The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-06-09

upon a lovely young lady named Vic
let. He often called upon her and re-
solved again and again to offer her his
heart and hand, but az often that heart
tailed him. At asst he became alarmed
by the fact that the dashing Captain
Latham Of one of the sound steamers
was often at the house when he called
to see Violet. At last be could not
bear the suspense any longer, and he
ventured, with much hesitancy and
~aWkwardness, but with do or die de-
termination, to ask her if she would be
his wife. With remarkable c~oolpess,
she replied:
You should have spoken long ago,
Mr.. Peterkin. l have been engaged to
Captain Latham for some time past,
and we are to be married very shortly.
l am sorry to disappoint you, but we
will be as good friends as ever, and you
must come to see me jlst the same.
The captain will always be glad to have
your c. mpany.'
"PeteIkin went away sorrowful. BIT
G brighter day soon dawned, for with
IN three months after they we're mar
rled the captain fell IF the steamer in
a fog on the sound and was drowned.
Now Peterkin took heart. He would
have the widow. A year of mourning
wore slowly away. He kept his eye Oh
the widow, but would not insult the
memory of the dead by proposing IN
til a decent interval had passed. The
year ended, and he laid his heart again
at the little feet of Violet. She heard
him quietly and gently remarked: My
dear Mr.. Peterkin, I am sorry to dis
appoint you again, but for the last six
months l have been engaged to DR..
Jones. 1t was hard for me to make up
my mind between him and his friend,
the handsome Lawyer Bright, but DR..
Jones was so good to me while I was
sick in the winter after my husbands
death that l promised him l would be
his at the end of the year
80 poor Peterkin retired once more.
The Widow Latham became Mrs. DR..
Jones, and so remained, while the dis
c mfted Peterkin wished the doctor
might take enough of his own pills to
make an end Of him. Tine passed On.
Peterkin was walking down Broadway
one day, while not far ahead Of him he
saw two men, one Of whom he knew to
be this hated DR.. Jones. A large fat
stone was baing hoisted to the coping
Of a new building. The ropes gave
way. It fell and instantly killed the
two men.
"Peterkin rose to the emergency Of
the moment. For the dead he could
be of no avail. His thoughts were on
the widow. He turned, he ran, he flaw,
to her abode. When she entered the
~oom whrro no awaited her, he began:
Ny dear Mrs. Jones, 1 bring you
dreadful news. I was walking on
Broadway when I saw a stone fall
from a house upon your poor husband,
and he is dead, but you must let me
comfort you. I beg you now to be
mine-my Violet at last
""Dear Mr.. Peterkin, I am sorry,
but when D.. Jones and Mr.. Bright
were both begging me to marry 1 took
the doctor and promised M. Bright if
anything happened to Jones 1 would
certainly be his. So you see l am en-.
gagged. am sorry, for I think a great
deal of you, my dear P0terkin.
'Perterkin was very calm and self
contained. He said, And will you
promise to be mine when the lawyer is
no more9' Certainly I will, with all
my heart and SOUL Then come to my
arms, my Violet, for the same stone
that killed the doctor was the death of
Bright, and you are mine at las !"'-
Boston Herald.