Mower County transcript., 1890-11-12
A MODERN ROMANCE.
Why Rob Bonnell Proposed to His
Partners Sweetheart.

IA favor?' repeated Rob Bonnell,
leaning back in his pine Office chair, the
arms of which were becoming attenu-
ated from the persistent whiting of
its successive occupants, "a dozen If l
can"
II knew you would" declared Henry
Dreier, in a tone that if confident was
also full of vague relief. ''ln fact I
really wrote Linnet you would CO."
''You did, eh?" returned Bob, fitting
back and teetering on the rear legs of
his chair in dexterously reckless man
ner that would have driven more i'm
pressionab BILE individual than his partner
wild with nervousness. THAT was aw-
fully kind of you! But where am ! to
go? And who in the world is Linnet?
If you would only supplement your dis
posal of me with little information l
couldn't be sufficiently gra,eful!'
Dreier grinned amiably. and shifted
his position in the doorway of the small
Western grain office. Like most men
slow of speech themselves, he was
prompt to appreciate the ready raillery
Of another.
"Why-why Linnet isl rather awk-
wardly, "Linnet Josylan, you know"
'Ov' in sudden comprehension. ''The
bride-elect You never spoke of her
otherwise than as Miss Josylan."
Didn't I? BY the way, I don't be-
lieve I ever told you much about her
any way. beyond the fact that she is a
kind of distant cousin OF mine. and that
we are to be married next Thursday"
NO" replied Bob, with shake of
his handsome head. "You never did. "
He was a tall, well-knit. athletic
looking fellow. There was in his whole
bearing certain easy grace that ire
futably bespoke good breeding and
gentle associations. His dark-skinned,
finely-chiseled face was bright with
humor and alert with Intelligence. In
every sense of the word was Henry
Dreier unlike him. He was of medium
height and heavily built His move
ments were deliberate to clumsiness.
His face was large and round, and fiorid,
and fat His ubby streak of sandy
mustache reminded one of that of Mr..
Jefferson Brick, which Martin Cbuzzle-
wit mistook for "a recent trace of gin
rerbread.' His mild blue eyes were
most kindly. Indeed, his general ap-
pearance was seraphically stupid. In
reality, Mr.. Dreier was the least stupid
of men. He was most keenly and prac-
tically shrewd. His look of bland in
nocence, almost of helplessness, was q
mask with which nature had capricious-
ly presented him. Those who fancied
they could by superior mental agility
compass business or personal victory
over Henry Dreier were apt to find
themselves confronted with counter
move on the probability of which they
had altogether failed to reckon. But
he was hopelessly unromantic- There
was no denying that fact He bad not
in his composition single grain of sem
timent And in his life love would be,
rs Nine. de Stael ayowed it was in the
life Of all men, merely an episode. or
this Rob Bonnell had always felt sure,
tut when now his partner went on to
speak of his sweetheart in his Prosy,
matter-of-fact way he was more than
eyer convinced he was correct in his de-
ducti0ns =
..She's an Eastern girl. Her people
were wealthy. She was educated with
the greatest care. She grew up think
ing life was to be for her just . ]ong
procession OF pleasures. Well, one day
her father went all to pieces on the
Boa-d Of Trade. The shock killed him.
His wife didn't last for many weeks
after him, and then Linnet found fhe
must either work or starve. The form
er seemed, as you may suppose, the
more acceptable alternative. She wrote