The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-05
TIM BRANNIGAN's COURTsHIP.
The Way an Irish Iceman Won His
Sweetheart.
BY B. w. Charming.

bS % w. Oudnulug.
Brannigan carried ice for the Sylvan
Spring Ice Company. He was goodly
young fellow, standing six feet one in
his stockings, with a countenance deep
ly bronzed by the weather, out of which
his wide blue eyes laughed INCREASINGLY
His flannel shirt, open a little at the
base of the strong, round throat, and
his broad felt hat, indented with a vert-
able Denver poke" gave him a cowboy
effect He was perfectly Cognizant of this
and traded on it with the maids at the
various houses on his beat, before whom
he staggered not a little, dropping hints
of Western past strewn with Indian
scalos,
And was you ever there, now, Mr..
BranniganY one of them once asked him,
and he answered anonymously:
law, an If hadn't a-been. how would
/ get the wownd on me CROWN"
What wownd on your crowd? Go orr
I'm shew 1t We If ven step over here"
Brannigan bent his FURNISHED curls and
pretty Norah stretched ON tip-toe to meet
them. But just as the two heads reached
one level, the hero lifted his own quickly
and kissed the fresh-colored face that look
ed so intently at him
Sure, the situation was that convayn-
lent, l cuddent help it," he urged, fleeing
to the door with a smart cuff ringing in
thing "Passin' the time" 1t is only fair to
add that he passed il in no worse ways.
But he was to learn that there was a type
of womanhood demanding more deferential
approach.
The first time he saw Alma was on a
hot afternoon in August, when she had
just come down from Nova Scotia nnd
was feeling the atmosphere of the
South end oppressive. Her mother. who
kept a boarding house, and had combined
with that responsibility the care of a shift
less second husband and his two small
boys, had written to Halifax that Alma
was needed; and Alma. who had a good
place there, had dutifully responded 20
the maternal summons. She was a slen-
der dark haired girl with a delicate COM
plexion and slim, lady-like hands
Brannigan, swinging in with his huge
ice-block; took swift appreciative look
at her, dumped the ice In its receptacle
and stopped on the return swing for con-
versation.
"'Tis a warm dayP'
Dreadful" said Alma listlessly.
Il didn't see ye before?"
mo, I've just come"
"Ye'n not stay here; the old lady can't
kape no gyurl more than a week. tbs a
hole of place"
Alma looked gravely at him. and he
wondered until she said:
I'm Mrs. Browns daughter from
Halifax"
Brannigan went away at that, suddenly
speeches..
He saw her nearly every day after. but
did not seem to make much Roadway A
packet of chewing gum, which had ap-
peared to him graceful attention suit
able from any gentleman to any lady, was
received with disappointing coldness
ITS very kind of YOU" she said "but
l never use 1t. Mrs. Daily. where l lived
in Halifax, thought 1t was common"
But Brannigan was hard to snub Like
Antaeus he rose the hustler for his falls
One day, about a month after her ar
rival he found Alma alone In the kitch-
en-her mothers large and slovenly per-
son was usually well in evidence-and
marked with concern that her eyes were
red with crying. Now, Branngan had a
mans philosophy regarding tears
Aren't you well at all?" he asked com
ing up beside her.
I'm all rghtr' said Alma, holding her
head down, and plunging her thin little
arms into a tub of soap-suds.
the next moment she was startled and
scandalized by the clasp of one arm
about her waist, and the touch of brown
mustache upon her cheek.
"Ah, cheer up" whispered Brannigan
tenderly. 1T don't sthorm livery day
Alma freed herself with a quickness
that threw him on the defensive. In his
experience, where there was no response
in kind, there were active reprisals. He
stepped back 10 avoid the expected slap;
bnt the girl made no sort of demonstra-
ton. She simply stood there with a white
face and looking unutterable reproach
Tactics of so novel kind were dscom-
posing. Brannigans bronzed cheek fam
ed, and the laugh died out of his eyes
Say, I'm mighty sorry" he murmured;
81 nver thought but ye'd like It! The
gyurls mostly does, an It's no harm at
all"
I'm not that kind" said Alma sfernly.
Brannigan was already convinced OF this
He regarded her sheepishly and ran his
hand through his jungle of sunny curls
I'm mighty sorry re repeated, and as
Alma showed no signs of relenting, went
dejectedly TO the door.
""Twas sweet, what I got of It," ne
unused. IAN tbs bad tuck I'll get no more.
She's not that kind it's true for her."
The next few times that he carried ice
to the house he did not see Alma. and when
he did on the fourth day, her manner was
excessively dignifed. But, as has been
said before Brannigan was hard to snub.
And now he was more so than ever, for the
spirit and self-respcct of Alma had
wrought In his impulsve heart the mystery
of love. Instinctively. he reconstructed
mis- too-fiorid vocabulary, and altered some
Of his ways.
She's worth takin' trouble for" he said
TO himself.
An unfaillng instinct apprlsed Alma Of
his new feeling towards her, and she was
aware. though she would not allow Il TO
herself, that she liked the young iceman
MHpA n W1x a