Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-11-03
CHAPTER w.

ne nau given MIN and then sending him II
| a. "a rria1e To his fancce's house.
CHAPTER w.
Tuesday, December 6, 1892, the morn.
ing edition of the New York Herald con
tanned 16 pages, which is Is more thar
the average mind can benefit by at.
tempting to absorb, of any daily news
paper.
| In an obscure column, under the head
line personal" there appeared, among
others, this advertisements: "a young
man wants q wife: Must marry Tues.
| day. Answer before noon. Malcolm
Herald. Uptown"
A messenger boy waited to receive the
replies, find the applicants, and direct
them to call in person at the office Of
Robert Stanton, legal representative OF
this indefinite Malcolm.
1t seemed we'll arranged and promis.
ing, and as Stanton entered his Office
that morning, after an unsatisfactory
night at hotel, smile of sad satisfac.
ton lifted his upper lin from the tip,
ct his excellent teeth.
He touched the bell, and his office bow
not overnight, appeared at the inner
door connecting the private room with
the main Office: There was another
door, marked Private" leading from
the inner office directly into the hall.
Some women may call to see Mr.,
Malcolm" he said. II represent his in
terests. You are to show them In one
at time, in the order of their coming.
When have done with one will ring
Don't let another come in till you hear
the bell. See?"
Not muscle seemed to move in the
blank, stupid face, as the boy muttered:
"4esser" and closed the door. Then,
however, great grin instantly divided
his face and his eyes opened almost too
wide for his head to hold them. He
dropped into his chair, and, clutchine
the office copy Of the morning Herald,
he quickly hunted up and read again a
little two-line advertisement: "a
young man wants q wife. Must marry
tuesday. Answer before noon"
"Gee Whit" he muttered, "a wed,
din IN de family. An ter-day's Tues
DAY, OF I'm a sinner. Hi! but here's
No. !. Gracly, she's corker. He
struck it rich, sure 'nough."
Instantly he pulled every atom of
expression out of his face. Approach.
Ing woman hesitating in the open
door, he said:
Good mornin', 'um. Lookin' fur de
Mr.. Malcolm as adetised in de morn
In Herald, UNI? Right dis way, UNI.
He's a-waitin' right in here"
He opened the door of the private
Office. The lady timidly entered. He
closed the door again, and with q
broad grin retreated to bis chair ia
wait for the next and listen for the
he'll,
Inside, the two faced each other for
moment in bewildered silence.
Each naturally looked for something
OF wolf at the opposite end of such an
advertisement, and each was naturally
perplexed at the excellently adjusted
sleeps clothing.
Stanton was the poorest possible
judge of woman if she was out of the
witness stand, and he was too thor
oughly bewildered to be half so good
judge as usual. He saw face the
like of which 1t seemed to him that he
had never seen before, with keen, quick
eyes, lips curving scornfully, vet al
most ready to laugh, and something
about 1t which frightened him.
He was so thoroughly bewildered
that when the woman recovered suffl-
ciently to remark: This is Mr.. Nal
colin, believer" Stanton hesitated
hung his head. and, looking at the floor,
replied:
actly." 8
It was an excellent reply.
...ph, fndeedl I didn't suppose that
you were exactly Mr.. Malcolm" she
exclaimed, with pointed twist to tex.
actly." "But you are the one who
wrote the advertisement, exactly,
aren't your"
"Why-yes, madam, did write It,"
write" = - - r.
per eyes sparkled. Her head was
thrown back. Her lips were surely
laughing, but the curve Of scorn was
better defined, too, and made him de-
test himself without in the least real
izing why.
With an excellent imitation of his
'swrite" she said:
'It doesn't matter, after all, sir, who
did the writing. You are the man who
thinks that he wants wife, I'm sure"
The tips of Stanton's teeth appeared
under his mustache as he replied:
II am"
1t was not even professional smile,
but very like the smile of schoolboy
who is about to be fogged and is try
ing to keep back the tears as long as
possible.
""Yop seem to me to be ashamed ofit,n
she said. " f'''
IA little. Yes.n
.Do you wish that you hadn't adver-
tise9a'
..1n some scaepnts I benin tor