Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-02-11

mouth up into round o and sent forth
| sharp shrin whistle.
,'My eyes, he said, s.if that doesn't
go ahead of anything lever see" and
he danced around the room on one
foot. Then he sat down to read, for
the fifth time, letter which he had
| just received. For it was st. Valen-
| tines day and he had already opened
number of MISUNDERSTANDING en-
velopes.
The red legs that protruded from his
knickerbockers were gravely crossed,
and Tommy, with wrinkled forehead,
traced the lines of the letter with one
| mischievous forefnger.
s'Will you consent to be- he read.
Then he looked at the envelope again.
But all he saw was master Thomas
Davis, Center Street. in the same stiff
hand
''Hiram Brown thinks he's smartr'
he finally calculated. ell show him
to write me such stuff as this. mean
old codger! He's mad at me cause 1
tripped him up with string last
| April Fool,'' and Tommy chuckied at
the thought.
Just then his sister, fair, womanly
girl, entered the room.
whats the matter, Tommy? Got a
bad valentine?''
81 sh'd say had!" grunted Tommy.
| "Just read it," and he disdainfully
tossed it to Helen.
! 80, that isn't so very bad she said,
| laughing. You had better let me
keep it. It might make MIR. Brown
some trouble" Butt new thought en-
tered Tommy's malicious little head,
| just then.
/ 14 tod 10
snatched the letter and danced out of
the room before Helen could prevent it,
Down the street to Miss Abigail
| Robins store he ran as fast as his pudgy
little red legs could carry him. and in
| between the two short counters, where
he found Miss Robins, so indignant
over what appeared to be a comic
valentine, that she hardly saw him.
| His eye fell on the valentine and his
face heightened. He saw it all now,
| and, finging the letter down on the
counter, he cried. angrily:
Take your old valentine! He got
| 'em mixed, know!'' and was off like
shot.
| That very afternoon, Miss Robins
! locked her shop door and, arrayed in a
''sleazy" green silk dress, sought the
| residence of Hiram Brown.
| marry him?" Of course she would,
as soon as ever he wanted her to. She
had not powdered and crimped and
| curled all these years for nothing, it
seemed. Rich old Hiram Brown had
| ahem! fallen in love with her, and had
actually proposed! She would not
| trust to the tickle mails, but would
answer this delightful question in per-
! son.
But when Mr.. Brown saw her, vine
garfaced old thing as she was, he was
attacked by something very like stage
fright and, for the first time in his life,
| prevaricated.
| I'll" he stammered care you
sure wrote it? Changed letters, you
| say-probably done as joke on your
self and Tommy Davis, (the little
rascaD" he muttered. in an undertone.
''Wait a moment, dear Miss Robins, (as
if she had the slightest thought of
leavingD 1 will speak to jed Some
prank, probably"
But when Jed came he de MED writ
ing such letter, and asked to see it.
| ''Uncle's writing-uncle's writing"
he murmured, loud enough for Miss
| Robins to hear.
And Miss Robins? She fairly jumped
up and down in her rage.
"Send such a picture to a poor, lone
woman like me-" she shrieked. ''And
then deny the letter you wrote. I will
sue you for breach of promise, you
old sneak!" she screamed. Il certainly
will!'
jed, jedi whispered his uncle,
hoarsely. drawing him to one side.
Get me out of this and 1 will do any
thing you want-anything"'
81 will on one condition, uncle-and
one only"
''Dear, dear!'' moaned the old gen.
tleman. Its a little rough, Jed, to IN
sist upon conditions, when Pm in such
fix
Cant help it, unk.' returned Jed,
coldly. you've been hard on me. just
say that Helen and can marry, and
I'll shoulder the whole business"
eff it was anybody but those Davis,
Jed, 1 wouldn't care"
''If it was anybody but Helen I
wouldn't care. either. But as it is her
I must insist"
''We1l, Jed-do the-the best you can
for me with that vinegary-faced spin
ster and I'll surrender
miss Robins said Jed, returning
to the old maid and feigning much en-
barrassment, sit was all mistake.
must say that did write 'em, though
it did seem like adding to the richnes
of the joke to throw it off upon uncle.
I'm sure I'm sorry, but"
I Here Miss Robins, with an angry
snort, founced out of the room. Jed
turned to his uncle.
didn't do that neatly?" said he.
"And now, uncle, no backing down
on your part Helen and must marry
as soon as she will name the day."
'.All right, Jed; but if it was anyone
but those Davis I'd"
''Yes. but you will, anyhow, unk.
You'll never miss it, and it will set us
up for housekeeping. The whole
scheme is immense"
So they were married, and Uncle
Brown came down so handsomely that
it is quite probable Helen's first kiss
upon her wedding morning had re-
moved his unreasonable prejudices
against ''those Davis. Matte o.
Campbell, in Yankee Blade.
MY Wish.
Haste, Cupid, to my lady fair,
| This softly to her speak: