The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1896-11-07
UNDER
Wesley HIggintop's Proposal to Vic

| further Stlll IL necessary. L "uHI "
have a talk with you"
"Mr. Higgintop'"
81 know what you are about to say
1 am taking a liberty not warranted by
our short acquaintance, and all that
sort of thing. But | am not. Ihave been
in this car nearly a quarter of an hour,
Miss Jarvis, waiting for a good excuse
to come and take this seat, n when ]
saw that loose-jointed old Algerine with
the blue-black whiskers and the molas-
Bes-colored suit of clothes that got on
at the last station making for this seat
I felt it to be my duty to forestall him.
Will you oblige me by taking n look at
those whiskers Miss Jarvis?"
81 see them, Mr.. Higgintop."
"Well, that's why 1 popped down here
so suddenly. 1 am not vain, Miss Jarvis,
but 1 took it for granted"
Eyes, you seem to have taken it for
granted" she i~nterjected.
'"rhat between a young man of at
least average responsibility in appear
ance and n seedy old hunks with dyed
wbiskers no young woman OF taste
could hesitate for a moment. Hence"
upon my word, sir"
"Hence 1 am here. OF two evils, Miss
Jarvis, always choose the better-look-
ing. When 1 want any figs, young man,
I'll let you know. You will confer a
favor by strolling along down the aisle.
1 was going to say, Miss Jarvis, that
there's nothing accidental about this.
I am on this train in pursuance of a de
liberate design. 1 am sitting by your
side entirely on purpose. At exactly
ten o'clock last night 1 made up my mind
I wouldn't hang on by my eyelids any
longer. I decided 1 would seize the first
opportunity"
The train had been going at the rate
of 40 miles an hour. The sudden appli-
cation Of the air-brakes brought 1t
quickly to a stop. There was a con-
fused sound of voices. Rifle shots were
heard. Mr.. Higgintop listened q mo-
ment and resumed:
81 decided to seize the first opportuni-
ty to tell you"
For heavens sake, what"
ITO tell you that 1 ="
mo, mol 1 mean what is the noise
about? Something dreadful is happen
ingl 1 am sure it isl"
There's some disturbance at the for
ward end of the train, I presume. Viola
Jarvis"
80, Mr.. Higgintop, at such a time as
this how can you"
"a man as far gone as I am doesn't
stop to reason about things. 1 have
only known you about six weeks, but
I think I have wanted you all my"
Crack Snapl Boom!
The widest CONSERVATION reigned.
Passengers were crouching down be-
tween the seats. Faces were pale with
terror. And the fusillade continued,
varied now and then by a louder ex-
p~losion. A bullet occasionally came
through a window and buried itself In
the woodwork of the car.
20, Mr.. Higgintop-"
"My name is Wesley"
"Are we in any danger?"
Danger? Ifeel as If my whole future
were at stakei This is the most mo-
mentous crisis of my lifei My darling
girl
30, Mr.. Higgintop-"
wesley. My name is Wesley"
Crack Cracki Crack Boomi
"How can you think of anything"
"I can't, dearl 1 can't think of any
thing except that the sweetest, loveliest
girl on earth"
Crackl crash BoomI
SIS holding my hand in clasp SO eager,
So"
She dropped it instantly,
Ell didn't know it," she faltered.
He merely gathered her trembling lit
tie hands in his own and held them fast.
W .r-- IL -
he resumed, but"
Boomi
"If it had been six years"
"Please, MI. Hig-"
wesley"
"Wen, Wesley
"You darlingi"
Crack Crash! Crashi
40, what will become of US"
"Viola, dear, it only rests with'you to
say. I don't believe in long engage
ments. Four weeks from this day
AXE your hands away from mine and I'll
kiss you before all these people, you
wiltul grill Therel now you're act
ing sensibly-hello, conductor, what's
the matter2"
Train robbers" replied the uni
III ~ "a IN tAaAA UA0 ANA
Just entered the car They've looted
the express car and got away with $685.
000. The dangers over now, though.
The gangs gone. Those last three shots
you heard were to keep everybody
scared till the thieves had got clear.
You cen ell get up from under the seats
now. I guess non of you are going to
be fatally killed"
"And now, darling" resumed Mr.. Yves
ley Higgintop, 81 have only to say
that"
But he spoke in a zone too low to be
heard except by the ears for which it
was intended.
When the train moved of again, how
ever, after a further delay of Is or 20
minutes, he still held those little hands
in his.-Chicago Tribune-
pRPSTnTNa ELDERS APP0INTMRNTR-LPY-