Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-12-29

eyes darkening the lids and her face pale
in the dusky twilight, her hair curling
in moist little ends around her small
face. Bob looked at her, and his heart
failed him. But he remembered a GER
tain Thomas Anderson. who report
said had loitered beneath the honey
suckle for the last few nights, and
brought back his oozing courage.
"They wuz talking about you last
night down at the pump" he remarked,
with assumed cheerfulness.
"Talkin about me?' said Minna angri-
ly. "How dared they:'
"Oh, Lord" gasped Bob to himself
"If she gets mad before I begin!''
"They wuz sayin-sayin"---
"WellI" sharply, "what wuz they say
INF"
"They wuz sayin how as you'd never
marry any one--you wuz that uncertain
like and flightylike."
"Who said thatW said Minna, turning
wrathful eyes upon him.
II don't exactly remember" faltered
Bob.
"Most likely yourself" disdainfully.
Bob could not truthfully disown the
remark, as he had made it frequently, in
confidence, to his near companions in
the village. So, after this unexpected
home thrust, he remained uncomfortably
silent.
Minna pursued her advantage.
"Nice doings them, fur man" she
went on contemptuously. "Tallsing
about girls when they can't talk back
for themselves!'
If the reported conversation had not
been wholly imaginary, Bob would have
been stricken with remorse. AS it was,
however, although inwardly trembling,
he saw an opening and took it.
"But spoke back for you, Minna, /
did,"
ooh, you did, did you?" was the dis
couraging comment. "Since it wuz you
said the worst, seems to me it wuz all
you could do"
"They said lot more'n did," Bob
continued with fictitious courage. "They
said as how needn't be hangin around
here, fur yed allus scorn me till the
Judgment and not marry me at ALL"
"There wuz some truth in their re-
marks" remarked Minna snubbingly.
"But there's wusser nor that" he said,
with we'll forced gloominess. II said as
how I knowed you would marry me-
"Who made you so wise!" interrupted
Minna sarcastically.
San man bet me you wouldn't, an
an bet him you would"
"Beasts" calculated the much in
censed Minna.
IAN l bet fearful lot. Minna. Gosh!
I'm scared to think of it. If got to
give him all that money, the farm ull
have to go sure"
Minna looked frightened.
Chow much:" she asked family.
"Wonder how much she'll standr Bob
asked himself perplexedly. Then he
glanced at her tentatively.
"I'm most afeared to tell you. It's
it's-gosh! Minna-it's 800.
"Oh, my!" calculated Minna. "You
never did,
"a hundred dollars" repeated Bob
chokingly, and overcome by the feelings
he had aroused he buried his head in his
hands. From this safe retreat he con-
tinued disjointed remarks broken by
emotion.
Don't care for myself. (Sigh.) don't
want to live anyway, but the farmll
have to go sure, and poor mother and
father" (Sob.)
sob, no, no." said Minna tearfully.
"They're old now to start over agin
| Ga protracted sigh), but I kin work for
EN-. I'll do it, and Bob's shoulders
shook with nobly suppressed emotion
cit u'll come hard to lose the old place
now -Qcb)- after all them years"
ooh, don't, don't, don't, Bob! can't
bear it!' gasped Minna, choking down
the tears. "Tll-I'll-
Bob waited moment. Then he went
on:
"Poor sister can't 60 to school or moth
ing rocking himself to and fro in ap-
parent deep grief, IAN there's no wood
got for the winter"-here he wept aloud,
and seeing this Minna, too, wept aloud.
"Oh, Bob" she cried. show could you
be so-so"-- and she burst again into
tears.
"Dunno, Minna," he said in choking
voice, "but there amt no help for it
now. It's all got to go-farm an all"
"Never!" said Minna Historically. 81
will marry you'll will.'
"'Tain't right to ask you," Bob said
sadly and hypocritically. "You don't
care nothin about me-"
II didn't afore," said Minna tearfully
and shamefacedly, "but that was an aw-
full lot of money to bet on me. like you
for it, Bob, I dol"
can you will marry mel"
| :, She nodded.
| = HThank you, Minna," Bob said mourn
fully. cts awfully good in you."
A moment elapsed before he started ON
the real business of courtship-he had to
proceed carefully-and in that moment
Bob looked up at very jester of twin
king star and silently exchanged with
it knowing and prodigious wink
Madge Robertson in Chicago Inter
| Ocean.