The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-12-12
CUPlD's MEssENGER
How . eessn Passnt Wa o.
wtteed ~ Two Lowers


"sLove laughs 1t locksmtehs,s no oo1bt
OF Il" said . Jolly old fellow IN car q
the elevated railway the other day, -
no spread his Newspaper On his knees
and leaned back 20 have : hearty laugh
at the story Of IN elopement he hsd
just been reading 70 . New York Ttibs
une reporter. This story" he contin.
ued, ssreminds me Of the oourtship Of
myself and my wife. years ago, wheAt
VA ''prentice boy TO . crusty old leath.
or merchant in the swamp He usedato
live over tAsBeooklyn and part Of ny
meager wages were taken out in boatd
and lodging ct his house. OF course !
left my bed In the attic and was sweep
ing out the counting.room long before
his old nibs W. up and I returned 70
my supper long after he had left the Of
dee for the day, yet I found time 70 tall
in love 4 his pretty daughterf for al
that.
.'She returned my feelings It may ~
It without vanity, Is We hste been MAJ.
ried now these thirty years. and I
stepped around in the seventh Heaven
for . time. but the old man 500 spotted
us and I narrowly escaped . sever0
thrashing at his hands for my presutnp.
ton. Twas banishcd from the house
and Jane was locked up in her room ON
. bread and water diet for . week. OF
course, we found . way to meet once Ia
. very long time, but how to correspond
a. frequently % our yearning young
hearts desired was . question that pus.
sled us for months. The post-of1ce was
no use for there was no house-to.house
delivery in those days, and all the letters
for the family came to the counting.
house and passed under the old mans
eye, and there was no one to act - . 70.
between to whom we dare con6de the
secret. Can't you hit some plan, Jane,
dear? I said in despair one day, on
which we had managed to arrange for .
c~landestine meeting after q month spent
without . glimpse Of each other. IS
there NJ one in your family OF among
your friends OF servants whom you
could trust to carry U notes back and
forth?'
"sNo onc,' she replied, with . sigh.
Have I not thought and thought and
thought Of much about 1t as you? But
oh, I have 1t, I have 1t! she exclaimed,
suddenly ciapping her hands. Il have
found some one at last and she burst
into . peal Of laughter 80 long that I
could hardly control my impotence to
hear her discovery.
"'Who is 1t? Tell mo quick I said.
Papa she gasped, and went Oh into
another at of laughter.
"'Your father?' I said, astounded.
Jane you're making cruel fun Of me-
and I turned my back ON her In . hun.
$50 I am not, indeed, dear Billy she
replied. 'Imean just whatI say. You
know paps,'s old overcoat that he
will insist on wearing nine months In.
the year in spite OF all that every body
can say. Well, Ill hide q little note to
you every Gay IN the lining OF tne coat
tail. and when he hangs It up behind
the counting-room door It will be easy
for you to get 1t out and hide your IN.
swcr in tho same place. Oh! my, won't
it be funny to think OF papa. who has
set his heart on keeping US apart, him.
self carrying our love letters back and
forth from nj to the other every day.
and she burst into another merry peal
Of laughter, in which I joined heartily
this timo.
"Nvell, we adopted the plan. and IL
worked to . charm. The old boy was
our faithful postman for years, and I
often used to trcmblc as I thought Of
the possible consequences II he should
ever discover one Of my burning love
missives in tho tails Of his rusty old,
coat. But he never did, and in due
course Of time I worked my way up to .
place in his business whcrc no could no
longer ignore mo or my claims. Hc was
rather %astonished one day, though. when
I formally asked for his daughters hand
and assured him that she was willing IL
no was. He consented, but II was not
until I was his junior partner and he
was dand:inR his first grandson ON hia
knee that we dared to tell him how for
years he had played the part Of Cupid's
messenger whom he thought he was act.
ing the stern and careful parent"