Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-09-17

bet he gave them each diamond ring
and strongly limited that he would re-
member them further at some other
time. &
He invited them to his house, intro
duced thIm to his family, which was not
extensive, as it consisted of one daugh.
ter, and so turned their heads by his
little efforts to show his gratitude that
they became mere bundles of unmiti-
gated conceit. At the imminent risk OF
losing their situation and FORGETTING
their only earthly means of support,
they prolonged their vacation two
weeks beyond it's proper limit, Fox tel
egraphing to the grocery and the hard.
ware store that Robbins was afflicted
with high fever, and that he was nurs-
ing him, and that he would bring him
home at the earliest possible moment;
condition of things that did not co
incide we'll with the healthy glow and
plump appearance of Robbins when he
returned to his desk one month after
leaving it.
"As a matter of fact, Perkins," said
Fox to me one evening shortly after
their return, at was a mighty risky
thing to do, but simply couldn't tear
myself away. I don't mind telling you,
in confidence, that it's pretty much a
settled thing between Miss Barnesand
me, and, of course, under the cIrcum-
stances, just had to stay"
Now this rather surprised me, as
hardly though there had been time for
anything so serious as that; but Fox
explained that he was no SLOUGH when
it came to love making, and that it was
all just as he said, but that l must not
say anything about it yet, particularly
to Robbins, because" said he, Robbins
has got fool idea that the girl is stuck
on him, which is all nonsense"
This prophecy about Robbins proved
to be entirely correct. 1 came across
him that same evening gazing in medi-
tative way at the ground and polling
holes in it with his walking cane.
Robbins" said I, you look as though
you had something on your mind.
What's the matter?"
"Why, the truth is" said he, II have
got something on my mind, and if you'll
promise to keep it quiet I'll tell you
about it." q.
II won't say a word to anybody" said
!, eff you don't want me to. What is
to"
Robbins looked carefully up and
down the street and then toward the
sky, as if he thought there might be
some one housekeeping in a balloon, and
then said:
4 am thinking about getting mar
ried."
"Ho." said I, sis that so? Whom are
you going to marry?"
'Why, a girl / met at Bar Harbor,
Miss Barnes, you know. BY George.
Perkins, she's a girl among a thousand.
Of course, we haven't got the day fixed,
or anything like that, but it's all right"
You haven't got any rivals, have
you?" said I.
Not one" said Robbins. Eek has
an idea that he has q chance with her
himself, but he's conceited idiot.
Don't you think we might go and take a
ball?"
These disclosures possessed certain
amount of interest. Barnes being i
millionaire, his daughter was rather Il
valuable prize, aside from her charms of
person, which Robbins had been in
clined to dilate upon. However, it was
no affair of mine, so left Fox and Rob
bins to their own devices, which 7 un-
derstcod consisted largely in frustrat-
ing the detective efforts of a shipping
clerk in the hardware house who had
been deprived of his vacation entirely
by the long absence of Robbins, and
who displayed q dangerous inclination
to probe the whole thing to the bot
tom.