Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-01-05
SELECTED STORIES.
SHE HAD IT FIXED.

A stout, matronly lady, we'll but plainly
dressed and apparently a little past middle
age, ocs upied alone one of the cross seats
IN Second avenue elevated train. which
she had boarded at the Fulton street sta
ton. At her feet rested IA big market bas-
ket, from beneath the cover OF which Gel
cry tops protruded at one end and a tur-
keys feet at the other. So aggressively
large did the basket seem that the little
red faced man OH the opposite seat sat
sidewise and from time To time stopped
reading his paper TO glare down through
bis gold trimmed eyeglasses at IL and to
scowl at the woman, who appeared placid
ly indifferent. AT the Grand street sta
tion young girl entered the car and effu-
sively greeted the baskets guardian, who
received her with an equally hearty well
come and made place for her, even moving
the basket little Co do so. TO the further
annoyance Of the little gentleman. Run.
ming up the station stairs had made the
girl short of breath for the moment and
brought flush of color TO her cheeks,
which became her well. She was pretty
very pretty--with eyes much brighter than
the mock diamonds I'm her ears.
"Oh, Mrs. Murray" she painted eager
1y. fairly aglow with her excitement, IN
going To be married"
She doubtless meant TO speak In conf
Dental tone, but unconsciously raised her
voice 80 that at least three or four Of the
passengers walked up to lively interest
In her further revelations.
"Lawsi You don't say so, Jenniei Why,
I'm awful glad to hear IL, II you like him
and are sure he'll be a good provider."
"Oh, I've no fears about that"
Sand does he love you real well, Jen-
niei"
"I wouldn't marry the best man alive II
he didn't, replied the young woman, with
an independent toss Of her head.
swell, II he does and you feel the same
to'ard him and nothing happens, sup
pose you'll be rs happy as folks mostly
are, which hope and pray you may, Jen-
nie," commented Mrs. Murray In the du-
bious tone beftting 40 carefully qualified
an utterance. "What's his businessi"
"He's dry goods merchant"
"How much a week."
"Nothin a week. He owns the store"
swell, declared He'll be- able to dress
you up In fine style at first cost, won't her
George was in paints and oils when mar
ried him, and paints and oils he's In yet,
and suppose always will be- 1t amt bad,
but many's the time I've wished II was
jewelry or dry goods. A husband can't
naturally refuse his wife nice things out
of his own store like as he may when he
has to buy them from somebody else.
When are you going to be msrriedi"
"Well, the day isn't exactly fixed yet,
but 1t will be some time next spring.
guess" Jennie replied, with little hest
fancy, easily attributable TO maiden mod
esty. Then, with rapturous burst Of con-
fdence, "And as soon as we are married
he will take me travelling abroad, and
when we come back we are going to live
In a brownstone front up town with lots
of fine furniture and servants, and he will
keep horses and carriage for me, and we
will have two children"
The older woman emitted an explosive
snort Of impatience. "That's AZ may be"
she exclaimed, with an air of superior wis
dom. "What you say or mean don't make
q bit of difference about that. Iwasn't
going TO have but two, and one was to be
a boy, and we would call him George, aft
er his father, and the other should be a
girl, named Maria, after me, and now look
at me with my seven!"
"Well, that's 10. It may not all turn
out just as you expect In every little thing,
but that's the present intention at least. "
"What kind of looking man is her"
"Oh, he's ever so nice. Tall, you know,
and the finest figure you ever saw. And
he has black hair, u little curly, and the
cutest little black mustache and black
eyes-big, expressive eyes. Pm no light,
you know, ought to have dark hus-
band"
"Have you his picture with you, dear,''
"N-no, haven't his picture yet"
"That's mostly the first thing young
man gives to his girl, because they are 80
vain they think their good looks will Just
charm her. But what sort Of presents does
he make you, JennieS You can tell good
deal about mans disposition by the sort
of presents he makes when he's courting-
allowing, of course, for his being more ex-
cited and liberal then than he Is likely to
be afterward."
"Oh, he hasn't given me anything yet, 4"
answered Jennie reluctantly. "But OF
course-I"-
"Humphi Some girls are notionate
about presents even when engaged, but
don't be fool that way, Jennie Take all
you can get. Anything that's worth Civ
ing is worth having. And IL anything
should happen 1t isn't once in thousand
times that a man will sue to get his things
back, unless he should be Jew, which /
pray to goodness he isn't, is her You
haven't told me his name. Amt you 60
ing to, Jenniei"
"I-I-can't exactly do that, Mrs. Muir
ray. You see don really know him yet. "
"You don't know himi'
"No. 1t was only this afternoon the
fortune teller told me about him."
For a full minute the older woman
stared ut her with speechless amazement,
which rapidly gave place to indignation
as she seemed to feel that her sympathetic
interest had been evoked by false pre-
lenses. She grew red, even unto tho gills,
and in tone that would have curdled
milk explosively exclaimed;
"Jennie Albright, I've known heap Of
fools in my day, but you beat alll"-New
York Press.