Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-07-10
POOR, fo6sL, IT MN.
Age Serves to Make Him an Easier
Mark-Here's a Good Illustration Of
Being an Old Mans Darling.

Being an Old Mans Darling.
Now look pleasant, please" said
the photographer, as he pulled his head
out from under the black cloth behind
the camera and prepared to press the
button
''Look pleasant" calculated Hamil-
ton Hastings. Say, young man, you
evidently don't know why I'm getting
this picture taken.
81 do not. For the benefit of your
friends, l suppose, and in that case
you will, of course, want them to be
pleased with it."
mo, it amt for any of my friends.
It's for my wife. She's away-753
miles away I've looked it up and
measured it ON the map. She thinks
I'm here fretting for her to come back,
and I've not tried to rob her of that be-
lief In fact, I've encouraged it in each
of my letters. Why? Because l love
her. Say, there's the sweetest little
woman in this world. She's Is years
younger than l am, and l don't look
like a fellow that's tottering ON the
edge OF the grave, do 1?''
Far from that. You're good for 80
years yet I,should say that you were
not more than As or so, at the most"
"Sh-h! F'ifty-one my last birthday
Fact! Nobody believes it, though. All,
my boy, that's what comes Of leading
an upright life. No, / don't want to
look pleasant l want to look sober
want to look sad. When you come to
touching this picture up I want you to
leave all the lines in the face. If you
could throw in few deep ones I'd be
willing to pay little extra for them.
You see, l want her to stay there and
have a good time. l love the girl.
Nothing would tickle me more than to
see her walk in that door this minute,
but I'm not selfish. Selfishness never
had any place in my makeup. So I
want her to stay where she is for two
months.
"Of course she wouldn't do that If I
were to send her pleasant looking pic
ture of myself You're familiar enough
with woman nature to know that, Ell?
o, l know women all the way through.
You can't fool me on their traits. I've
been married twice, and don't walk in
my sleep. Yes, sir, if l were to look
pleasant in this picture she'd come
home on the first train she could catch.
She'd say to herself that I was having
too good a time, and the benefits of
mountain air would be forgotten in a
minute. Say, between you and me,
she's just a little bit inclined to be jeal-
Gus. What? o, ho-ho-ho, no! Not a
bit of sense in it. o, well, of course
you know I'm not a Quaker, But. af-
ter all, I'm about as good as you'll find
anywhere,
mo, make this a sad-looking pic
ture, and then she'll stay and be salts
fed. That's the woman of it, you
know. Now see if I'm all right, and
let FER co.
so, by the way" said the young
woman in the fluffy gown. 81 got a
gentleman's photograph in this morn
ings mall
A shade passed over the face of the
handsome man who sat beside her upon
the broad veranda of the Grandview
hotel
"a gentleman's photograph" he
muttered. Whose is it?''
II don't know that l am compelled
to disclose his identity" the lady re-
piled, and a rich red forced itself
through the healthy tan upon her
cheeks. "But wait a moment. I'll get
it."
He took two or three turns up and
down the veranda. pufted several times