Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1895-06-27
nicer each time saw her during those

III the o1llce until the soft, sweet days
OF early June came around, and then l
vcntured on taking Miss Higgins driv-
ing with me. 1t was delightful after
noon, and was feeling extremely good
in mind, body and spirits. Miss IIig-
gins enjoyed the drives as well, and be-
/ ing acquaintances of such long stand
ing and on such an everyday, practical
basis, | think we both had very much
nicer time than If our relations had
been of the ordinary kind existing be-
tween young men and young women.
In any event, i felt perfectly at
home, and Miss Higgins was looking
so much better than had ever seen
her-she was twenty-four, and when
woman is pretty at twenty-four she is
pretty for keeps-that before l really
knew what | was about / was making
love to her. Not making it, either, ex.
actly. for it had been made in my mind
for weeks, but didn'tquite know it I'M
til l began to talk to her about it.
Then it dawned on me all at once, and
If it had not been for the superior
judgment and tact of Miss Higgins, l
firmly believe would have made an
egregious ass Of myself.
But didn't. / reserved that until a
later period.
The point / had reached when left
her at her modest, unpretentious home
was firm resolve that on the next day
/ would have business for Jeremy out
side Of the office for an hour, and there
and then, on the spot where had first
met her, / would make formal prop
osition-and get her, rs matter Of
course. was assured of that, because
there was no other fellow in sight,
was rich and passably good-looking,
not SO old as people might think was,
and on general principles | was just
what sensible young woman, like
Miss Higgins was, wanted.
When next morning came was in
hilarious humor, going so far as to
slap Jeremy on the back, thus discon-
certing him to such an extent that he
stuck his red ink pen in the black and
almost said ''dossgone it," his one
weakness of language.
"Old man." said to him, "why don't
you get marriedP"
"Why don't you, sir?" said he.
That's just what I'm going to do,
Jeremy" said l, land so quick that il
will make your head SWIM"
81 hope not, sir" said he.
"nope l won't get married." said l,
with feeling that poor Jeremy had an
idea that it would be desertion of
him for me to marry.
"Oh, no, SIR" said he; II hope it
won't make my head swim. used to
be troubled with vertigo, and l
wouldn't like to have return of it,
SIR"
Loud laughed and slapped the good
Jeremy on the back again.
"Out of regard for you and your
faithful services to me, Jeremy" said
l, 81 will go about it less rapidly than
as at first contemplated"
"Have you anyone definitely in view,
sir?" said he rather slyly, l thought,
seeing that he knew / was slightly
variant in such matters.
Indeed Ihave, Jeremy" said !, land
l am sure you will be surprised, and at
the same time pleased, when / tell you
who it is to whom am about to trust
my whole future"
81 am sure I shall be pleased, sir"
said he, meelSly.
'To be frank with you, then, Jer-
envy" said, more seriously, II am 60
ing to marry Miss Higgins"
Jeremy looked at me as the cherubs
look up in that great picture of Rapha-
els.
"The typewriter" said he
1.-THE same" said /. "And by the
way" l added, "she hasn't come down
vet, and it is half an hour after her
usual time. l hope she is not feeling
any bad results from the drive she took
Yesterday afternoon. l wonder if she
is?"
"No, SIR" said he, nothing is the
matter with her. saw her on my
way to the Office and she said she would
not be down until eleven o'clock this
morning"
That's all right" said l, much re-
lieved. ut will also be better for you,
as there will not be that haste which
might give you return of your verti-
go. Eth, old man?"
eyes, SIR" said he, and for the first
time | observed that he was growing
nervous. Oil wanted to say, sir"
he stammered, as he lay down his pen
and faced me, "that think you ought
to try to marry some one else"
"Oho," 1 laughed, perhaps you
would like to marry her yourselfP"
"No, sir" said he, 81 can't marry
her."
"Of course you can't, you dear old
man." said l. 'I'm going to marry
her myself"
THAT is not the only reason why |
cannot marry her, sir" said he.
This was a poser, and l wondered
what strange freak had struck Jeremy.
The thought of losing me had unsettled
his brain, possibly.
"What other reason could there be"'
said l, in doubt.
because / have already married
her, SIR" said he. "We have been
married three weeks, but we didn't
want you to know it until we could get
moved into our own little house, then
we were going to give you a surprise
supper, for you have been exceedingly
kind to both of us, and we appreciate
it more than we can say"
It was the longest speech l had ever
heard Jeremy make, and it wasn't the
pleasantest, but what could | do?
Nothing, except to forgive them and
hurl my heart at some other object to
knock it into forgetfulness Then
Miss Higgins appeared promptly at
eleven o'clock, and had to forgive her
also.
Nice fix for a man with heaving
heart to be In, wasn't itP
And she hadn't come down at her
usual time so that Jeremy would have
! st,ooca IN foil mo whit had ham