Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-11-02


In moist httle ends around her small
face. Bob looked at her. and his heart
failed him. But he remembered 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.
'sTallin about meY' said Minna angri-
ly, "How dared theyr'
"Oh, LordT gasped Bob to himself.
eff she gets mad before beginr'
,"They wuz sayin-sayin"
"WellF" sharply, "whst wuz they say
imp
"They wuz sayin how as you'd never
marry any one-you wuz that uncertain
like and fiightylike."
"Who said thatT said Minna, turning
wrathful eyes upon him.
II don't exactly remember" faltered
Bob.
"Most likely yourself" disdainfully.
Bob could not truthfully disown tho
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 manw she
went on contemptuously. Talking
about girls when they can't talk back
for themselvesp
| 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, Mime, !
did"
"Oh, you did, did your 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 ye'd 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 well forced gloominess. 81 said as
how knowed you would marry me-
"Who made you SO wiser interrupted
Minna sarcastically.
San man bet me you wouldn't, an
AMI bet him you would"
''Beastsi" calculated the much in
censed Minna.
'sAn 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.
"How muohw she asked family.
"Wonder how much she'll stand?" Bob
asked himself perplexedly. Then he
| glanced at her tentatively.
''rm most afeared to tell you. It's
1 it's-goshi Minna--it's 800.
"Oh, myp' calculated Minna. "You
never did"
/ "a hundred dollarsl' 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 farm'll
haveto go sure, and poor mother and
| father" (Sob.l
i "Oh, no, no" said Minna tearfu1ly.
They're old now to start over agin
Ia protracted sigh), but l kin work for
em. I'll do it, and Bob's shoulders
shook with nobly suppressed emotion
sit u'll come hard to lose the old place
now -(sob) after all them years.
! "Oh, don't, don't, don't, BobI I can't
bear itl' gasped Minna, choking down
the tears. ''Tll--Tll"---
4 Bob waited q moment. Then he went
on:
s'Poor sister can't 60 to school or moth
| ing,n rocking himself to and fro in ap-
parent deep grief, AN there's no wood
got for the winter" here he wept aloud,
and seeing this Minna, too, wept aloud.
; "Oh, Bob, she cried. "how could you
be so-so''-- and she burst again into
tears.
Dunno, Minna, he said in choking
voice, '.lsut there amt no help for il
now. It's all got to gofarm an all. ]"
"Neyerr' said Minna Historically. q
will marry you-I wills"
!, "Tain't right to ask you," Bob said
sadly and hypocritically. ''You don't
care nothin about me"
81 didn't afore," said Minna tearfully
and shamefacedly, "but that was an aw
full lot of money to bet on ME. like yor
for it, Bob, dor
"An you will marry mel"
She nodded.
"Thank you, Minna, Bob said mourn
fully. "It's awfully good in you.
A moment elapsed before he started OF
the real business of courtship-he had tt
: proceed carefully and in that moment
Bob looked up at a very jester of a twin
: king star and silently exchanged will
, it a knowing and prodigious wink.
Madge Robertson in Chicago Intel
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