Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-09-19
Mr.. 0DDIE'S COUR?SHIP

Mr. Markham Oddie was IL model lodg-
sor. an old bachelor, and u heart whole
man. That is to say, he was all three
until the day-considerab past his for
tieth brthday-that Il special fate took
him in hand, and brought him face to
face with the younger of two women
who had recently come to live IN one OF
the houses opposite. They were evidently
mother and daughter; both were comely,
and the last-named of the two had one
of the sweetest faces it had ever been
Mr.. Oddie'S luck to behold. She hap
pened to drop a small parcel while walk
ing along their mutual road, and he hur-
ried after her with it. Immersed IN her
own thoughts, the woman did not hear
him call politely to her, and quite colored
up when the packet was presented; but
the smile with which she received 1t
went straight through Mr. Oddie's some
what antiquated walStcOat. All the even
ing he thought of that smile, as ne reau,
without the least taking it in, the GLOBE
turnover which that night was en-
titled Faded Relatives When he
went to bed, he endeavored. with the ald
of three candles, to get an Impartial view
of that region on the top OF his head
where the hair ought to have been, but
aow, alas, was not That bald spot had
not troubled him much up to that tlme
low he regarded it with miStruSt. How
ever. Mr. Oddie comforted himself with
the reflection that many men at his age
were much balder. and that his mustacne
was what you might call spruce.
Mr.. Oddie had led an amiable, punctu-
al. uneventful existence, going to and re-
turning from the city every weekday WIN
regularity and dispatch-the kind of per-
son who is never asked for his season
ticket He was comfortably of, and had
no one dependent upon INN; the Few rel
atives he possessed lived in the shlres
Now and then a batch of country couS-
ms came up to town on pleasure bent;
Mr.. Oddie thereupon eXerted himself val
iantIy to conduct them to Nine. Ius-
saud's the Tower, the British museum
and other places of wild excitement. Ait
erward he looked little pale and wan
for two or three days and put up his
feet after dinner.
Mr.. Oddie had remained bachelor all
these years possibly because nobody had
set to work to marry him. 1t was not
that he objected to women: on the con-
trary. he admired the fair sex, as a
whole. quite unreservedly, and had the
incest of dear, old-fashioned notions
about them. But he had never given his
heart to any one particular woman, and
his landlady looked upon him as a tx
ture.
The returning of that apparently in
ocent-looking parcel marked an epoch.
Life was never the same again to the
little old bachelor. He had not watched
Miss HeXham's gentle face and well-de-
yeloped but graceful figure for ten days
before he became convinced that it was
not good for a corn dealer to live alone.
1T hardened him. said Mr.. Oddie, to
himself, and he stirred his coffee with
self-reproaching sternness.
"A man wanted softening influences
about him''-here he hurled a piece of
tried ham to the cat; S'he needed a gen
tie hand to guide and restrain him." Mr..
Of 6iScox-oro1 hot ho
had forgotten to wind his watch up the
night before.
The truth was, he was in love, and
with a young woman with whom he had
never exchanged a syllable. He learned
her name from his landlady, an auStere
person, whose mind was set upon a curl
Gus form of religion, and who did not
take much thought about frivolous world
" matters. Without Directing to her
ledger personally, Mrs. Roper neyerthe-
less entertained no vain hopes that he
would be saved at the Last Day. The
elect, who were to be caught up on the
wings of great bird, and carried away
into the desert for a time, times, and &
half, would be uncommonly few, accord
ing to Mrs Ropers belief Two hun
dred from Liverpool, eighty or there
abouts from Northampton, her native
place, and u matter Of 5000 or 10,OOl
from London, the Great Babylon. Tbs
number of the saints would indeed be re
Stricted.
Questioned discreetly by her lodger
this worthy but depressing person coult
tell him little regarding the two ladies
who were now the objects of such tender
interest to him. They were a Mrs. ana
Miss Hexham, so she had heard, ane
Mrs. Uexham was either deaf or dumb
or it might be both, for her daughtel
talked on her fingers to her, and she an
Swered back in the same way.
CAS- sharp as lightning they do it, Tn
told" remarked Mrs. Roper, heaving {
deep sigh. '''Tis wonderful, but will j
Go 'em any good when the Last TrumI
sounds; that's what [ want to know
Will you like a few peas, billed with ;
sprig of mint, with your dinner tonight
sir?''
Clearly there was not much informa
ton to be got out of Mrs. Roper, q wom
an not given to ordinary gossip. Just
then, too. she and her believers
were busy settling the exact number OF
the elect likely to ''go up from Man
chester; her thoughts, therefore, were
fully occupied.
Mr. Oddie's courtship was very de
corous affair. In Spain, despite his years
he would doubtless have adopted the role
of an ''iron-eater," as tue youth wht
goes counting under his lady loves bal
cony is styled. But in sober, unromantlt
England the sutton does not eat iron, OF
serenade the queen of his heart on the
guitar. He has to be properly intro
duced. and the little corn dealer. knowing
this respectable custom, would have Civ
en- anything for an introduction Which
would have allowed him to call and es
tablish friendly relations. The months
passed. and still he co1lG not get that
thin but necessary end of the wedge in
In village he would certainly have
managed TO become acquainted with the
Hexhams in a week, but London people
pride themselves upon having nothing
hot 70 do wit thair 10Th Ex-
ing in the same street. The mother an6
daughter seemed to have very few
friends, and never went out, probably or
account of Mrs. HeXhams affiiction. II
was hard upon the daughter, Mr.. Oddie
thought, but be admired her all the more
for her self-sacrifce. She was an ange
If ever there was one.
Miss HeXham became aware of his de
v0tlon; of that Mr.. Oddie was convinced
When they met-he ventured to raise his
hat, and smiles were exchanged. But
there the affair halted to the poor little
In,,t t. xro1