The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-02-10

AtattA. 4 - W.. sN-aNA NAtsNNNNA
- he sAid. ~ Rob broke in. "Excus
na a@1 ! am 50 anxious Mr.. Ton
max, please say simply yes or no. i
wa Cannot oolise me, must try else
VhS-s. ] sent for you because know
VIZ h&ve ready money. Besides th,
y3Scs lies 80 it is worth more 10 YOU
thar most people. -
Ives. I'm bound ter say il is, Mr.
Tcr=Srk admitted impartislly, with
TIE ar q one comforting favor. But
ycc see, er remainder in trus'- ain
-,sSnin the least disrespec', Miss Rob.
know yCur words better'n er bond.
Bat the place won't be yours till the ole
sentlCman's gone. S'posin you died
first
lyon shall not suppose such thing, "
I Rob said. with quick shiver. ITO do
il would be TO deny the mercy of God l
shall live 10 take care of him. | Will do
I IL in spite II everything What you
Y have said, though, shows me the case is
hopeless, SO far as it concerns you. can
only beg your pardon for having trou-
bled you.
YoG know it amt no trouble, not
the least Why. Miss Rob. I'd do jest
anything fer you an glad er the chance, :"
Mr.. Topmark said eagerly. "Now, don {
you fret an think you're goin ter be
turned out er house an home. That
shaH't never happen while Ben Top
marks yours ter command -
Excuse me. You must know 1 can
not accept any but such help as may
come strictly i'll the way Of business, +"
Rob said, her eyes beginning to shine.
Forgive he if | seem bold, Mr.. Top
mark, but | must say in justice TO my
self that in thus applying to you l took
account not of your gallantry, but of
your well known shrewdness. am Of
fering you for So, 600 what / know you
want very much and otherwise would
not get at all.
You mean jest Roscoe, s'pose,
Mr.. Topmark said. grinning. Il do
want it, Miss Rob, but, Lord, not half,
not er hundredth part, as bad as want
you. Now, don't you try ter stop me.
You sent fer me, remember. got er
right ter speak know you don't keer
nothin in the world erbout me, an I'm
er fool ter keep on arter you like do. /
amt no handsome young sprig ter take
your fancy. Neither l amt er p'ison
snake. So you jest say you'll eben con-
sider me, an pledge you my word you
shan't have no mo- trouble with this
yere rascally gang
THANK you, but that is wholly i'm
possible, " Rob said, deep scarlet stain
ing her pallid face, $50 impossible, :"
she went on, eve will forget what you
have said. "
what makes it impossible?'' Top
mark asked doggedly.
Rob shivered family, then drew back,
saying, "The fact that am myself and
you yourself.
You're the only woman round yere
l couldn't have fer the askin, - Mr.. Top
mark began in his most aggrieved voice.
In spite Of her deep trouble, Rob broke
into laugh aud answered gayly: 81
have not the least doubt of it, Dear Mr.
TOpmark, do go and take one of them.
You don know how guilty / shall feel
if think myself the occasion of so ex-
cellent husband going to waste "
Her laughing provoked Mr.. Topmark
beyond words, more than even her stead.
fast refusal Of himself She could thus
whistle him and his money down the
wind with ruin staring her in the face
1t must be she did not realize what she
was about. He had spoken fair words.
Now he must try what virtue lay in
rough ONES.
lyon say you love your ole father, ="
he began. THAR won't be many ter be-
lieve that when they see him in the
poorhouse an know you could or kept
him out er it,.
Perhaps" Rob said, though she got
white TO the lips. "But it seems to me,
Mr.. Topmark, we had better say no
more We are not likely to agree, and it
IS utterly foolish to quarrel. -
1--WE must agree on somethin er else
it'll be the wust days work was ever
done fer you an him." Mr. Topmark al
most shouted. "You think, reckon,
other help will come. I tell you it
won't, 1T shan't. / can give you er
name as will shet every door in the
county in your face. Now, take your
choice-be my wife, have all that life
kin give er else the road an the world
lookin at you as the dust under its feeti
Choose quick too. You'v tried me long
enough. "
"Choice is impossible, Rob said, her
face white and scornful, "since nothing
else Oh earth could be to me so hard, so
degrading, so entirely unbearable, as
even the contemplation for one minute
of being your wife. -
Mr.. Topmark swung upon his heel
and came face to face with Aunt Phemy,
who had been standing just outside the
grape arbor throughout the interview.
The old woman was still speechless.
Otherwise she showed no sign of the
cowardly midnight attack. Rob had al
most forced her to come and share Nam
Liza's house in a corner of the yard.
She had been Smelling peas in the arbor
while Rob talked with the lawyer that
morning. Now she stood looking at Mr..
Topmark with the eye of basilisk
Thrice she Nodded at him theu raised