The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-06-13
1T PAYS TO TELL THE TRUTH.

Lying Over the Dinner Table Nearly Fin
ished Mans Chances.
"Yes," said the man with the impe-
rial, cit always pays to tell the truth.
I remember that once, when 1 was
good deal younger, came mighty near
losing the woman who is now my wife
because lied bit. -
ITO her?'' asked the young man with
the Vandyke beard.
mo; to her father. You see, it was
this way: I was young sprig of
clerk then, with but little money and no
prospects in particular. had seen the
girl who is my wife at one or two
places l had been, and was dead in
love with her. figured around and got
permission to call on her, and it wasn't
long before had proposed and had been
accepted. Then came the tug of war.
I had to go and ask her father for her
hand. He was rich as mud and had the
reputation of being the ugliest old skate
in the ward. got my courage up one
morning, though, and walked into his
Office and struck him for the girl. After
I had told him what wanted he asked
me to sit down, and we had long talk.
He inquired into my prospects and my
habits and all that and wound up by in
viting me to dinner the next day.
81 was tickled to death, for / thought
had made hit with the old man, and
I went to dinner the next night in high
feather. The dinner itself was fair,
but the wine was execrable. The old
man kept filling my glass at every op-
portunity and urging me to drink. Then
the ladies went away, and the old man
produced cigars. He offered me one.
took it and lighted it. So help me, it
was the poorest weed had ever tackled,
and have gone against pressed Pitts
burg tobies tool Then he poured me
out another glass of wine and told me
to drink it. 1t was something like a
combination of spoiled vinegar and al.
cohol. It was abolninable. The old man
made great ado in putting his away.
He smacked his lips, slipped it as if it
were priceless Tokay and held it to the
light in an ecstasy of admiration.
"'Great wine, that, don't you think?'
he asked me. l said that it was the
best had ever tasted.
oh, yes,' continued the old man.
I imported that wine myself. Has
most magnificent bouquet. There's
nothing like it in this country as
sured him that was confident of that.
Then he went on praising it, and !
chimed in with him and said three words
for every one of his. called it nectar
fit for the gods. told him that it re-
minded me of some very rare vintage
which I had once tasted in New York
and lot of other CUFF like that, and
wound up by assuring him that the
damnable cigar / was trying to smoke
was the most fragrant Havana I had
ever lighted.
"The old man seemed pleased. He
fairly beamed at me. was congratu-
lating myself that had made an excel
lent stroke and was feeling on pretty
good terms with myself when the old
man Strengthened up and roared,
Young man, you can't marry my
daughter ventured to ask him why,
and he roared again: Because, sir, you
are an internal liar! You sat there to-
night and perjured yourself about this
slop we have been drinking In the place
VI WAACs 4t 10 luO "OI6t COuCUCllOu j
ever tasted. And that cigar cost about
Q cents. You are liar. The truth is
not in you. If it is, you are a coward.
You didn't dare tell me what you
thought about this stuff. I want nei-
ther liar nor a coward for a son-in-
law. Get outp
with that he stamped out of the
room, and there was nothing for me to
do but go home. l made up my mind
that the game was up, and was discon-
solate. l tried to see my sweetheart
and was baffled at every turn. For three
days was heartbroken. Then l got
note from the old man. 1t read like
this: Young man, on second thought
have made up my mind that need
good liar in my business. Take the girl
if she wants you, and l will give you
an interest in the firm.'
And that, " continued the man with
the imperial, lis the way got my start
in life and my wife. Buffalo Express.
How Ice Forms.