Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1890-05-29

SUIT Where IL That Quiet aud Rural
De'awase VtIiaget

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SUIT Where IL That Quiet aud Rural
Be'avaie VtIiaget
New York Tribune.
The course OF true love, 40 susceptible
to Interruptions and irregularities, has
again been disturbed, this time at Alton,
Del. In the village of Alton, among sew
eral hundred other people, lives one
James O. Campbell, o young man OF
good parts, a lawyer BY profession, by
neces8ity q bookkeeper, who, In hia hours
of eass, turns his attention to the light
guitar and the cultivation of q rich bari
tone voice. He is young man who fol-
lows the advise to leave your business
cares al the office most religiously, giving
bis whole attention when away from that
dismal haunt OF fgures-that lair of
ledaers and den of daybooks--to the
pursuit OF such elegant accomplishments
as we have limited at above, together
with the most ardent wooing OF one of this
most charming young ladies in Alton,
the oldest daughter of the rector OF at.
Johns Church. His hopeE, however, in
that direction have been dashed to the
ground, and we refer to the ciroum-
stances as it 20 we'll illustrates the utter
inability o. woman to take joke.
Mr.. Campbell called on tho object of
his affections one evening recently. The
night being warm. they sat on the porch,
which was partially screened from the
gszs Of passers-by in the atreet by vines,
through which, however, the moonbeams
struggled and mingled with the light
from the lamp in the parlor. The only
place from which Mr.. Campbell was
Nn- sod ID III.
therefore it is not strange that midnight
found him still seated on a low stool near
his aiored one, softly touching his guitar
and singing in low tone. Suddenly no
looked up end noticed that the lady's
head had sunk back in the cushions Of
the easy chair in which she sat, and that
her eyes were Glo8ed. She had BISON up
late the night before at church sociable
Tor the benefit of the neglected heather
in foreign lsnds. Er. Campbell spoke to
her softly. She made no reply. She was
asleep. At first Mr.. Campbell was
embarrassed, but he was not the young
man to remain long in sucl condition.
The commonplace young man would
have awakened the lady as gently as pos
able and then have said good night and
stolen away. Bet Mr.. Campbell is no
commonplace young man, and it in
Btantiy dGSnad or him that it was the
opportunity OF lifetime to do something
highly humorous. Indeed, he had d
reputation in Alton for light and airy
facetlousness, which he felt must be sus.
tanned on oil occasions at any cost, q
blight which frequently rests on young
men. Stepping into the house he went
| to writing desk in the library, and gol
piece OF bristol board six inches square.
Ga THIS he wrote in large, packing -oast
characters, "Onll at 100" akewered 9
lead pencil through it, returned to the
porch, stuck the sharp end of the pencil
down into the lady's back hair aud then
hurried away, lshying the card looming
up above her head like bargain counter
sign above Pile of dress goods.
The young lady slept on. In fact, shJ
slept better than did James O. Campbell
for the more he thought about 1t ate
getting home and TO bod the more j
aeemsd to him that he had perpetratet
the great American joke for which tn
people had been waiting-the browning
Jest of q century OF humos. Half q dozeI
times he got to sleep and woke up in
conyulsion of laughter. In the mean
time, as we have remarked, the youn
lady continued to slumber. The trust
family servant arose at O'Clock aud rea
the sign rising above the unconsciou
sleeper's back hair, but, as it requested
7.3g call, the intelligent domestic did no
disturb her. The milkman read It an
smiled pleasantly, and stood at the gat
and called the attention of various earl
risers who were passing to it. They o.
| {nl Ia,, a
SO heartily as did James O. Campbell,
blocks away, in his humble bed, Q
he woke up for the fifth tim
and rolled over and chuckled. At
o'clock the lady's father appeared
He read the sign, but he did not follo'
the example Of the valued servant. H
aw0ke his daughter. She snatobed th
sign from her back hair and also read i
At that moment q young man by ii
name OF Campbell, away over on ih
other side OF town, went into anothe
parorysm OF laughter; .he young lad
did not. But she walked into the hous
with determined tread and straight I
the writing desk. At 10 O'Clock the ofiiC
boy handed letter to certain buddin
humorist temporarily engaged in booi
keeping. A moment later his comme
ciAl pen dropped from his palsied grasl
That evening the heroine of this bri,
sketch appeared at the festival in aid I
the church building fund with Frank
! Richmond.
Since 10 a. m. Of that Inflated morl
. ing James o. Campbell has not smiles
We hope 10 the Young man who reaC
this, that !. raay ssrve as a warninl
There are some things which are tS
funny.