Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-03-04
4 BoLD AND SUCCESSFUL RUsE

4 BOLD AND SUCCESSFUL RUSE.
This story from the san Francisco Argonaut
purports to relate an incident Of real life some
where out on the Pacific slope. Perciya Fleming.
Familiarity known as shorty. is bright and de
te1uinrd young fellow, much in love with Nettie
Parker aud very much in earnest about it, Net
tic is lN the only daughter and youngest child of
Sam Parker. a Maine Yankee who has spent his
CD years Of If" in rpkng together pile of dollars.
\ good bunch of these dollars has been spent ON
NcttieS education and the old man naturally OBJ
jects To- having the girl thrown away ON ptnni-
less fellow Ike shorty, who by the way has big
brother Jack in whose charge hc is supposed to
be. Onr afternoon the old man called on Jack.
who was little under the weather. and was lying
on the sofa with his friend Fahrr, who tells the
story. reading 20 him.
'Howdy, Flemin'; laid up, air We? How
dY, Fabcr; purity warm amt it? Thanks,
! will set SPELL And he sat down on
the edge Of a chair and began tracing fig
ures on the floor with his big spur. lie
seemed nervous, and l rose to leave the
room, but he waved his hand and said :
"Set daOwn, Faber. Set still Guess |
amt got nothin' t say but what we mout
Ell well hear
Here the old man stitfened up in his
seat and stated the object of his mission. in
good-natured but thoroughly decided
way, closing with:
"Naow, Flemin' | amt no 'biection T.
til lcetle feller-nOt one mite: he's tip
top good boy, an all that But faint in
reason th't I'm goin' t spend more three
thousan' dollars edicatin' a young 'un, an
then let Ter 90 an marry mother young un
thout airy red. An that's what it'll come
tew, fust thing we know"
Now, ParkerS remarks were in the ma
ture of revelation to us. OF course we
knew Shorty had put in good many even
lngS at the Parker ranch, but we had nev-
er guessed that his visits there had any
significance. a cOurtship, too, with six
big brothers loating around is difficult
matter. 1t is easy enough to fall-iust
tall-in love with girl if there is no one to
hinder But with six young men, with
whom one is on good terms, sitting around
and occupying large portion of ones At
tention, it is quite another thing.
Fleming sat up and ran his finger through
his hair, gravely. Then: 81 quite agree
with you, Mr.. Parker. don't know what
to say to Percy, but | will try a little STRAIT
egy and see if he can be kept at home
If that wont do, | can talk to him."
And here began my connection with
Shorty's love affair. That evening I was
writing busily, when some one opened the
door of my den and walked in 1t was
Shorty. He sat down quietly and took up
paper which he looked at for several
minutes, while | scratched away at nv
work. Then he threw the paper down
suddenly, ana turned to me with: "Faber
what was old Parker here for todav?"
tried to diSsemble, but Shorty is no
BODY TOOL, and interrupted ooh, rotr'
said he; 81 reckon you think I'm suck
er' Now, honestly, what was he here
for?''
Finally | told him about the conyersa-
tloh between his brother and Parker. He
sat silent for several minutes. | could see
his face twitch Then he turned his owes
to my face and said, SLOWLY: "Faber.
know I'm young and all that. but know
my own mind. Jacks a good brother and
feels in duty bound to take care of me. but
guess | can tend to that myself /
| We made up my mind to marry that girl
II She II have me, and all the Jacks and
sam Iarkers in the world can't stop me-"
And Mr.. Percival Fleming set his mouth
hard and walked out. He called at Par
kers the next evening, despite Jacks
strategy"
There was another caller at Parker's
that evening, in the person of Morris Cot
trell, a wealthy rancher from up the Give
Mile Shorty, when he got home. men
toned this fact to me, with some feeling
IN his tones. Cottrell was no old duffer.
lie was man OF thirty, well-read, and a
gentleman, and the prospect of having
him for rival would have sent despair TO
the heart of any penniless young man less
determined than Shorty Fleming.
for TWO or three months Shorty contin-
ued his calls at Parker's, growing more
and more gloomy and savage as the DAVIS
went by, for old Sam Parker was some
thing OF stragetist, and managed TO keen
the poor lad from getting a single private
interview with Nettie, thereby giving Cot
trell clear field, which was evidently sat
isfactory to the latter, although he did not
seem to make much progress.
One evening Shorty came to NV room in
state of mind. He had seen Sam Par
ker that day, and the latter had told him.
as gently as possible, some CALLING truths
about his age and his penniless condition.
concluding with the cheerful information
that he "reckoned Net he'd bout decided T.
take up with Cottrell, anyhow"
Ol course Shorty was respondent, but
he was none the less determined. "Faber.
III going TO see her tomorrow afternoon.
and-and ask her"
The time and the hour favored Shorty:
''ttlNiS tlllllh Ntlllt knew her own
NINA. The boy who came slowly riding
nome through the shadows next evening
was very much downcast boy, indeed.
lie told me all about it, later: how Net
Tie mad wavered, and finally told him that
she could give him no answer. She cared
great deal for him, she said, but she was
not sure she cared enough for him. BE.
sides, her father objected to him, and she
could never cross her fathers wishes, when
he had done so much for her
sam Parker must have heard of this in
teryiew, and made up his mind to some
thing. Although he was usually so good
natured he was as determined as bull
dog, and ! think he used some influence in
deciding matters, for, two weeks later, he
dropped in to tell Jack that Nettie and
Cottrell would be married on Thanksgiy-
ing day, two months later.
Shorty must have seen the news in my
face, for after supper he drew me aside and
asked what | knew. l hated to tell him,
but did so, the best way l could. The
poor lad stood still as stone for several sec
Onds. Then, with a shudderng sob, he
L., Il.