Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-14
WHAT HE DID.

- ever"
Twenty is too often" said Cousin Rose
Eliza, who was not an agreeable confdante
:. she took one up so: but l had no one else to
contide in that summer.
well, several times, at least" said l.
sit might do" said Rose Eliza, ''if YOU
didn't mean it. He'd like the fun; bat
J | wouldn't give much for a man that would
take No and come back There is Sprmgy
Ricketts,
81 know it,n said l. "Who ever gave that
girl such a frightful name?'
Her ma named her Spring because she
was born in March, and her pas name was
Ricketts-so that came natural-end it is
Springy for pet name. But, anyhow, she
is pretty, and she was young then, and Mr.
Jambon, he was very sweet on her, and
when he proposed she refused him. said
Rose Eliza
''No wonderi" said I. "Jambon is no
name to offer to Spring."
And, said my cousin, 'he went andh-
Drowned himself" interrupted
"No; he proposed to Kate Dutton, and she
said Yes" said Rose Eliza, ''and all the
while Springy was attached to him She's a
forlorn spinster now and wears her hair in
ringlets, as was the fashion when she was
if they are disappointed. But Springy
hadn't much"
"Jambon couldn't have been much in
love- said ].
"As much as men ever are" said Rose
Eliza. 1T is out of sight out of mind with
them. When Ebenezer Doughwitz proposed
to me, said No. in earnest: and when Dea-
con Jones wanted a second wife, l let him
know, short meter, that he couldn't hang up
his hat on my hail rack and needn't waste
time calling" Cousin Rose Eliza paused
there and purled forty on the afghan she was
knitting before she said: ''If you want Robin
| Barrymore, say Yes the first time"
Robin Barrymore was really in my mind
all the while, though how Rose Eliza knew it
| can'tsay.
had met him in the city, and now that I
had come to spend the summer with Rose
| Eliza 1iflin, my mothers cousin, found him
| at the hotel. He had called very often, but
so had other young men, two or three stu
| dents from the hotel, Mr.. Lenluel Spinner
| from the next farm, and the recently installed
young minister, Mr.. Smith.
| was rather pretty had wardrobe of I'M
usual Showiness for | liked color, aud knew
that gay ribbons looked well in the country,
and could sing, dance and firt as well as
most girls
Rose Eliza who was one of the few
spinsters who really never had any matri-
monial plans Or anticipations, and neither
envied nor hated girls, was very kind to me.
She gave me luncheons, teas and garden par
ties galore, and was an amiable chaperon ON
every occasion-jolly and rosy and round
A contrast, indeed, to Miss Springy Rick
etts with her head on one side, and the per-
petual memory of her disappointment" in
every fold of her absurd garments, her lank
curls and her fiuttering odds and ends of
fnery. If Rose Eliza had only been more
sympathetic!
robin BarrymoreT said L
Don't hist your eyebrows that way; it
isn't candid said Rose Eliza. 81 don't |
think it's Lenuel Spinner; know it isn't the |
students. Mr.. barrymore is the kind of man |
girls like, and as l suppose you're bound to
have a lord and master, it must be he"
Just then the door bell rang.
Perhaps that's Mr.. Barrymore" said
Rose Eliza.
But it was not; it was Lemuel Spinner.
He had come in Sunday-go-to-meetings and
and tall hat of flower pot shape, to ask ME
to ride l accepted the invitation, and on
the way home Lemuel proposed
If | had headed this sketch with his por-
trait, you would never dream of asking what
l said He was the most unpreposSessing
gentleman who ever grew cabbages-dry,
hard and uncomfortable in mind as in per
son. He had no music in his soul and no
ideas III his brain. gave him a very decid-
ed No." indeed, and | had no wish that be
should repeat his otter. n fact, my horror
was very great when he remarked:
s'We1l Miss Eav rrorrar iS trv
ag'in and | shill put it into practice"
Don't let him, Cousin Rose Eliza /
pleaded-''don't bet him!'
las far as can hinder him I will said
Miss Tif6n. "But perhaps his pertinacity
will win you yet. You think it is what
man ought to do You know"
But when you hate person it is so dis
agreeable!' said l.
And when you like 'em you want to keep
'em on tenter hooks, ;" said Cousin Rose Eliza.
If L liked any one I'd say yes An minute.
1t seems too much like cat aud mouse work TO
torment man that has been honest and right
1p and down with yoh."
''Oh, my only idea is that a woman ought
to keep her pride up" said l.
And the more / thought ii over the more
thought | was right. A husband should never
say 10 me, You were ready enough TO have
me-" or think it. He should know ne had
been anxious TO win me, and had a chance of
losing me.
One of the young students proposed TO me-
shortly after this. hen told him that he
was not old enough, l grieve 10 say he wept ,
and said that MS life would be joylesss for the
future, and / was filed with remorse for
space. He got over it shortly, l am sure,
and was very glad and did not wish him to
repeat the trying srene.
Neither when the Rev Mr.. Smith asked
ME TO be the lady<f the parsonage. had anv
wish TO torment him. / told HIM very mod Z
eStly that il was IAN honor unto which l was
not born, that never couhd be good enough
or grave enough, and that Miss Mercy Pills.
the doctors daughter, would make perfect !.
minister's wife.
1t relieved ME greatly TO hear him say:
Perhaps you are right Hiss Aercy is an
excellent young lady, and her work in the
Sabbath school is valuable. Pardon me for !,
agitating you"
In fact, I was gisi in every case to get nv
suitors pleasantly OF my hands, felt no tri- :
rnph il their blighted hosoes, and was sorry 7
hey had desired what l could not testow |
Neither was / VERY much elaied by these :
pliers. There were not many young ladies :
Z the neighborhoci, and they were rather
,lain and embarrassing. \ new face ALWAYS
1leases a mans eye.
had n wayo being pleasant TO everybody
hat WAS misleading, and, moreover. Cousin
Rose Eliza declared me her future bsires.
She was not yet fifty, and likely 10 outiive :,
ne, Tor she was strong and healthy and not =