The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-12-13
UNCLE COTTLE'S WOOING


NV * N'tt 81 w Att y IL AZ MS
chair, anu >poAe ,.tta al air Of invinci-
bic decision
"What. again?" drawled his nephew,
YEARLY.
again. sir2 When was married be-
force
But this isn't the first time you've
been going &c do it. uncle; that's what
] meant" Tim explained. DO know
the favored lady?~
Its Miss Sybil Holt. Tim" said
Uncle Cottle. conddentially. The most
Observation-Disclosures. met her the
other evening at Mrs Dynham's silver
wedding party. and She - er quite
seemed to take 10 ne. I'm older than
she is" he sighed. pensively. but
look a good ten years younger than |
nm; don't you think sou
Young Tim regarded him critically.
. without hazarding an opinion. He was
past middl age and looked it; full
bodied little gentleman. witk short,
dumpy legs and a bland. moon-like face,
whose prevailing expression was of i'm
perturbable simplicity.
/ Have you proposed?"
Why, no, I've only seen her once. Be
Sides Uncle Cottle sighed again, I'm
so shy. you know. Tim-so Internally
shy! The only time ever managed
to propose was when wrote to that
widow-you remember. you helped me
with that letter - and she never an
swered. You didn't say" he added,
whether you know Miss Holt?"
81 don't remember ever TO have met
her"
"Ah! you had you couldn't forget
her. She's an aunt you'll be proud of,
my boy"
"But she may notappreciate the hon
or of obtaining me for a nephew"
III she refuses me, Tim-if | lose her
as I've lost all the Others" cried Uncle
Cottle, wildly. Il shall think there's
curse on me, and I'll give in-rll never
love again. I'll live and die single!"
Young Tim hoped he would. Uncle
Cottle had been his guardian ever since
he was quite boy, but since he came of
age, some six years ago. he had rather
reversed the position OF affairs. and
looked upon Uncle Cottle with the al
Gus eye of a sole proprietor whodan't
want anybody to NEEDLE with hi ausi-
ness.
I'm his only rt.aii.r." he cortIaiucd
to his crony, Ted Merrows, as lie sal at
breakfast next morning in the cham
bers they tenauted in common. Whats
MS lS !-tiHs. D- aalu 50 lots of times.
If he gets married, though, his wife will
expect at least half; and if he has chill
dren,-there'l be no meat left on the
bone for mel"
They were both reading for the bar,
but Ted Merrows put aside his paper
for the moment. and placed all his in
tellect at the service of his friend.
Whats the use of looking black
about it? He's been going to marry
often enough before
But he oever seemed so determined
as he is now. He's dyeing his hair and
cultivating a figure"
Gone so far as that!" exclaimed Ted.
'Then I'm afraid nothing will stop
him"
81 shall try. anyhow" growled Tim.
IF / can't hit on anything better, |
shall tell him I've found out she's en-
gagged. I've stopped him twice like
that; he's so nervous and afraid of
seeming presumptuous. That widow
was the most dangerous-three months
ago. really thought I'd lost him that
time. He was so bewitched he was
going to call at her house, only l per-
suaded him it wasn't etiquette, and that
he ought to write first and disclose his
sentiments, and ask permission to call.
l undertook to post the letter on nv
way home here to the Temple, and |
put it in the fire. When he got no an
swer he wished he hadn't written-felt
he had been impertinent and she was Of
Tended"
Suppose he meets her and mentions
it?"
He daren't; | know him too well.
He'd be so ashamed and panic-stricken
he'd run away at the sight of her"
, "Well, you have heen lucky so far, but
1t can't go on like this forever" OBJ
served Ted Merrows. Take my tip,
and make hay while the sun Shines"
How do you mean?"
"You are old enough to marry, and,
as your unclc's sole heir, you'd be a val
liable article in the matrimonial mar
ket; but if he marries, you'll find your
self on the shelf among the damaged
goods and remnants. Dispose of your
self while you are still heir and the fit
ting lord for an heiress. You can't
stop the cid man marrying, but you can
take care he doesn't spoil you by marry
ing first"
"But don't know anybody" remon-
strated Tim. How am | to find an
heiress. get introduced and engaged.
and marry her out of hand in"
"You might find one through the mat
rimonial journals"
Nonsense! Heiresses don't adver-
tise."
Don't they? All heiresses are not
in society: some of them want to
goGhere, and they advertise They
wouldn't marry a gentleman with moth
ing, perhaps, unless they happened to
be old and ugly. but they would be glad
to snap up man like you, moving in
good society. with liberal allowance
from your uncle and hopeful prospects
Their. if your uncle deserts you after
ward. her money will keep the wolf
from the door and save you from work
ing yourself to death"
Young Tim had morbid borrow of