propose that
you shall borrow OF him. lie has an
only child, daughter, who will in
herit all his vast property. just as you
will mine
docs she shave notes. father?"
"Phil, be kind enough not to indulge
III chat. ! have seen her and talked
with her. She is young, handsome
well educated. and has good taste "a
society gentlewoman with domestic
tastes"
well, father, you are not so old,
and since you admire her so much, /
see no reason why -"
stop your nonsense and listen.
Spriggs and had a talk over it when
was in New York. and we have con-
cluded, II you two come together, to
chip in equally and settle half
million on you on your wedding day.
With what you have you'll do we'll
enough for awhile.
But" demurred Philip. 81 don't
like Spriggs for u father-in-law.n
"Stuff! you don't marry Spriggs."
"And the name! Think of it!
Springs"
What OF that2 With marriage the
name is changed. don't think she'll
gain much by it. Spriggs-Briggsl
Six of one and half a dozen OF the
other"
I'D like to oblige you. father. l
suppose must marry some day; but
It will be some one | love: and then,
Philadelphia like, insist on a woman
OF good family"
"Some one you love! How the
deuce do you know you'll not love her
till you see her? Good family! Or
course you're entitled to that. The
peerage % Eng and is full OF Viscount
Briggses. The Briggses are found in
the Almanac Won Gotha among the
erlaucht families. Your grandfather
made $500, 900 in hides and tallow, and
If he had not invested it in real estate
that multiplied itself more than ten
fold before he died. | should have been
Ia the same business to-day, and you
In the counting-room or warehouse.
Family. indeed! You're foolish boy,
Philip. and your aunts legacy has
ruined you"
IL wish, sir, there were half-dozen
more old aunts to continue my ruin
in the same way. 1t is of no use get
ting angry. father You can't keep it
up. I'll take to any thing you say
law. physic. or divinity; sell my
horses. drop my club. read by the
cubic foot. but to marry me-. F."
"See here. Phil" exclaimed the
father, who by this time was at white
heat, "you never knew me to break
my word. merely ask you to marry
for your own good. ! point out wife
in every way suitable 10 you. Marry
to please me, and | will not only start
you fairly in life now, but leave you
all have when | am gone. Marry to
suit some foolish fancy of your own
and rll--yes, I'll found an asylum for
idiots. Now you understand me-. "
And Briggs marched off. leaving his
son to his meditations.
III stay here" said Philip to him
self. "faiher and will quarrel. Bet
ter give the dear old gentleman a
chance to cool OF. I'll ruralize Q
little"
That afternoon Philip packed port
manteau. and with a fishing-rod and
mineral hammer started OFF 10 Mont
gomery County, where an old college
mate of his had married and settled.
one whom he had long promised to
visit When he arrived there he
learned that Boudinot aud his wife had
gone to Long Branch for the season.
and their servants with them. the
house being in charge OF care-taker.
Philip heard OF good fishing in a stream
four miles off. and concluded to try IL.
He found lodgings at q farmhouse
near the place. owned by a man named
Seth Cooper.
His quarters were quite comfortable.
The house was an old stone building
| of ante-reyolutionary erection. and
was roomy He was assigned cham
Der upstairs. looking out on a trinity
kept garden. in which old-fashioned
flowers and pot herbs were grown side
by side. and which sent a pleasant
fragrance through the open window.
The room itself was adorned with
| pictures and knick-knacks showing
feminine taste. and the bedstead was
| furnished with a hair mattress. and
not the bag Of feathers OF the vicinage.
Decidedly. said Philip to himself.
4 sa@hara fz apn4hav female ~, fha rsravr4.