Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1892-03-16

of two OF his parishioners:
On the roadside, close to one of the
entrances to Roches hotel there is a
occupied by the Widow Regan and her
daughter Minnie. Minnie was the peas
ant belle of the district She had su-
perb figure. wondrous wavy brown hair
and. as the song says, "lrish skies were
in her eyes" From beneath great curl
ing dark lashes those blue-gray eyes Of
hers shot many a glance of danger to
the hearts of Glengarriffe's swains.
Among the latter was Ned Leblanc,
the village carpenter and jaunting car
owner He was a manly fellow, but his
courage was an unknown quantity when
it came to making love to the fair Min
nie-to whom he was passionately de-
voted Nor was our heroine unconscious
of Ned's affection. With true wom-
anly instinct she OWNED his love for
her. and for some reason Minnie re-
turned his affection in the same secret,
bashful manner.
There came suitor for Minnie's hand
whose methods of lovemaking were
most unromantic. He did not WOO with
honeyed words and phrases. He knew
that he was unacceptable to her, but he
loved her with a grasping, passionate
love, and he determined that she should
be his wife. He wooed her with gold in
one hand and writ Of eviction in the
other. He was the agent Of the estate,
and as Mrs. Regan owed two "half gales"
lone years rent) and another would be
due on the twenty-ffth of March, he
said in cold. defiant manner that chilled
poor Minnies heart:
If you don't marry me, Minnie, I'll
put ye out on Patrick's Day
''Shure, ye can't do that, Mr.. Pratt,
for the rint won't be due till the twenty
fifth
Can't | though? | have the writ in
me pocket now. my colleen"
And then he produced the document
and continued:
There it is; but if yell only say the
word. Minnie. I'll burn it. Shure, y'r not
sparkin with any man, an I'll give ye a
fine. dacent home. Come now, don't
make me put We out
4 can't marry ye. Mr.. Pratt, SO PLACE
don't come botherin me again. | can't
help it if ye put US out, and perhaps
some of the neighborsll II take care of us. ?"
Very we'll, girl. Very well. "ris a
nice daughter you are to see your poor
old mother thrown upon the charity of
the neighbors.'
How dare your cried Minnie. Il
can work for whatever little bite she
ates'
At this juncture the widow joined
them, and to her Pratt coldbloodedly
explained his terms Minnie or eviction.
The poor woman's eyes filled with
tears. The terror of eviction bewildered
her. but the bargain was loathsome to
her Irish mothers heart and she said:
Give us time, sir!a couple O days
an we'll see what we can do
very well. ma am. But reminder
that if Minnie doesn't marry me on Pat
rlck's Day, out you go. I'll call again
tomorrow
The two women went to their little
home heartbroken. Minnie now loathed
the man who claimed her for wife, but
she read the tortured heart Of her moth
er; she feared that eviction might mean
death to her, and crushing her own
agony. she said:
Mother, | think tis Gods will I'll
marry him
"Wisha, God bless you, child. Fis
quare way he has o maxim love, bu
they say he's not SO bad man as some
of the agents. An shure you'll always
have plinty, an I'll die in the ouie
house"
Poor Minnie was unprepared for thi'
instant acceptance of her sacrifice, bu
she loved her mother devotedly, an6
burying her grief she next day prom
ised to become Mrs. Pratt.
The news flew through the village likt
pestilence, carrying with. it death t.
the hopes of many an eligible young fel
low. But to Ned Leblanc it acted like {
sunstroke The poor fellow was utterl,