Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-09-17

Olue Wa suOtt oout sciil0 - " AuASt StA
I niver 'ad no reason to repent. though
they do say marry in 'aste and repent
ut leeshure. P'raps you'd like me h
speak to Jim, friendlylike, and put II
TO i'm? Not as ther's no need fur 'urry,
but somethin might be said def'nit' as
to the year arter next, or II that were
considered too soon, the one arter that.
fur, though doesn't old wi 'urryin
things on. neither. 'Melia, my gal, does
I old wi shillyshallyin." !"
Miss Binks, before replying to her
parents proposition, bit of thread
and seemed to DO turning the matter
over in her mind and weighing its pros
and cons.
Then, with merely some half dozen
pins In her mouth, she up and spoke.
and her words were the words Of wis.
dom:
"Well, father, / won't go for to deny
as 'aven't thought as Jim 'Itchens
were bit over back ard in comm for
rard, and know the neighbors do talk,
SO p'raps il you could give i'm All int
it might 'elp i'm to know is own
mind. which he don't seem to do not at
present, and II it don't do no good l
don't see as it could do much arm.
Here the clock, giving way to excite
ment, struck IL without stopping 70
take breath.
Mind you," continued Miss Binks.
as soon ~ the clock had done speaking,
and pointing at her father with her nee
die, ~ don I want for you to be ard on
i'm, only jest to find out what is him
tentions is, or whether he's got any or's
likely to ave"
so in the morning old Binks put ON
his hat-or rather his daughter put 1t
ON for him, jamming his head well
home-and took his stick and toddled
of down street." charged with the
delicate mission Of plumbing the un-
known depths OF Jim Kitchens matri-
monial inclinations
What transpired in the course OF this
momentous interview has never been
divulged. Possibly old Binks himself
might have been to blame in that he
failed to bring to bear upon the matter
that delicacy and tact for which 1t pre-
eminently called.
At any rate, when he returned home
it was plain that the little old man had
been considerably "put about. " This at
once made itself evident to his daugh-
ter, who met him at the door, and tax
ing from him his hat and stick in
quired, in q voice in which not even the
presence Of pins between her lips coul
disguise the signs Of interest amounting
almost TO eagerness:
"Well, father"
mot at all. 'Melia, not at ALL" was
the tremulous reply. II should say any
thin but sich!"
"Lor', fatherr' exclaimed Miss
Binks. with an attempt to quell her ris-
ing agitation by placing her hand on
her heart-an attempt that was baked
by rampant Of her favorite imple-
ments Of extra large size. "Lor'. IA
ther ~
She could say no more, but laying
violent hands on her parents coat col
lm she bore him across the tagged
passage into the front room, where, de-
posting him in his elbow chair, she
mounted guard over him. Now, fa-
ther. speak your mind. :"
" 'Melia, my gal, it's my belief as
he's bin maxim fool O. you Least
ways, all as could get out O. i'm when
puts 1t to i'm straight, was rs he
weren't prepared to go to sich lengths
as TO menshin any perticler date, rs he
couldn't abide bein 'urried, nor yet
drove-drove was his very words, 'Melia
AS he niver SEQ no good come o 1t.
All as he could and would say was Us
he'd be round as usual come Sunday"
Father" cried Miss Binks in
voice choked by emotion and pins. Jest
you leave i'm to me"
Sunday came, 30 did Jim Kitchens.
Mr.. Kitchens leaned against the fence
and chewed twig, wondering at the
unusual time taken by his ladylove In
putting on her bonnet.
He turned and looked up at the win
dow, but Miss Binks was too quick for
him and lodged behind the curtain.
Once the idea Of going boldly up to
the door and making inquiries presented
itself to him, but the idea being alto
gether too venturesome, and entirely
without parallel in the annals Of his
courtship, was abandoned as soon as
formed
Then the church clock struck the
quarter before 4, and with start Mr.
Kitchens realized that his 'Melia waS
not forthcoming that day.
Mr.. Kitchens was flabbergasted. As
he slowly turned and left the gate 1t
was to him almost as though the uni
verse were turned upside down.
Mr.. Kitchens rubbed his left whisker
against the grain and opined that this
"were queer start!' So she meant to
give him q go by after all these years.
did she? And all because-at least, he
s'posed that must be it-he wasn't alto
gether prepared to rush of and get mar
ried in about couple Of years timei
On a...a, whole, he wasn't sure that he
hadnt had lucky escape. such dis
play Of temper as he had just been
treated to seemed to indicate plainly
that she was not the sort Of young wom-
an to have made Aim comfortable. A
party as would turn nasty over such
little thing as that wasn't the right
party for him.
All the same, as he passed absently
along, he was conscious that the pros
pect Of commencing another lengthy
courtship at this time Of life seemed q
very uphill and doubtful sort Of one.
As to the lady herself, no sooner did
she realize that she had actually sent
Jim Kitchens to the right about than
she sat down and had good cry and
forgot all about putting the kettle,on.
There was, as may be imagined, con-
siderable comment In the town when 1t
became generally known that the court
ship Of Jim Kitchens and Miss Binks
had come to an unexpected and untime-
" termination.
In fact, it was such . universal topic
and source Of comment and interest
that wherever two or three, particularly
Of the gentler sex. were gathered to-
gether, they were sure to be engaged in
discussing the latest authorized version
of the affair.
Gradually. from the time that Miss
Binks had refused to put on her bonnet
for his benefit, Jim Kitchens appetite
steadily declined, SO that his Sunday
clothes, when he had sufficient strength
Of mind to don them, hung ON him in
S.--,. .~,,so, thar, t,<ft,ro hia toudoucv