The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-12-27

like falling down and worshiping her then and there
 "Ar-har" ejaculated gran'pap, com. pretending. Nobody deadl Thought you said there was Warl, then, what is the matter2"
 "Nun-nun-" began Jason.
 "Hey?" "Nun-nun-"
 "There is nothing the matter, grand father" explained Dolly.
 "Hain't harp" snapped the veteran. He felt that he had been imposed up- on in some manner. "Warl, then, what did you come over for, Jason?"
 "I dud-dud-I dud-didn't cuc-cuc--" began Jason, feeling like culprit convicted of dire crime. "Idud-dud- didn't"
 "Har?" "He came to call," answered Dolly her face reckoning with vexation.
 "To call?" snorted gran'pap. ITO call for what?" ''Nun-nun-nun-"
 Have we got anything of Jason's, Dolly?'
 No, sir. He came toto call on me-"
 "To call on you" ejaculated the veteran. "H'mw
 By this time poor Jason was reduced to a mental tatteration, and l think had not gran'pap subsided very soon the bashful swain would have fled from the house in his desperation. As it was, the old man presently settled back in his chair and fell to wagging his aged head and muttering to him. self. Plainly he did not comprehend matters yet. By and by he dropped off into an uneasy doze, broken by occasional grunts and muttcrings, which, as i'll luck would have it, were so timed that they broke into Jason's desperate attempts at conversation, and each time reduced him to sudden silence.
 He cast an anxious eye on the clock, swiftly ticking away his opportunity, and essayed to introduce the subject nearest his heart, but just then gran'pap gave sudden start and the swain came to as sudden q stop, It was a trying ordeal for Dolly also, but she was more nearly equal to the emer- gency.
 Mice weather we are having, Ja- son?" she said.
 "Ye-ye-yes," answered the poor fel- low, eagerly; "bub-bub-but it lul- | luI-but it lul-"
 "Yes, it does look as if it would be colder soon."
 l1,,rtaI fully. "Lul-lul-loolSs lul-lilte it w-w- w-w-like it w-would be alfuf-fuf-fuf- alfred cold!'
 "Yes, indeedl How is your pas health?"
 "Mum-mum-middlin' th-thank vel"
 And thus it went on for the next | three-quarters of an hour, the time to | the wretched suitor seeming to fly by with the speed of an arrow Once, when, seemingly by accident, he was almost upon the point of committing himself, grau'pap gave achoking snort and sat bolt upright, only to settle back again without waking. But this was enough to sidetrack Jason for a quarter of an hour.
 And, nt last, what with one thing and another, the time had sped till it lacked but ten minutes of mid night. Feeling like criminal being led forth to execution, and moved to desperation by the crisis, Jason turned squarely toward Dolly.
 ''Dud-dud-Dolly," he blurted. I lul- lul-I lul-lul-"
 Poor Dolly was almost on the verge of mysteries. Gran'pap stirred uneasi- ly in his chair.
 "Dud-Dolly, lul-lul-I lul-lul-"
 It was no use! The poor fellow stuck hard and fast Gran'pap threatened to wake up at any moment
 "l lul-lul-lul-"
 "Sing it, Jason" cried Dolly.
 There was preliminary grinding sound in the old clock, more ominous than the sound from gran'pap's chair, and Jason opened his mouth and chanted in good rich tones:
 "DoHy, / lore you! WM you marry mel" And the little woman, half crying, half laughing, answered.:
 "Yes, Jason, l will!"
 Gran'pap awoke with jump.
 "Ar-har" he cried, in his piping treble. ''So that's what you came for, hey, Jason?"
 The old clock, having completed its preliminary grind, began tolling the knell of the year.
 "Ye-yes!" answered Jason, boldly, when the clocks clamor was done "Of cuc-cuc-course that's w-w-what I for"
 "Warl," said gran'pap, sententious- ly, "the best thing for me to do is to git along off to bedl I'm too old to be settin' up at this time O night"
 ToM P. MORGAN
 Tho Errtt ,f Ro.oI,.to.