Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-12-24
OYER The Dam,
BY Mrs. NJ. +. Kendall.

BY Mrs. Nj. II. Kendall.
snow, Lou, be good, and tell us
honestly how 1t came about that you.
once Louise Crofton, the belle OF Ivy
side, became Mrs. Darwin, instead OF
the wife of the handsome, elegant, re-
fined Charles Mountain, the semi-mill-
aonaire, to whom Madam Rumor and
all the rest of us had you more than
nineteenths engaged"
That is the question that /, as speaker
pro tenn for party OF petticoated pests,
put to Mrs. Louise Darwin, the petted
wife of an honest, upright, very plain,
not Overeducated, independent farmer,
to whom she had been eighteen months
married, and whom she loved with her
whole heart; while Denton Darwin
worshlped her as the devout Persian
does his sun-deity.
Don't you know, we went over the
dam together was the laconic au-
swer ] received in behalf of myself and
inquisitlve clients; which answer made
us only the more clamorous for details,
and so we besieged the somewhat reti-
cent Louise EN- masse, threatening her
with suffocation by hugging-all of us
right around her neck, unless she
surrendered ut discretion, and afforded
us the information demanded.
20, yes; most Of us remember your
going over the dam in company with
your husband that is now. But then
that was two and Il half years ago, and
we have never quite determined how
that simple circumstance could have so
entirely revOlutioniZed Louise Crofton's
matrimonial ideas"
Il am well aware how widely you all
guessed of the truth in discussing the
incident and its results. But as l always
argued 1t was really the business Of no
one except myself and the man who Is
now my husband, know Of no reason
why you should not be permitted to
guess on to your hearts content, with
out my volunteering an explanation"
Now, Lou, you're tyrant. and a
barbarian. to snub us in this manner.
We only wanted to-"
''Ah, yes, sirls-I understand. You
only wanted TO add few more meshes
20 your man-catching nets. Well, you
shall be gratified; not that approve Of
dlmity man-traps; but that one or two
Of you are in need of an illustrated ar
gument, and perhaps all of you may
deem it advisable to go over the dam
some day before dropping your family
identity ut the altar forever; and so
will tell you the story
"Ah! there's darling. Now you are
really good, Lou" And we all got closer
around Louise Darwin, fiinging our
selves down on the velvet sward under
the old elm out there on the lawn, in a
listening attitude. Lou told us the
story very prettily and briefly. / will
endeavor to be as brief; though / can
not hope to be as entertaining with a
pen as Mrs. Darwin was in her real
communication.
Several Of you girls were eye wit
pcsses of the incident; but as some Of
you were not, l will relate the circum-
stances in brief. as they occurred.
"A party Of some thirty persons.
quite one-half OF whom were young
ladies of about my own age, had
crossed in boats the larger branch OK
the river, to a narrow, wooded island
about n mile above the Fairfield dam,
for the purpose of fishing, wandering
In the woods and social enjoyment
generally.
'Three days previously Denton Dar-
win had solicited my hand in marriage.
and l had rejected him-not rudely AMI
heartlessly, for as friend l regarded
him very highly; but as / neither loved
him nor any man, had no idea Of Civ
Ing myself away until my heart had n
word to say in regard to the transfer.
This frankly told Darwin, and thougi,
he regretted his failure, he was in ITO
wise offended, and IT was agreed that
our relations of friendly intimacy
should continue uninterrupted.
Charles Mountain was my escort up.
on the occasion, and awaiting himself OF
an opportunity that occurred during q
rafnble through the wood, he declared
his love for me in manner somewhat
impetuous, and besought me to accept
his heart, hand and fortune.
mfr. Montain's attentions to mycel
had for several months been so particu
lar that local gossip had declared an Ell
gngement, which assertion never tool
the pains TO contradict. Indeed. / wa,
rather proud Of such possibility; FOL
Charles Mountain was rich. refined. 81
good family, unexceptionable in char
acter, and / knew of no earthly reason
Why any girl. having her affections en-
listed In the right direction, should no
accept him on presentation. 1t was
only that my own affections were no
SO enlisted that did not accept him un
conditionally AS II was. decline,
The proffered alliance, but In a manne
that gave him wide margin for future
pursuit, Of which he assured me u,
should certainly avail himself.
mr.. Darwin was of our party and al
though unaccompanied by eny lady
lac was very entertaining, attentive ant