The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-02-08

| But, Of course, l only thought OF this.
/ wouldn't have hurt his feelings half
As quickly as l would my best girls.
Oh. pshaw. That man was too good for
this world and as put my big cricket
e''s hand On his shoulder in that last
gOcd-by, it may have been my magma
| ticn, but l thought | could feel a wing
sp:'Outing there: possibly it was the
buckle of his braces. Well. he got away
at last, and missed him, too. although
| didn't dare confess it, for it would
have made laughing stock of me. The
idea of taking fancy to such milk
sop as Plumley.
Cuthbert Plumley has teen engaged
for several years to Miss COpcutt,
Miss Jane COpcutt. and if ever a be-
trOthal had been planned in heaven
that one had. In fact. | inclined to
the belief that they had been predes-
tined and designed for each other be-
f re the foundations of the world were
laid. There is no use in my trying to
describe Jane Copcutt to you. [ shall
only make bungle of it, for her beauty
was largely what the sentimentalists
call spiritual" Not that she hadn't
the prettlest brown hair, the smooth
est skin. and one of the t. immest fig
ures that | had ever seen, but there
was sonnet hing in her smile. in the gen.
tie look of her big hazel eyes, in the
soft music of her voice. that brought
every heart within her reach. But,
bless you, she was more than satisfied
with Plumley. She knew that he was
better than refined gold, that his gen.
tleness. his constancy. his devotion
would fill her life as the golden sun
shine pours into lovely valley. chas-
ing out the gloom and tn chill and the
damp. 1t was genuine mutual AGO
ration society: everything Cuthbert
said was well said, everything Jane did
was wellsdone
Well" said J. to myself. If that
marriage doesn't prove Il happy one.
then all signs will lail. but if all signs do
fail-in a drought, for example-then
why she uld they fail in treshet of
happiness? But | hoped that they
wouldn't fail in this particular instance.
and when | received Plumley.s letter
inviting me to run out to Hull and be
than pleased: | was dciightel: | felt
that Cuthbcrt was IL brother of mine
aud was more willing to lo"c lane as
Il sister. l felt that such womans
friendship would dc me good. was SO
tired Of the ordinary woman, the girl
Of to-day, with her fluffy hair pulled
down over her eyes like Shetland
pony. and her eyes wide opened lest
something might escape her.
Now. James hair lay upon her fore
head like burn shed wa nut. and |
longed to see Cuthbert Plumley's long.
slender, white hands stroke it. It had
been made for just such hands t.
stoke. TO think of footing around
tne fluffy bunch of hair which the girl
of to-day carries on her forehead.
Why l would as soon think of stirring
up hornets nest or poking my finger
in the crest of a cJckatO,
So far have left "Old Copcutt" to
your imagination. | call him odd
COpcutt, and it was strange, too, for
he wasn't an old man. possibly y. but
he had such an old look about him. He
had suffered his whole life from chron-
ic neuralgia. and it had screwed his
face into forty wrinkles that wouldn't
have been there otherwise, and then,
too. his skin from the continuous ap-
plication of remedies" had been fairly
tanned until it now looked As brown as
the mahogany which he dealt in. for
Barzillai COpcutt was dealer in "hard
woods" and on a large scale, too: and
when [ thought of thee hard woods
ard Cuthbert Plumley's soft heart and
scft han Is tremblcd, but | hoped for
the best: that was all could do. Old
COpcutt loved Jane, and, loving Jane,
he could not do less than try hard to be
fond Of Plumley. But it was affection
under compulsion, not the best sort,
you will admit.
No doubt the old gentleman had long
ago noticed Plumley's long. soft, white
hands, and possibly in his minds eye
he saw his future son-in-law handling
samples" with his gloves on. What
would the trade say of old Copcutt's
son-in-law? But Jane loved him, Jane
was satisfied. and that settled it. al
though the old gentleman for the life
Of him could not understand why Jane
preferred this milk-andwater man to
such "a brOadshp uldcred, ro1licking,
handsome fellow rs Ned Hargreaves.
who would inherit a cool half million.
| ii a penny, and who had always been
soft on Jane, and had even offered him
| self.
As have told you. the day was set
for the marriage, when one of the big
| geSt hard wood concerns in Hull went
down with crash, completely wiped
out Of existence. and as terrible i'll
luck would have it. old Copcutt was on
their paper for 10000. 1t was awful
t, think Of. Here was an old mer-
chant. homes. as he was stern-visaged.
now threatened with ruin by the reck.
| lessness Ct friends in the trade. What
was t. be done Go down with them:
Never. lane must give up Plumley
and take Ned Harg caves. With that
union assured. old Copcutt knew that
he could get all the credit he needed
and not only wcathe" the storm. but
come on; on top of the heap, the rich
est concern in hard woods in all Hull.
1t was a prize worth trying for. Yes.
Cuthbert Flumlcy must be thrown
/ overheard.
CHAPTER II.
1t is strange what wonderful result
the love of money caa work in man :
nature. and in woman'S. too. for that
matter. Now. up to this moment Old
Capcutt had not been a particularly