Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1899-02-02

to talk of his affairs.
Some discussion was caused in the
town store when it was noted that his
purchases were precisely double what
| they had been. This started the gossips
and it was common talk that the bache-
Tor had loosened his purse strings.
/ ''Must be expectin somebody ter visit
( with him, suggested Jason Drifting
ham, grocery store whittier
"Most likely he's lookin fer the price
of coffee and sugar to go up soon, was
! the observation of 'Lihu Strong, the
town wag.
No one guessed the truth.
| One evening neighbor dropped in
! unexpectedly on the lone bachelor at his
home. Pike was in the kitchen. He
hurried to the door at the sound of the
knock and opened it just wide enough
| to discern the identity of the caller.
The latter thought he detected embar-
rassment in Pixies manner. When he
caught an unintended glimpse of the
supper table, he was astonished beyond
measure. There were two cups of coffee
and two plates, containing pork and po-
tatoes. One cup and one plate had been
partially emptied. The other cup and
! plate looked as if they had not been
| touched
''Got company he blurted out, be-
fore he thought what he was saying.
Pike had never been known to invite a
guest to supper or any other meal
The bachelors face flushed a deep
crimson. For a moment he appeared to
be unable to reply. Finally he suffered
! out:
''Well, no-er, yes; I'm kinder ex-
| pectin some one "
His neighbor observed his confusion
and fastened to state the business that
prompted his visit Pike did not ask
him in, and he departed without OBJ
tanning further light on the cause of
the presence of the extra cup and plate
The neighborhood now had genuine
mystery. All sorts of vague rumors
were circulated. But the bachelor kept
! his secret
IS pose Brown II tell what he seen
and folks will talk some, but nobody II
guess what it's all about" he chuckled
1t went much against the grain with
him to cook twice as much at each meal
as he would have prepared for himself
alone. But he consoled his economical
spirit by feeding what was left over to
the hogs.
"'Tain't lost, after all, he thought
The end of the month arrived. He
had awaited the day with impatience
That evening he alto supper earlier than
usual. He helped the extra plate and
filled the extra cup, representing the
amount he would allow a wife-if he
had one-for the last time And as he
did it he pictured to himself the brown
eyed Mabel gayly chatting with him
across the table.
When he had finished the meal. he
took the old slate on which ne had done
his figuring since childhood and in a
few minutes had ascertained to a cent
the cost of the extra portion.
-Four dollars and nineteen cents,
four dollars and nineteen cents, he re-
peated to himself. over and over again.
His brows were knit. The chill of
avarice was creeping into his heart.
"And that don t include clothes. But
/ reckon she'd have enough buds to do
her for awhile.
1t was the first rule of the bachelor
life to deny himself everything except
absolute necessities For the first time
he was. dangerously near deciding to
break the law which had become almost
| second nature with him. Few men
there be indeed who would hesitate to
invest "a. 10 month in the keep of a
wife who supplied in all respects their
ideal But Pike had courted the yellow
gold so long that his love was not to be
changed easily.
Three days the battle endured within
his breast. 1t was the most miserable
period Of his existence Even after he
had made up his mind to seek the hand
Of the witching Mabel he found himself
| wondering at his own recklessness. But
| he was man of stern resolve. Once
determined, it required more than hu-
man power to turn him from his course
On the morning of the fourth day he
finished up the work about the place
earher than was his custom and hitched
Esau to the spring wagon.
cts purity nigh time was buyin a
store suit, and / reckon this is proper
occasion for SIGH purchase, he solilo-
| quized as he mended break in the
mules bride with piece of Irvine.
An hour later he was examining the
assortment Of clothing in Smiths gen.
eral store at Hill Top
what sort of suit ort Teller buy
to git married inY' he asked the pro-
prietor with an effort at smile.
The storekeeper received the inquiry
as joke. The idea Of Pike desiring in
formation of such character to guide
him in the selection of suit did not
| enter his brain.
''Same sort you'd want if you was
expectin to be buried" replied Smith.
pants, coat and vest. -
Then both laughed at the homely
witticism
The bachelor drew it out of the store
keeper without exciting suspicion that
the young man who had participated in
the most recent marriage in the neigh
borhood had worn frock suit.
81 amt never had no tail coat yit, >
he remarked in careless way. "Believe