The herald., 1893-10-19

night coWn at the pump he remarked,
with assumed cheerfulness.
''Tallin about ney' said Minna angri-
ly. How dared thcyg'
''Oh. LordW gasped Bob to himself.
''If she gets mad before / beginl'
''They WIZ sayin-sayin'-
"Wells' sharply, "what wuz they say
inY"
''They wuz sayin how as you'd never
marry any one-you wuz that uncertain
like and flightylike."
"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.
"Nico doings them, fur mani" she
went ON contemptuously. Talking
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 reinorse. AS it was,
however, although inwardly trembling
he saw an opening and took it.
''But | spoke back for you, Minna, !
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 l 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 we'll forced gloominess. 81 said as
how knowed you would marry me-
"Who made you so wiser" interrupted
Minna sarcastically. t
''An q man bet me you wouldn't, an
an--I bet him you would"
"Beastsl' calculated the much in
censed Minna
"An 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.
"How much." she asked family.
"Wonder how much she'll stand?" Bob
asked himself psrplexedly. Then he
glanced at her tentatively.
''Im most afcared to tell you. It's
it's-goshl Minna-it's $10O.
''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 farm'll
haveto go sure, and poor mother and
father" (Sob)
"Oh, no, no." said Minna tearfully.
They're old now to start over agin
"a protracted sigh), but / 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, Bob! l can't
bear itr' gasped Minna, choking down
the tears. s'l'll-T1l"---
Bob waited lnoment Then he went
on: as8 8di io s5nsae4q 9da
& "Poor sister can't 20 to school pof 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. a
will marry you-I 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. Ilikeyou
for it, Bob, l do"
can you will marry me?"
She nodded.
"Thank you, Minna," Bob said mourn
fully. ''It's 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 a very jester Of twin
king star and silently exchanged with
it a knowing and prodigious wink
Madge Robertson in Chicago Inter
Ocean.
The Migratory Crab.