Smyrna times., 1892-01-13
Won and Lost.
BY W. II. THORNE.

Quite cOZy, comfortable bachelors
party. There was Briggs, from the
drug store Higes, who occupied him
self with something or other at the
State House; Diggs, who had some
thing to do with pianos; and Miggs,
the married man.
Every member Of the party was
staid, busiuess-like and solid the sort
of men who could be depended upon
to smoke no more than two cigars per
diem every one, that is, except Miggs,
the married man.
Each member of the party could be
safely put down as good for a few
thousand dollars, and who enjoyed the
comforts of existence in an eminently
respectable manner, and always went
to church on Sunday each one, that
is, except Miggs, the married man.
Miggs was an insurance agent. No
one knew for certain even where he
lived, except that he was generally to
be found somewhere within the limits
of the State of Massachusetts,. He
appeared to float around promiscu-
Ously in as many different places as he
could possibly think of,and there never
was such man to turn up unexpect-
eddy as Miggs.
He dubbed over with geniality,
conviviality and fraternity; he was
inconsistent, audiOus and irrepressible
and he was married.
But Miggs' whereabouts were not
more mysterious and bewildering than
the condition of affairs and the position
of his social connections, and neither
Briggs, nor Higgs, nor Dlggs, would
have been very much surprised if
he had married twenty times, or not at
all.
Yet when Miggs raised his eyes rev.
erentially until they rested upon the
ceiling, and said, Ten years ago to-
day was my wedding day." Briggs
snapped out:
Your wedding-day? What do you
mean ?"
THAT, said Miggs, still contempla-
ting the ceiling, shows how much in
terest a mans acquaintance takes in
his career. Not one of you has ever
thought OF inquiring if were married.
l might tell you some Outlandish warn
about my family-that my wife was
the present Queen of Sheba, in which
case, of course my eldest son woald be
Emperor of China but, no! will
contine myself strictly to the unvar-
nished truth, and give YOU the
plain history of my cOurtship and mar
riage.
ut was on a pleasant autumn after
noon that l happened to be in Win
thrOp, and wondered along as far as
Growers Cliff. There was not soul
to be seen, and was counting the
grasshoppers as they jumped to get
out of my way, when suddenly be.
held woman standing right on the
edge of the cliff, who was waving her
arms about, and making quite violent
gestiCulatiOns. AS | stTOlled along I
saw she had no hat, and that about
three feet of lair rippled in the breeze;
but what astOnished me, when l came
near, was to liUd that she was singing,
or rather, chanting.
Il said to myself. 'Miggs, brace up,
and investigate this thing = and went
a little closer. When l came within
hearing she was delivering herself as
follows:
Il stand on the edge of the giddy steep;
Shall | make the terrible, awful leaD3
Shall pillow my head on the waters deep?
In the caverns of Oceon shall l Sleep"
Here, come OFT" growled Briggs.
Find another rhyme"
81 raised my hat" continued Miggs,
"and said:
Madam, 1 lmplore you not to
take such a desperate course, for my
sake -
"She turned around with look of
establishment, and made an imperiOus
gesture which appeared to be intended
to convey the impression that she des-
pissed the world in general and myself
in particular. She was tall and dark /;
her eyes cleaned like diamonds in the
sunlight; her nose was proud and
aquiline, her lips were red and full.
my heart began to beat audibly
within my bosom as l contemplated
that panorama of loneliness. Looking
over the cliff, l saw her hat lying at
the bottom just out of reach of the
water; and being possessed, gentlemen
of quick sympathy and cOmprehen-
sion, made a sudden resolve; and
having resolved l Immediately acted.
Madam l said, here are all the
elements of a noble romance. You
have lost your hat, and how could
] do otherwise than lose my heart. ]
will rescue your hat and you shall res
cue my heart. l implore you to live
for me, madam, for me A million
Cupids are besieging me on every side,
and reinfOrcements are RAPIDLY arriv.
ing. Their arrows are transfxing me
by companies, and battaliOns. Be mine!'
oh, be minep And l knelt one knee in
the grass.
For a minute she regarded me
doubtfully, and that minute seemed an
age. Then she put her hand in mine,
and impressed upon it an ecstatic kiss
Oh, rapture Oh, deliriOus happinessI
Then went right down to the cliff
after her hat, and arrived at the bot.
tom in the midst of a Landslide of over.
whelming proportions. What did ]
care? She was mine, mine / fell
that the crisis of my life had arrived
and that | had successfully surmounted
it.
II shouted to her to come out to the
end of the cliff, and then handed hel
her hat, and felt myself the most bles
sed of mortals.
Lucilla, .my love = said, she wore
her name engraved on a brooch there
is one trouble-there is one thing
which it is unfortunately necessary fol
me to mention. l am poor. I have
but three hundred ddfars in the
world
Money said the lovely Lucilla, I'll
dross. Love is all. want no sordiC
man for husband. Iwant affection
community of feeling-a kindred
spirit. l hope you keep your money
in a safe bank p
ITO tell the truth, l replied, 4 do
not keep it in bank, but in my lar.
gest trunk, because / always know
then where l can find it when 1 wan
it,"
"She looked once, yearningly, at tn,
ocean, but l clasped her to my arms, q
couldn't help it, land yes, did, twic,
and We walked slowly away.
II can see you are getting impatient
You don't want a love story. Yol
don't want to hear a description of al
the PROJECTIONS of that beautiful crea
a