Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-13

then he realized that he was in sense a
wooer, because at the dinner of the previous
evading, at the Dallas cottage she had nei-
ther allowed his claim of connubial rela-
tionship, nor vet utterly rejected him. She
had successfully repulsed him, but without
driving him far away. No earnest talk had
occurred between them, and so Pootle, feel
ing like suitor, sought to avoid an exhibi-
tion OF himself which, he was bound to real
iZe, would not be romantically winsome.
he felt, when safe in his compartment, that
he had discreetly escaped disaster
The Widow Gansett Joined the two Dal-
lases, and at the same moment Winston
Dallas sauntered up. Winston was gay in
a cap and sack of widely striped blue and
white, and an embroidered shirt and white
flannel trousers as other features of an ag-
gressively fashionable seaside toilet. Around
his waist was wound bright scarf, and he
walked in low shoes and silken stockings.
The Colonel eyed him with hardly concealed
appreciation.
believe I'll have go at the surf" said
the dandy.
The thoughtful fathers gaze went out
again to the stalwart figure Of Victor Leroyd,
who was swimming shoreward with May,
and quick calculation of the chances i'm
PEELED him to say: "No, Winnie-better
stay in your clothes as You are. They're
verv cockv."
Winston comprehended, and assented
with, "All right, dad, I" as be casually alb
stracted cigar from that solicitous parents
inner pocket, lit it, and gave himself leisure
ly over to an exposition of the latest graces
il smoking.
you're impudent enough to prove a win
ner" murmured the fond father.
You're saying it, Governor" was the re-
sponse. "Ill bet you o fall overcoat, old
man, that before its time to wear one I'll
take more money out of Leroyd than you
get out of his uncle. Does it go?'
sit goes"
"They are bound for the races this after
noon," interposed Sheeba, for fear that the
widow had overheard their words, land
they can't wait to get there before betting"
The four talked to no consequence awhile,
and then Mr.. Pootle, wlro had hastily put
on his ordinary attire, came among them.
He was rather a jaunty human rotundity,
in a suit of plaids, in which the crossbars of
the fabric were huge. In deciding upon
that costume he had counted the plaids
across coat worn by his nephew, and had
then sought pattern Just sufficiently larger
to make his own girth comprise exactly the
same number of figures. That was his
system for achieving symmetry by an ad-
justment of proprtions, but he had at heart
no confidence in it, and as he stood in the
sand, about ankle deep by reason of his
heavy weight, he keenly regretted the ap-
parent loss of height which could only make
him look the thicker. But Mr.. Pootle |
would not have been depressed in spirits if
his legs had sunk knee deep into the sand,
leaving him somewhat in an attitude of
kneeling to the widow, as they moved a
little apart. Suddenly she quilted him and |
rejoined Sheeba, exclaiming: ''No, no; no,
Sir-no."
"Now, here, Mrs. Dallas" said Mr.. |
Pootle, and he had a photograph in each |
hand; 'look on this picture, and on this"
''The counterfeit presentment of two sis
ters, /" said the widow.
! "I'm a-getting the critical judgment of !
this lady, " and he faced one of the cards to
Sheeba. "Who is that?"
"My dear friend who stands there
"And who is this?" exhibiting the other
picture.
''That seems to be portrait the same lady
when bonnets were fat; and what is the
controversy"
'Your unprejudiced Identification ought
to settle it. should saw. Hasn't she told
you? Well, this lady and 1 were married.
/ am seven years older now than then. but
she isn't day. We couldn't get along to-
gether. was unreasonable, and she was
We parted. have been passing
ior widower, and she for widow. Now 1
have discovered her. She takes the picture
that was the means of finding her, puts it
alongside of an older one, and declares one
to be nv lost wife, but the other isn't the
same wife found. Isn't it absurd?''
WHY yes; ] think so, said Sheeba, hesi-
tating for the instant between frankness and
Il r,l5 5ait nd hap fha fnfa
politely and affably:
Ladies like to be coa1ed. But you
demand too much wooing, Mrs.
Pootle, having once been won. Say you are
and he Joined their hands,
There. Bless YOU. 1t is settled
The group was sufficiently by itself to not
be overheard by other people on the beach,
and their actions looked like nothing more
than common pleasantly.
"WhEt are you up to, Sam," whispered
Sheeba to the Colonel lis it deviltry for
ievilUry's own sake?"
80, I'm doing your chum good turn"
be replied. What racket it would be for
my darling Sheeba to work, and he contem-
plated the pair.
MY congratulations, Winston was say
ing. "This quite rouses things don't you
know-puts bit of life into the drowse''
The flustered widow caught her breath
historically, and showed symptoms of
Iaintness.
Like real bride" whispered the Colo
mel to Sheeba
But the fun of that couple was instantly
ost to Colonel Sam Dallas because another
pair, in whom his plot had
genuine interest, came into the party. These
we're Victor and May, dripping with the
water in which they had been disporting,
he enthusiastic over her first encounter |
le had never before derived from the exer-
Use of swimming.