Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-03-20
heerd on, said lothian, with his elbows

heerd on" said lothian, with his elbows
on his knees and his face complacentlv
turned toward the full moon.
'sAnd she can't be over thirty"
$50 l should a-said, myself" assented
lothian.
"I'm glad she has taken the cottage
on long lease, Jotham," pursued Mr..
Wiegleton, Il like good neighbors.'
GHOST folks Does" observed lothian.
And he got up, shaking himself like a
great Newfoundland dog, and went into
the house, leaving Mr.. Wiggleton to the
companionship of his own cogitations.
There are times in which solitude is
said to be the best company; perhaps
this was one of these special occasions,
in the estimation of lothian Hard
castle.
The summer went by; the great maple
gan to glow as IF it's leaves had been
dipped in blood and melted gold; the
asters reared their purple torches along
the stone wall by the cottage under the
hill, and any acute observer might have
perceived that Mrs. Palmleaf had laid
down the rocky bit of uphill ground in
spring wheat instead of winter rye.
lothian !" said Mr.. Wiggleton to his
farm hand one evening; it was the first
time they had had fire on the wide,
old-fashioned hearth.
"Weil?"
"I-have concluded it isn't best for
you to live here at the house any long
err"
whats goin' to happen?" said 10Th
am. "You amt goin' to hire another
hand. be you ?"
"No; to be sure not. You suit me adj
mirably, lothian, only" and Mr.. Wig
gleton shot the words out with an effort.
Il am thinking of getting married.
"Oh!''
said Mr.. Wiggleton, conscious of looking
lothian, it's never too late to do good
thing"
Certainly not"
"You ought to get married, lothian"
added his employer, speaking in rather
a rapid and embarrassed manner.
'1hink so ?''
Certainly. You might live in the
little house beyond the peach orchard;
it wouldn't take much to fit it nicely,
now that paint and paper are so cheap"
lothian stared refectively at the fire.
IAN your wife, could take care of the
cream and butter. and all that sort of
thing, for us. 1t isn't likely Mrs. p
Ahem 1t isn't likely, l mean, that my
wife will care for such things"
"Humph +"
''I'd advise you to turn the thing all
over in your mind, Jotham,'' said Mr..
Wiggleton. a.
Yes, I will, '.said lothian, with lit
tie cough.
The next morning Mr.. Wiggleton at
tired hipoSpIf in biC hoct ct,it
to the cottage.
Mrs. Palmleaf received him in
charming wrapper with ribbon to
match.
Mr.. Wiggleton wasted no time in use
less preliminary chit-chat.
"Mrs. Palmleaf, ma'am,," he began,
a little nervously, 81 nave concluded to
change my condition"
"IndeedI' said the widow, shilling
like an open rose. 81 am so glad to
hear it."
"And am here this morning to ask
you to be my wife !" pursued our hero
boldly.
::You are kind, SIR" said Mrs. Palm
leaf, blushing, and looking prettier than
ever, ''but II really couldn't"
"And why not?" demanded Mr.. Wig
gleton, fairly taken back by this unex-
pected answer.
Il am engaged" owned up the
charming widow, playing with the rib
Dons at her belt
might [ dare to ask-that is
"Oh, certainly. tIt's lothian Hard
CASTLE"
Mr.. Wiggleton stammered out a SEN
tence or two of congratulaton, and took
his leave.
And when the "spring wheat" reared
its green tassels on the hillside, lothian
married the pretty young widow, and
Mr.. Wiggleton's single yet. He always
felt as if he had been i'll treated, but he
never could tell exactly how.