The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-04-30


host relishsd the snub she gave him.
| No, am sure could not afford to love
her, even with Roscoe secure. My wife
must put success before everything.
This girl will never do that. She will
never do anything indeed that does not
square with sense of honor almos,
fantastic. A hard one to drive. she. II
Mr.. Topmark thinks otherwise, he il
letting himself in for very bad hall
hour. He is the shrewdest blunderer-
Oh, hol Here he comes, looking like the
devil.
Mr.. Topmark had indeed face OF
fury as he dropped into q chair and
wiped his forehead with his hand. The
hand shook and his breath came q
thought unevenly as he said through his
set teeth:
swell, from the looks er things. How
ell, you'll have ter take that case an try
ter put Miss Magnolyer Tubbs, gram
daughter of Naomi Pickins, deceased,
in possession er her rights"
"Ah!" said Mr.. Howell, half closing
his eyes. They were too wide awake
"Don't bring up business today. 1t
seems made for idleness.
"Oh, any time you pleased It's your
business, not mine," Mr. Topmark said.
with short laugh. Mr.. Howell laughed,
too. languidly and in half apologetio
fashion, as he said:
''Pardon the correction, but if this is
not your business it certainly is not
mine"
"Say, what in the nation air you
drivin at?' Mr.. Topmark asked angrily.
Mr.. Howell's face grew more than ever
tranquil as he replied:
81 thought I was explicit enough !;
but, if l must speak palmer, 1 begin
work only upon receipt Of q suitable re-
tainer, and Miss Tubbs says, with adj
mirable candor, she has not $40 to her
name'
"Well, what er that? Sue fer half
yourecover, Mr.. Topmark said sulkily.
Again the lawyer smiled.
81 think L need not tell one so we'll
informed as YOURSELF" he said silken-
~, "that law is not an exact science,
and that in contingent cases one IS never
certain of not having his trouble for his
pains. ~
"Confound you'll" Mr.. Topmark
growled. "I've dono let you inter this,
an you know you can bleed me. All you
lawyers is reg'ler leeches, Thoughts
well you as ernother. "
81 thought you would hear reason,
Mr.. Howell returned, with q bow.
"Now, let's get our bearings, so to
speak. 1 judge you wish very greatly to
marry the heiress of Roscoe
cit amt that" Topmark broke in.
"It mought Ell been at first. Befo' my
wife died I did want the land, but
now
81 understand" tho lawyer said.
"But, repeat, you wish to marry the
heiress of Roscoe? You wish, too, that
that person shall turn out to be Miss
Rob McGregor, but only after she has
become Mrs. Topmark?'
eyes no-I don't hardly know.
You've got me fustered with your fine
talk. But I'll tell you plain jest whar
an how l stan with her. 1 been thar
this mornin; found her so took up with
er passed. er nasty little turkeys couldn't
scasely git er word with her. She
'peared moughty bright, though, sorter
ON aidge, as you may say. So waited,
talkin ter the ole man, until l seen her
slip off out ter the par trees. Then l
chased off arter her; found her flingin
sticks an rocks up in 'em an p'ars jest
rainin down at every throw she made.
Then she up an said how lazy she was
any industrious body'd climb an pick
the fruits onbruised, as they was fer
deserves. Then l up an said I'd git up
thar, though 1 want quite er boy, an
she laughed real tantalizin an said she
couldn't let the father er family resk
hisself that way. Then she KEEP on
THROWN an set me ter pick up what she
knocked down. An laugh! You oughter
err heard her when them fruits come
dancin an hoppin over my bald head
But arter bit she says:
Let's go in the grape arbor an rest.
I'm 'fraid you II have apoplexy. CAN'T
have your death on my conscience
$50 in we went an set on the two turf
benches. her one side, me the other. She
had her apern full er p'ars an flung one
over ter me, sayin:
Have er par, Mr.. Topmark. I'm
shore you we earned it.
"Then I sorter aidged round ter let
tin ON wanted ernother sort er p ar, an
she flung up her head an laughed an
said:
'Oh, Mr.. Topmark, jest fer er
change, now, s'pose you was ter talk
sense ter mel know it would improve
your health.
oh says I. then you wauter talk
ousinessp I'm agreeable. Jest you fire
erway.'
"An she says lookin over my head,
4 can't talk your sorter business, cause
amt got none er my own, an other
folks is clean out err the question.
Why says I, everybody thinks
you've got er heap er business-heap too
much fer er pretty young thing like
you'll
Gan then she held up her hand, say
in: 'Stopl You know business is buyin
an sellin an payin debts. Now, I've