The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-06
A GAY DECEIVER.
He Played Cripple to Win His
Sweetheart, But He Didn't Get
Her, After All.

naughty md lmper1OuS That n young
men of the community stood in awe o.
her. The colonel and his daughter lived
in an old stone house, moss grown and
covered with vines. A stream that came
tumbling out of the hills swept past the
foot of the garden at the back of the
house, and the fox, playing among the
purple lark spurs, barked the whole
night through. Every surrounding wore
the soft color of romance, and every
sound about the old place seemed to be
inspired by a lurking sentiment. The
old man sat all day on the broad porch
smoking his pipe, while Zaldie sang old
songs or played with a dog on the soft
and grassy slope. Every one had come
to believe that the girl lived merely to
scorn marriage in her gentle and beauti.
full way, and there was not a swain in
all the neighborhood that dared to
breathe a hope of winning her.
Luke BriEentine, who owned the finest
horse in the country and had therefore
strong claims, had asked her to share his
life of corn bread and wild mustard
green's, and had not only been rejected,
but was violently kicked down the steps
by the old man. Sol. Matterson had
been equally presumptuous, and although
he owned a water mill and a pretty fail
article Of bay steers, the old colonel shook
him until a dry grin of anguish that
lasted several days settled on his face.
One day a slim young fellow named
Griggle M. Robinson, while passing
through the settlement, caught sight OF
the girl as she played with the dog. He
saw her hair waving like new wheat
straw dashed about, and he heard the
music Of her voice, and then he swore
that he would win her. He stopped at a
neighboring village, and in an adroit
way drew the landlord into telling what
he knew of her. Then he went to his
room to mediate upon a plan of action,
and he was greatly encouraged, for
Griggle was a lawyer and had practiced
before a justice of the peace. At mid
night, just as his candle placed ON the
hearth had begun to nod, he got up.
laughed softly, and in his subdued
ecstasy gently bumped his head against
the wall. His plan had ripened.
81 have heard" he said to himself,
'that pity is akin to love. Glorious
poet who wrote that Incl All! what a
will he could have drawn upi-what a
writer of mortgages he would have made.
/ will go to that house a painful cripple,
with a few dollars in my pocket, and
engage board. They will not refuse me.
l will converse with her as the days pass,
and my own words and her own pity
shall kindle her soul into a hameof love.
Then, when she is mine, / will stand
out before her a strong and sound man,
and what was pity shall turn to pride.
Griggle NJ. Robinson you were born to
be great"
The afternoon was beautiful. Zaldie,
tired Of play and tired of singing, sat
with her father on the porch, and the
dog, with a garland of ~larkspurs about
his neck, snapped at the horse flies that
came bazzing through the warm air.
"Who is that at the gate?' the colonel
asked. :
"Oh, it is a poor, crippled man." the
girl answered.
"Comeright on ini'' the oldman shout
ed. "zaldie, help him up the steps"
sOh, no." the cripple pleasantly an.
swered, coming forward; 81 can help
myself"
He came up on the porch not ungrace-
fully, and after bowling with a grateful
air sat down on a chair which the girl
ran and brought for him.
"You looA SO tised,' said the girl. HLet
me get a pillow for you to rest your head
on"
son, no." Griggle responded, looking
up and smiling. "You have already
made me SO comfortable that-that'-
Here he broke down.
tut, tut" said the colonel, wheeling
about in his chair. "We have only done
for you what we should do for any one
in distress. Where do you live, hah?'
81 live many miles from here,' Orig
gle replied; .'that is, the brown hills
among which l once happily dwelled
are many a weary days journey from
this romantic place"
why, my dear sir, you do not talk
like an ignorant-excuse me-a crippled
man"
"Oh. papa" the girl interposed, "crip-
pied men, / should think, can talk as
well as any one else"
ssWell," said tho old man, scratching
his head, mot as a general thing. There
is Hamp Smith, for instance. He is
crippled, and / don't know that / ever
saw 6 worse talker. However, that is
neither here nor there. What can we
do for your"
"You can, if you will, do q great deal
for me. / will explain my situation: 1t
was absolutely necessary for me to have
a change of scene, and I started out with
that end in view. Ihave travelled many
miles, have crossed many rivers, but this
is the only place that holds out a prom
Use Of rest. Now, to come at once to the
point, I want to board with you for a
while"
"Why, my dear SIR" the old gentle
man exclaimed, 81 never took a boarder
in my life"
"But, papa,' the girl quickly spoke up,
edo let US take him just for a while, my
way. 1t can do US no harm, and will be
so much Of q benefit to him."
'A1l right, have it your way
What a glorious time it was for Orig
gle! He would sit on a rustic bench in
the yard watching the girl in her joyous