The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-02-16
A MIsERs ROMANCE

bis own cooking, washed his owu elotbes
sEd nepded The ssme Al needing De
~s 90 erperi, for u vss common talk ths'
be had worn one suii Of clothes ten yeafs'
No one 10 the nslshbyrhood knes bis 81
act sse. bot he looked 10 be 90 the sbsdy
ado Of 20 Neither did sSy one have
.sihsbiic informstion ss 10 the extent OF
bis weslth. He vAs s'rsd Of banks snd
kept his iboussnas 10 some eeret hiding
place sboni the house
That such man sbould be . bachelor
vas quite 10 order. No doubt be locked
upou the question Of marriage 10 the same
Ilshi that be viewed ell other propositions
--frola the standpoint Of probable cost,
| lie seldom called upon . SRI. o,cssiop
ely vben be hsd sscertsined 10 advance
ihst there sonld be no chssss for reisesh
ments be would attend church socisl.
his prsip Iesthst boots bright with stove
po ish aud bic cost buitoned tightly over
Ibis ersy h.nnel shit Vests 10 bis esiims
tion we're 10 the same clsss With wives .
lu,uries TO be enjoyed only by the reck
lessly ricb.
At one OF these church fairs be met
the daughter Of farmer who bad recent
ly moved toto the neighborhood. She
was q lass oi rare beauty, and II Was no
won Ter that the misery bachelor fIerted
himself to outdo the younger men 10 witty
sayings and pleasant speeches to her.
As be drove home 10 his squesky spring
wagon behind old Esau, the mule be had
been driving for IL yesrs, the vision OF
the rosy checked, brown eyed maid dwelt
persis.sutly 10 his mind. and be caught
himself repeating ber name over and over
again:
Mabel Harvey, Harvey, Nab = CIT up
there. Essul
He interrupted bis musings on fair Ma
bel with savage swish Of the reins and .
command to the aged animal which had
taken advantage OF Its masters abstraction
to slacken its gait TO slow walk.
| | cant be thinking OF gals and sicb
oonsense, exclaimed the farmer sloud.
Wimmia is only expense and trouble any
how.
1t was brave attempt to baDi b the
memory OF the girl, but IT failed. Five
min utes later Essu had resumed the slow
walk, and the bachelor was gazing dresmi
| ly ut the stare, going over 10 bis mind the
incidents 1t the church social with the
pretty Mabel as the center figure.
Several times In the night be swoke
from restless sleep TO think OF the girl
He could not drive away the constant con
| TEN plstion OF her. Whether in the fields
or 10 the stable, the kitchen or the sitting
room. Mabel Harvey was the subject OF
bis thoughts.
Two weeks passed. He met her the
second time st the church. On the way
home TIA night Essu's pace wss absolute
ly snsili.L Pike ceased to try TO escape
from the fascination. Bot then terrible
battle arose between the imp Of avarice
and the love sprite. Throughout his life
the bachelor had denied himself every
pleasure and the grsti6cstion Of every
wbim for economy's sake. Why should
be break the rule because certain Girl
ses med . Thousand fold more attractive to
him than oil Others? Then be remember
ed how she had smiled at his wItticisms.
and bis vanity was touched. He srsned
himself 10 the belief that il be should
want 10 marry her she would have him.
Tn richer than any single fellow 10 the
county, sad she must know 1t, be mused.
Gals Z great after fellers With moLey, 90
guess she's good deal like the rest oi
'em.
Bu, be could not come to . fiosl decis
ion to insugsrste the counting.
Wimmin is powerful eXlravsgsDt This
though, Invariably shattered bis dresms
OF welded life.
Ole day an idea came 10 him. de
would experiment and ascertain II he
could fiJrd, according to his notion Of
eIpease. to support wife,
Every time buy anything for myself
IN Jest al. tsice as mach % ususl, and
III pretty nigh ktow before long how
m uch II o cott for the keep ofs wife
he smiled complscettly st what be con
cid, red the sure eviderce OF 40 ingenuity
that wonld lead TO the solution OF the
problem which Vas veIins him.
viii Try ii for month, and II II ant
to espenseiul III 60 alter that gal,
Such % ides was exactly 10 keeping
With Pike's character. lie saw nothining
ridiculous in ii. II vas business matter
with him. and be prided himself that be
bad II upon method Of satisfying bic
sysricious inslinc, on lbe stubborn ques
too OF expense. He impaired bis scheme
to no one This vas not unusual He
bad never been known TO talk OF bis af
fsifs.
Some discussion vas caused 10 the
town store when IL vas 1oted that bis pur
ehsses we're precisely double what they
had leen Tpis started the gossips, snd
il vas common tslk that that the bachelor
bad looseusd bis purse strings.
Must be II teetins somebody ter yisit
With hin, suggested Jsson Bfiitingbsm, .
grocery store whittier.
Most likely hes lootio Ter the price q
coffee aud snss; TO 20 up soor. vas the
OBJ sryation Of Liau Srooe. the town vsg
No ote guessed the uuih.
ose ,yeri3e . nsistbor dropped 10 10
sIpec,edIy on the lone bachelor ct bis