The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1893-03-23

cAA Ouo oho1AJ iAuSh.
Charley had better success with her
than I. She didn't laugh so much with
him, and was more digni6ed. He is
serious fellow, and she always respected
his moods, and asked him questions on
his favorite topics, to draw him out and
sympathize with him. Charley is five
years older than am. He's been around
lot more, and seen the world pretty
deep, l can tell you. He says society is
hollow sham, and only empty headed
people take to it; that for man of any
depth it's great bore, and for his part
he's through with it. He used to talk
to Miss Hunnistan that way for an hour
at time, and she always agreed with,
him. She left him abruptly sometimes;
Charley SAID it was because she didn't
care to have him see how he impressed
her. He used to- confess to her what
dissipated fellow he had been and how
he had seen the folly of il, though, and
was no longer dazzled by any material
pleasure.
Well, By the most delicate indirection,
Charley had given Miss Hunnistan to un-
derstand that her fortune was the only
thing that stood between them; that he
was proud spirited and afraid his motives
might be misconstiue1. He had got
along to where his love should soon mas
ter all his sensitive apprehension, and
break forth in spite of tie girls money.
That was the way he had it mapped
| out.
One evening, along the first of Aug
ust, lot OF us were sitting around
waiting to see who came up on the
he was expecting a Western man up to
see him, almost any day, real estate
agent that he had bought some property
! of out in st. Paul or Salt Lake or around
there. When the stage came around the
bend, we saw man sitting up in front
and talking very chummy with the
driver. Old Hunnistan said: "That's
| Grimshaw.
He leaped down and shock hands
with the old man as if he had been q
long lost brother, or something like
that, and hurried inside with him with
out noticing the rest of US. He was a
big, overgrown, numbering sort of a
| man, coarse looking, and took fright
fully long steps when he walked. His
clothes were loose and tapped all around
| him.
After dinner we were sitting out or
| the piazza and this man Grimshaw came
out and began to walk up and down.
| The first time he passed us he caught
! sight of Miss Hunnistan, and didn't seem
! to be able to take his eyss off. His man
ner was disgracefully free and easy.
Every time he passed he stared at her
openly. | wondered whether old Hun
nistan would introduce such a man to
his family. Just then he did one of the
most brazen, presumptuous things | ever
saw; he strobe up to Miss Hunnistan,
tooh his hat off his big head and said:
"WelI, so this is Miss Hunnistan, is
| it? My names Grimshaw; oPn heard
your father speak of you, on his Western
| trips"
And before the poor girl could re
cover, he was looking her square in the
ewes and shaking hands with her in the
most vulgar, hearty way imaginable. His
voice wasn't exactly irritating, but 1t
was loud; you always heard Whist he
said. I must say that Miss Hunnistan be-
haved with great deal OF tact. She
seemed really pleased with him, and in-
troduced him to all Of us. That. didn't
bother him any. He just nodded around
in breezy, familiar way, and said he
was glad to know us.
Then without paying any more atten-
ton to us, he walked Miss Hunnistan
around the piazza for full hour. They
chatted together like a boy and girl,
she always looking up into his face as
if she felt real interest in him; never
saw her so full of iargh and talk as she
was that night.
This was not at all the right thing.
Charlie and / were anxious for morning
to come. so we could cut him and show
him how much he was out OF place.
Well, when we came down in the morn
ing. there he was with Haskins, the
landlord, old Hunnstan and his vile,
and three or foar others, talking away as
if he had known them for years, telling
how he had been up since five, and had
walked around the point four miles for
swim-water like ice, too. He had
gathered big bundle of ferns and
flowers and things, and gave it to old
lady Hunnistan as if it was bouquet
[ couldn't see why everybody gathered
around him so when ne talked, with
big laugh at about every other sentence.
You couldn't tell anything about his
ane; he might have been thirty-five, or
ten years older. He had a smooth, pink
complexion, like girls, stubby red
mustache and squinty gray eyes. Inc
way he ate was positively indecent
handled himself well enough, but the
quantity. He put away enough TO run
a plow horse. Itwas provoking, but we
really had no chance TO cut him. lie
barely noticed us, just gave little nod
aud never looked to see Wne1h-
er we returned it. His man
ner was the height of ill-breedlag
so indifferent and independent but