The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-06-28

| when Ethel's mother took her Ia
Florida she made the acquaintance OF
= young Englishman there who was
supposed 10 be engaged in the orange
growing business, and also supposed 10
be doing very well at II. Personally, he
was liked by everybody. not because
his elder brother was said 10 he lord,
but just for his own sake. lie was a
gay, free-and-easy sort of youngstcr. So
ciable, a good banjo player, always
ready for a bit of fun. and nobody had
word 10 say against his character.
Ethel and her mother had been in Flor
ida nearly all winter, and they had seen
much Of this young man all the time,
and the consequence was that the young
! man had told Mrs. Berry that he in
tended TO marry her daughter. Mrs
Berry said that must I've as her daughter
, chose TO decide. Finally. so far as any
one could judge, Ethel herself was in
clined TO favor the young man.
That was where the mice came in
The cottage which the Bcrrys had rent
cd for the winter was very fairly built
sort of affair, not at all old, and not
troubled with such things as mice. They
had lived there from November 10 the
end of February without ever having
been Obliged to think of mice. But in
February Ethel heard strange sounds
by night in her bedroom.
Mother she said I heard mice In
my room Last night. and YOU know as
well as do that SO long as there is any
chance of mouse being anywhere
about that room can't sleep in it,
Mrs. Berry knew perfectly well that
this was no exaggeration. The girl had
not slept more than one hour all the
previous night and that would not do.
They rugged grass hammock for her
in her mothers room-she could slcep
all right in hammock-and n search
was made for a mouse trap.
Now, the town where the Berrvs
were staying was nice enough little
place in its way. but il was not great
commercial center. You could buy most
things that winter visitors TO Florida
are likely to want. but this did not in
clude mouse traps. The storekeeper
said he had never before thought that
there was any demand for mouse traps
among his customers. lie would send
for a consignment Of the newest make,
however.
But this plan meant waiting fer.
perhaps. week, and letting the mice
have their fling in the meantime. Ethel
said she could still hear them in the
next room at night, and they kept her
awake, although she felt more secure
in the hammock in her mothers ROOM
She was urgent to have those mice eN-
terminated, and she was a young wom-
an accustomed to have her will obeNed
This was a chance for the Young
man TO prove his devotion. He had no
mouse trap to offer the lady, but he had
a horse, and he could ride that horse
far and fast. He mounted at dawn.
and rode TO a port % miles away. where
there were many ironmongery stores,
and at night he returned in triumph.
though a little wayworn, bearing the
mouse trap.
ut was a humble sort of mouse trap
one of the wire cage Kind, but the
young Englishman thought il would
do. So did Ethel. She rewarded him
with smiles and thanks; he was happy.
and the trap, baited with Goldfish, was
set.
That night Ethel again thought she
heard STRINGS, but in the morning. |
when her gallant came, early, 10 see |
how his trap worked-she herself could |
not face the chances OF seeing a mouse,
even in captivity-it was found that the |
trap was empty.
"'To tell the truth said the young |
man, Il never had much confidence in |
this kind of trap. Sorry | didn't look |
for one of the other kind-with a
spring, you know. And, come 10 think
Of il, don't believe mice care much for |
Goldfish. Do you? Well, I'll just ride
over again to-day and see il can't get !!
one Of the spring sort
THAT was very fair test Of that
young mans devotion, | think. He lad
ridden about As miles the day before,
md here he was going to do il over
again, just TO get better mouse trap
Tor his lady love. ! know il made
leep impression on her AT the time. for
she told me as much. She told me ,hat
when the Honorable Tom-that was his
name started out on his second mouse
rap expedition they had il all pretty
we'll settled that they should he mar
led two weeks later, in "A quiet way.
lie said that he wanted to surprise his
brother and 'all of them at home so
he would not say a word about il be-
send them n cable 10
,ay he was married. And | quite be-
ieve that Mrs. Berry would have given
her consent; she liked the way the
Ioung man had acted i'm taking her into
lis confidence from the first. 4
"Well, that second time he came
Jack rather earlier than he had the
light before. The mother and daugh-
er were sitting up, waiting for him on
he yeranda. lie had succeeded in get
ing a spring trap, and with it he
rought a great hunk of cheese, saying
hat cheese was the only sure bait for
nice And IL that doesn't catch 'em.'
e said, nothing will. You must pull
own the house, or get into other quar-
srS Only don't mn aNNaX frnn hero |