Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-03-10
HEB List cHaNcE.


the last time, Perlina Miikin, the very
last time. I've spent enough upon you
since your ma died and ! took charge
of you to marry six girls who had their
senses about them. I've dressed you
like Christmas doll, and I've let you
go into company, and I've sent you Ia
the most fashionable places to board
in summer, and here you are, four and
twenty, and not so much as engaged
It's perfectly disgusting. Perlina; and
what | have to say is, IL you don't set
tie your affairs this summer I'll give
you no more chances. 4 expect to die
In the poorhouse as it is. Why, l was
married at II, and your ma at is, and
your Aunt Delight, about the plainest
little critter l ever saw, wasn't but
Just IL. What's the use of advantages
and you hove looks, Perlina-if you
don't make use of 'em.
I'm sure l don't know what you
expect me 10 do can't very well pro-
pose to any one" said Perlina, ready
to cry. 81 do everything l can, and
they make love to me, and they say
all sorts of things. II they don't pop
the question, how can / make them ?
There, now, / suppose you waited until
Uncle Gafferly asked you to have him
before you said you would"
"Your Uuncle Gafferly would have
committed suicide if I had refused
him." said Aunt GafferIy. You may
not believe it now, but was a beauty
In my youth. AS for what you can do,
you ought to know; but what l say is
this: Come home engaged, or I'll stop
all this useless extravaganza. l have
crammed your trunk to the tune of
$500, and you are going to Saratoga
with the Kerosene Newbodys; and if
you can't do it now, I'll give it up as
a bad job"
With which speech she inflicted on
her niece's cheek that matter-of-course
peck which female friends choose to
consider a kiss, and babe her good
bye. And despite her new wardrobe
her big Saratoga trunk, the prospec-
tive summer gayety and the chaperon-
age of Mrs. Kerosene Newbody, poor
Perlina cried good deal in the hired
carriage which conveyed her to the
boat. What was she to do? To marry
might have been easy, but to marry
money-and that was what she was ex-
pected to do-was harder task.
Aunt Gafferly was good business
woman, and would not be likely to
spend any more money on an unstable
article, and Perlina shivered at the
prospect before her, If this summers
campaign should prove a failure. On
the whole she looked so i'll when she
arrived at Saratoga that her mirror
told her that her best plan would be
to retire early and take as much beauty
sleep as possible, in view of any eligi-
BILE gentleman who might put in an
appearance next day.
Fresh as a rose and dressed in her
most becoming morning dress, Perlina
took her seat at the breakfast table
next morning and nestled close to Mrs.
Kerosene Newbody in the most be-
witching manner.
That lady, an ample matron. with
loud voice, greeted her affectionately,
and at once introduced her to two gen.
tlemen who were her neighbors.
"Mr. Kolt, Miss Milkin; Miss Milkin,
Mr.. Downhill. All old friends of mine.
Charmed to make you know each 9TH
err" and then devoted herself to break
fast, and left those who preferred it to
waste time on conversation. And so
Miss Milkin, having the field to her.
self, made eyes at both her new ac-
quaintances, and shrewdly noted amid
her infantile gigglngs and dimplings,
that both were smitten. They were Of
the age, or rather of the ages, at which
the heart is most susceptible of Cupid's
arrows. Edmund holt was a youth of
10 and Hiram Downhill was at least
Go.
Never before had young Mr.. Kolt
had such bewitching attention offered
him. And as for old Mr.. Downhill, his
memory brought back some dove-like
glances, such as those Miss Milkin
showered upon him, from the long
vanished years of his youth, but not
many.
To cut long story short, Miss Mil
kin, having discovered that Mr. Kolt
was very rich and an orphan, and that
Mr.. Downhill was a very wealthy bach
civil ~ OhsC SCI hCt Gap lOT DOIu ken-
tlemen, resolving to accept the one
who proposed first. She loved neither.
A girl of her views, who had made
rush into the matrimonial market with
but one stipulation-that the man she
married should have money-was
scarcely likely to have heart. A hus-
band meant to her easy circumstances,
freedom from her Aunt Gafferly's in
cessant "nagging," liberty to fiirt as
much as she chose with ineligibles who
were often very interesting, and free
dom from the dread of being an old
maid.
Mrs. Newbody, who was, on the
whole, good-natured woman, willing
to see her friends well settled, further
ed the little affair to the best Of her
ability. There we're walks, rides,
drives, chatting in coy corners, and
at last a proposal. 1t came from Mr..
Kolt. Youth is hasty. Age is slow.
Mr.. Downhill was justSmaking up his
mind to do 1t, when Mr.. Kolt did Il.
And Miss Milkin said YES" and would
have fallen into his arms but that they
were in full sight of an old lady who
had just leveled her opera glass full
Mt them from a window.
YES" Perlina had answered, and