The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-29

her money kept mo awake nights think
ing up schemes for being agreeable. At
first I was much encouraged, sho Is
such kind, gentle, sympathetic girl. I
worked the sympathy dodge for all it
was worth, invented noble aspirations
every day, and new kinds OF blight to
kill them with. She was so truthful,
so absolutely and entirely honest that
It was almost no trouble at all to lie to
her."
cat the end of the month"; he con-
tinu"d, Il was ready to propose. had
carefully prepared way to be led into
it Inadvertently. One hasty word was
to reveal my secret. Then was to call
myself presumptuous beggar. and
offer to take the next boat, whether it
was going my way or not believe il
l had made that bluff and 1t had failed.
shouldn't have waited for any boat;
should have started right across tho
Atlantic ocean on foot But, old
man, didn't make it 1 couldn't.
The very day that I had set for this
proposal, 1 fell in love with her in good
earnest; or rather. 1 perceived that 1
was in love with her. She wasn't girl
to strike man like me suddenly. Her
beauty was too sweet and natural. My
taste for beauty had been educated-or
rather depraved-by walking around
New York. I'd got to thinking that q
woman to be beautiful must be pen
cilled so black and powdered so white
that her face looked like crayon
sketch on the bottom of y soup-plato.
And she wasn't that kind. And when
INV horton ind cn0pt cor,o 70 Ito ,r,;,
and 1 saw her az she really was, every
other face in the world went into total
eclipse. / saw how good she WAS. too;
and when this came over me- could no
more have opened my mouth to say
loved her. than n man with the lock-
jaw could bite Big apple.
II was her slave after that You
should have seen me rowing hor around
the bay in the blazing sun. or carrying
her slletcbing implements and chair up
hill on a hot day. You know that when
q woman goes to sketch she takes twelve
times as much stuff as she can possibly
use. She always has paint-box with
enough coloring matter in it TO paint
dozen barns. Then she used to make
model of me. had to sit on a log, hold
ing little brat in my arms, while she
got us both down on canvas in about
four hours. Sho wanted the brat es-
peclally, because it was so delightfully."-
dirty as she called it.
1.-Two months of that, old man, and
not a word of lovc have I said to her.
have withstood moonlight in q canoe
and banjo duets on the shores Of lonely
islands, and the sweetest confidence
that ever woman misplaced, and I
have watched my pile of borrowed
money fade away, and have thought of
the inexhaustible Doodle the old lady
must have left, and yet have hold my
peace.
"Well, sir, at last had to come back
to town. leaving my heart behind me.
also left my trunk, but not with her.
If sue should find it out" Jack fairly
turned green at the thought 81 made
the landlord promise never to reveal nv
secret. told him all the lies that had
been foaming and soothing inside of me
ever since l had ceased to tell her any
thing but the truth What few winter
clothes have in the world arc in that
trunk, and these gay and diaphanous
robes are getting moro and moro con-
splcuous every day l intended that
they should excite remark, and in one
way my SUCCESS has been beyond my an
ticipations Do you suppose I could
have this hat BACKED too?"
81 don't know, Jack" said I; ''but
haven't you any plans?''
"Certainly." he replied; 81 must work
and save. I am getting eighteen dollars
week, and there are nineteen attach
ments on my salary. I have made Il
calculation which shows that if ever I
get out Of debt. and don't loso my sit
uation. nor spend more than is absolute
ly necessary, my savings will warrant
mo in marrying on tho Fourth of July,
in the year 1880. | firmly believe that
Uncle Joe will 1.-Two to that date, if
do"
"Why aren't you at work today, I
asked
Il am attending my grandmothcrs
funeral, said he. I'm other words,
Miss Leigh is coming to-day She has
boen in Philadelphia. She Will come
over that ferry; will pass up this street.
must SEQ her, though I dare not speak
to her in this scarecrow rig. She will
ride, of course, and l may-Tleavens,
HowGy here Sho comes walking. Don't
you see her? What shall do? can't
IA 4; 8 "A; 49,