The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
COMEDY OF A SHOTGUN.
a sHoCK GIVEN TO A TEXAS YOUTH
BP A SCHOOLGIRL

A young man down in Texas recently had a
thrilling experience and lost his nerve. There
was n time when no quoted Tom Moore. be-
lieved that every pretty girl liked to be kissed.
and posed as IA devil OF a fellow among the
ladies. Now he abiures poetry and kisses, and
has n chnstencd and Apologize air. When he
calls upon n girl. he prefers having a chaperon
In the room.
The young woman who wrought this refor-
nation is In n New York boarding school and
when she came back. aftcr the Christmas holt
days. she told. with unfeeling glee. the tale Of
the man who was frightened into walking the
path OF roctitude and propricty. He had been
devoting himself to her, with true Texan en-
thusiasm. and. on New Years eve. he called
rpon her, and puzzled the filtration along with
reckless zeal. The boarding school girl was
presumably unsophisticated 1t would never
do to assume that she led the youth on. One
doesn't learn such things In New York board
ing schools. That fact being established. one
may imagine her horror and anger when her
admirer suddenly. and quito without provoca-
tiun-this Is the story as told by the maiden
kissed her. She was angry. very angry. Her
first romark proved that.
IF you do that again. I'll tell papa" che said
severely.
The offender wasn't terrified. He had an
Ibsenian idea that people don't do those
| tulDRS. 1H6 POSSIBILITY Ol au enCOT6 DelnR
suggested. he promptly repeated his rash act.
Now, the moral OF this story is. First know
your girl. This particular girl astonished the
young man who had formulated his theories
from feminine eeneralities. She rose. in frigld
haughtiness. and walked toward the door. He
gasped and stared at her retreating form. She
was really going. He appealed to her, In hum
BILE accents. She ignored him. He apollo
Gized. but she stalked through the door with
out turning her head. When she had gone. he
dropped upon the sofa and wiped his brow.
Suppose she should tell her father! To be
sure. girls never did those things; but she
might be an exception. and her back had
looked angry and determined. He was dis,
tinctly unhappy. Her father. the Colonel. had
the reputation OF being hot tempered. II she
should tell the Colonel. and he should take
things seriously-the rash young man looked
w~istfully toward the door. II she didn't tell
her father. would she come back2 suppose
she should return to find he had fled in dis
mayl No.; he would stand his ground. lie
settled himself upon the sofa and waited.
Meanwhile the insulted young woman
marched firmly and sternly from the parlor to
her fathers den. The Colonel looked up from
his book inQuirinRly.
Papa" said his daughter with innocent
sweetness. Mr.. Smith is downstairs. and
I've been trying to tell him about your new
gun that came home this morning. You know
he Is wild about hunting. You'd like him 30
much. He doesn't understand about these
new improvements. 1 couldn't explain them.
you know. but he wants awfully to see the
yum. and l told him l was sure you would show
IL to him"
The Colonel jumped up with ~alacrity. He
was a mighty hunter. and gums were his hob
by. The opportunity to show his latest &C.
QUESTION to a sympathetic fellow sportsman
was a Joy to him.
Certainly. my dear. certainly" he said.
He took a shotgun down from the rack. ham
ding IL with loving care. A queer expression
twinkled in his daughters eyes, but he didn't
notice it. Her mouth was quite demure. She
followed him down the stairs and through the
hall. The young man. on the parlor Sofa,
heard manly footsteps approaching. The
perspiration broke out upon his forehead. II
she really had told her father. what should he
do. what could he say? He rose and tried to
steady his shaking knees. The door opened.
On its threshold stood the Colonel. with a shot
gun'irmly grasped in his hands. For one-half
Of a second Smith stood translxed with hor-
ror. Then. before the Colonel had time to
sneak. the young man gave n stiied cry. looked
desperately round the room, rushed to the
long French widow. flung it open and plunged
over the balcony into the darkness beyond.
Inc girl mas not seen MIN since tnht lDElOTl-
GUS exit. and the Colonel is still puzzline over
the erratic conduct Of his daughters friend
For obvious reasons the daughter has never
volunteered an explanation.
The success OF the Texas girls story in
spired one Of her room mates to cap IL with a
story Of her own. 1t also concerned a daring
young man and n stern father. but It's moral
was not SO pointed and profitable. This time
tho joke was on the father. The DOMINATE
for the holidays. Her father, Is a lawyer. with
a face severe enough to brighten a defendant
piining Of daughters His own daughter hap
pens to be particularly charming. and when
s Sneth hSeS viii IL a ntn.r r ro2m sf hep, but HfPhu her fsthep
has uncompromising objections to them. II
they call the chances are against their seq
they watch the clock with an anxiety that
dampens their enjoyment There is a tradl.
O'clock would lie thrown out The girl has
one admirer who is ahnndantly supplled with
During the holidays, he managed to see her
oftencr than any. Of his rivals, hut he always
carefully observed the time limit and avoided
girls return to New York;
Their, he fingered. and when the clock struck
q he cheerfully disreRardrd it. Half past 81
anne and thu girl was frightened. but the i'm.
was sitting on the edge OF a volcano and dan
Cling his feet In the, crater. When the hands
Of the clock pointed to q quarter before 10 q
npbNy ITbhu WIS littlu III lIt lill 4 ZIG XIII
looked frightened. but the cheerful youth
assumed nm expression of pleasant expec'a;
ton, The poItieres were pushed aside. and
an imposing and stony.raced butler walked
into the room Ho carried a small silver tray.
on which lay an open gold watch, and. march.
toward him, The girl b'nshed and writhed in
notification but the young mans chlldlike
and bland conntenancc expressed only In
credulous wonder and delight. -.
Mr.. McGreEor's condiments. SIR" said
the frozen butler. holding the tray at present
arms, Then. still holding i; he turned to
a quick movement and took the watch from
'Oh. this is too kind" he exclaimed ran
t~urously. II meyer expected anything OF this
sort. Your father 10 too generous" He
turned to the girl with innocent delight and
presaive face. and slipped the watch into his
walstcoat rocket. The buffers face under
went a convulsion. Then 1t relapsed into RI
Gidity and he left the room,
blitheiy. tell your father how heartily I APP
p%Teciated his thopEhtiul ge9erqsity; ri see
train at Glendale to;mcrrow and ride to Day
He slipped on his great coat and was gone.