Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1895-10-03

wv hN'' "bl ut!Ak|NG inquiries pro
scented Itself II him, hu; the idea being
altogether too yrnturcwonc, aud en-
irHN wtthnu, parallel in The annals
nt his EouWShjN was abandoned us
soon rs formed
Then The church clock struck the
quarter before /, aul with a start.
Mr., Kitchens realized that his Mclia
was noj forthcoming that day.
Mr. NitrheaS was uahhcrSaSted. As
he slowly turned and lett the gaze. II
was 70 him almost as though the un,
verse were turned upside down.
MIR, llttehrnS rubbed his LEFT whiskcr
against the grain, aud oplncd that
this were 4 queer START SO she
meant to Eive him gnly after all
these Years, did she And all because
Al least he S'NNScd that must hc II
ne wasn't altogether prepared to yuSh
M and set married in about couple
of years time,
On the whole. he wasn't sure that he
hadn't had lucky escape, Such
display OF trmprr as he had just been
treated 10 seemed to Indicate plainly
that she was MOI the sort OF Young
woman To have made him ronlrArtahle.
\ party rs would turn nasty over such
a little ching rs that Wasn't the right
party for him
Al the same, as he passed ahScutly
along, he was conscious that the
prospect ot commencing another
lengthy vourjShip At This time Of NE
seemed very uphill and doubtful
sort of one,
As to the lady herself NO soourr did
she realize that she had actually sent
Jim llitchruS to the right about than
she sat down and had a good cry.
and forgot all about putting the ket
tie ON.
Ehcrr was, us may he Imagined, CON
Siderable comment IN tn" town when
II hcrame generally known that the
courtshjp or Jim Kitchens aud Miss
links had como to an unexpected and
uutimcly termination.
In fact, 1t was such universal
topic and source of comment and In
trrcst that wherever two or three,
particularly of The gcutlcr sex, were
gathered together they We're sure to
be engaged in discussing the latest
authorized version of the affair,
Gradually from the time that Miss
links had refused to put on her bon
mt T,,p l,i,
petite steadily declined So that his
Sunday clothes, when he had sufficient
strength OF mind to don them, hung
on him In bigger crcaScS than before,
his tCndcncS to knock kncns Increased,
and he became moro lrah colorcd than
ever.
Spring passed, summer came. au-
tumn went and winter was at hand,
when one day tldings went round that
Jim Kitchens, who had for n month or
two past been troubled With II little
backing cough, had taken to his bel.
"'Mclia. my sal" said her father
about n fortnight later, i've Jest been
EARN as 'ow the doctors got but
small 'opNs o Jim Kitchens, and lor,
'Melia"
Miss Bnks had uttered n sharp, III
voluntary cry. But II was nothing,
she assured her parent only n pin
that she had stuck In a lIttlc too deep.
That same afternoon, however, she
c(rerWally ruined the kettles constl-
tuition for life by putting It on TO boil
empty.
The next morning 1t was Sunday
she received II message. She had
packed her old father of to chapel ms
usual, and was giving as mufh OF her
attention as was available TO the din
ner when It arrived.
IT was to the effect "as Mr. 'ltchens
presented he's compliments to Miss
BInks and would be Apply to see 'er
If she would be so good as to step UP
that AFTERNOON bout o'clock or ha
past"
Jim Kitchens lived In little drab-
colorcd corner house. about half way
down High street. Since his Illness
n married sister had come over from
one OF the ncIgheorIng villages TO
look after him. else he had alwa w
lived alone, with woman to come In
now and then ITO do for him"
He was so weak and such n ghost
Of his former self that Miss Binks'
feelings became too much for her, md
she. so to speak. boiled over al the
sight of him, just like the kettle.
90, Jim" she cried, casting etiquette
10 thc winds, 90, Jim, my dear, what.
ever ave you been n doin OF to your
salff'
"Nothln', Miss BInks, nothin' to
speak Of" was tho feeble reply
Then, as she sat down by the side
Of the bed and listened TO his labored
brcathIng, her heart smote her more
and more for her falthlcssncas and
cruelty In the past, until the tears ran
even down her bonnet strings, rusting
MI the pins they encountered and TAX
ing the starch out OF her best collar.
Half an hour or SO passcd without
another word being uttered on either
side Then the sick man made an RI.