The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1891-10-10
DOUBLE DICK AND JOE,
The Poorhouse Waits.
BY DAVID LOWRY.
CHAPTER XXH-Continued

CHAPTER XXII-Continued.
"1-I would never mentioned it-but
It's the only way out of this scrape.
They'll take you, sure. +"
'They never will" said Joe resolutely.
Then she pondered, hanging her head.
The poor child had no more conception
of what marriage was than a babe. She
knew people who lived in houses and
mad servants and children were married
people-What made the difference be-
tween the bachelor and the head of a
houSe-between a maid, wife, or widow,
she did not know"
At last she looked up smilingly and
said. you are my friend. You mean
you will marry me; then we can laugh at
them .
That's it, eya.tly,' said jerks.
I'll agree if you can be sure you can
marry me. | don't know how-how to
get married"
"Nhy, / II explain all that to you. You
see, all we've got 10 do is to go before an
alderman, or notary-Or bring one in here
slyiy-or preacher, and he asks us If
we are ready 10 marry each other, and II
we say yes he tells us that we are mar
ried. that's all.
"But how can we ever manage that?"
Co." SAID the lawyers clerk. "you trust
me TO manage it. II tell them You won't
make any trouble, that you've found out
there's no uSv: but you want to see a
friend before You go away. Then Ill
go 10 a notary | know there's lots Of
notaries IaWyUrS-and tell him Just how
it IS He'll cone and marry us and give
me certificate. I'll firt that IN their
fuce then You and | can go. They II
sec the .iig's up, and 'front.' they be dis
gustei."
Very well, Mr.. Patty" said Joe, very
soberly: YOU can 90 Just as YOU have
said, ana II never forget YOU as long as
live"
"Then I'll go-the sooner the better
said Ike jerks. with smile as he has
tened away.
When he re-entercd the ad Looming
room, there was louder burst of mcr
riment than usual, but Joe paid no at
teation to it She was thinking how
angry Zeke Caper would be when he
discovered he could not take her back to
GAINESVILLE POorhOuse. She was alb
sorbed in thought so deeply that she did
not observe the door Of tho room she was
in opening Her attention was drawn
TO it by a peculiar sound
Joe turned quickly as hand was
withdrawn; at the same instant some
thing tell on the floor at her feet, She
turned swiftly and picked up a ball of
paper. 1t was pressed together, as if il
had been held closely between a person ;
hands. Joe unfo!dcd it rapidly with
trembling hands, and holding it near the
light read:
you are all right. Don't fret Friends
are near. Don't do anything, nor say a
word Trust to DICK"
When Joe read this she gave little
cry of JOY. Then She recalled Ike jerks
warning.
What could all the friends do for her?
Caper could take her back to GAINESVILLE,
spite of them.
And yet. il was comforting to know
that Dick was near. Dick! Dear Dick,
What did it mean? How did they find
where she was? And what hand was ii
tossed the paper To her?
These were the questions that puzzled
poor JoeS brain, as she concealed the
note, and composed herself to reflect
upon her strange experience.
Meanwhile the lawyers clerk was en-
joying the situation he had created.
| Wasn't he smart, he asked himself.
How his uncle would fume and swear.
How everybody would applaud his adroit-
ness when the story came out? Why, it
was better than any paw he had ever
seen, aud-well, he'd seen all of EN-,
had the smart lawyers clerk. Why, it
would make a column story in the
papers To b. sure, il woodworking
less. And her likeness was sure to be in
all the laperS-yeS, and so would his
But he'd take precious good care some
boIy paid him handsomely to talk.
Whew! A thought struck him.
Why, he would write the story out
himself, and sell it to the most enter
prising newspaper. Why. there was
oceans of money-and no end OF notoriety
in the scheme that Ike was working out
rapidly
Ikes friends were not taken wholly
into his confidence Ike was mot that
kind Of a hairpin." Oh, no, He told
them al he thought necessary. They
would pretend 10 be dupcd by him; they
would let the notary come ina real
notary, and no humbug about it,. Ike
said there wou2d be a real wedding, and
by and by, when he had his money, he
would give them hundred dollars
apiece, land such a layout as would
make their mouths water every time they
thought of il as long as they lived. ,
Now he was really off for q notary
who would be taken into his confidence
Gust a little bit, enough to induce him
to take nice fee for marrying them.
ooh, avery thing is working lovely"
said the precious ylerk, as he darted off
in quest OF the notary Wont | give
New York something to talk about
yes, and old England. too; won't
before I'm 4 week older"