The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-04-30

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his old father wa s
very anxious that he should marry and
bring home a wife to keep house and
make It homellke for them both, as the
mother had long been dead, and the
father and son were too much attached
Ito one another TO wish to live apart.
Horace was not actually In love with
any one, but there were three girls he
rather admired. so he tried an expert
ment. He announced his intention of
taking a holiday, or, at all events, of
going over to the city for trip, saying
lie was not quite sure when he would
be able TO return. About IL o'clock one
morning he went to the home of the
Girl he liked best, aud when the door
was opened asked for Miss Ellen, and
told the maid to say that he had called
nj that unusual hour to say good-by,
us be was leaving suddenly, and had
very little time at his disposal. He
was shown into sittingroom separ-
ated from another by folding doors.
and distinctly heard the voice Of his
charmer saying to her mother:
mo, mamma. | certainly will not be
seen 1t this hour In this dirty old dress,
with no tucker In it. and my fringe not
curled."
In two or three minutes the maid re-
turned 10 the waiting Horace and said
Miss Ellen was very sorry not 10 see
him, but she was in bed with bad
headache.
"A girl who puts on dirty dress In
The morning and tells flbs Is not the
wife for me-" thought the young man
az he went away, and. turning into the
next row of villas. he rang the bell of
door which was on the chain and
stood little way open. giving him a
view of the staircase. On the half
andlng stood the girl he had called to
see. scoldlng some one up above her so
vigorously that she evidently did not
notice the ring at the bell. Her voice
was so shrlll and her ill-temper so evil
/ dent that Horace instantly took card
out Of his case. scrubbed Up p. c. on
+ It when the servant answered his sum
mons, and went his way.
The third girl he meant TO call on
lived half mile away. the house was
small. aud her parents had the reputa-
ton OF not being very well off. He
knocked and gave the same message TO
/ the maid as he had done at the first
house. She was not an accomplished
housemald, and left him standing at
the open door while she went and
spoke TO her young mistress In back
room. Horace heard the quiet words,
ASK Mr.. Tremlow to come In" and
he was shown straight into the sunny
back parlor, where Miss Mary Jones
sat In a low chair with a vegetable
dish ON her lap and large basket of
green peas on the floor beside her. She
wore neat pink zephyr dress. white
collar, and. black tie, and a very large
white apron. pinned up quite high on
her breast, and her hair was Just rs
nicely done as when he had last seen
her at Cinderella dance.
She said not word about her occu-
patton; 1t was evidently quite a natu-
raj thing for her TO shell peas In the
morning, but she laughed and talked
so pleasantly that Horace stayed till
she had finished and rose TO take her
peas TO the kitchen. Then he went. but
/ the next day he made an excuse for
coming again. and though he stlll talk.
cd OF going to the city there did not
seem 10 be any hurry about IL.
Mary Jones WAS quite as quick wit
ted as other girls and soon understood
what be meant. and got one of her
brothers to convey to him. In the most
casual way In the world. that she was
engaged TO curate In the North, and
i they were to be married as soon as he
/ got a living.
Horace did 90 to the city then.
but Ia o few weeks he returned and
lived With his father and a middle-aged
horsekeeper lIlllhe old man died. Even
then he made no preiense OF belng a
marrying man. aud when chaffed about
single blessedness by his friend told
the story OF the pea-shelling. and
laughlugly said he must wait for
Mary's eldest daughter.
WELL" said his friend. but II she
will have You there VIII certainly be
no need for her 10 shell peas. You can
give wife quite a tine establishment
now and a carriage into the bargain .
Yes" replied the elderly Horace. II
could 10 all that. but | should like my
wife 10 be the sweet. domestic. WON.
AMY woman that money neither buys
nor Spols, and though | NAV Joke
about Mary's daughter, | hear she is
going TO Grton. and don't suppose
she even knows how to shell peas. But.
for all that. believe she Is her mother
over again In all essentials"
Nsry the Second had been at Girton