The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-23

| Courtln' gall he roared
Wen you was at sea?'
Not gale; a gala woman" She
! dropped a plate with crash.
! More fool you!" she said, severely.
0w ought to tell 'er?" he inquired.
| ignoring the protest.
Tell 'er wot?''
I want to marry
/ 'Eh?" she cried, with sudden Inter
| ..'I-want-to--marry," he shouted.
! Marry" cried Mrs Gru1nnfde-e with
/ a gasp. |'Oh cap'n! I never thongbt If
| such thing! But as it's you as harsks
j me! - She flung herself upon the cap
tain's manly breast with one bony ann
round his collar. She stil held the we,
dishcloth in her hand, and in her excite
ment she squeezed it so hard that per
rect torrent ran down the back OF his
! neck
The rest of the scene was too painful
to dwell upon. Within twenty minutes
Mrs. Grumidge was richer by a couple Of
severeigns and the captain was poorer
by a housekeeper.
I'D write an harsk Jack" ruminated
( the good man, mournfully, "but I wasn't
never no and at writin" Then he had
| another Bright idea. THE very thingi"
I widows
Good evening. Mrs. Riley" he said
Good evening, captain" She com
menced to get out the half ounce.
II didn't come for 'baCcy," he said.
| THE fact is Mrs. Riley, I came fOr-er-
advice" She laughed even more pleas
antly than usual.
Fancy you comm to me-" she said
archly 81 s'pose it's ID -tobacco?"
! 'No-o," he confessed, 'er-not exaok-
| ly It-er-we1, the fact is, it's about
courtin'."
"COurtin'! Ior', esp ain! As. if I knew
anythink about it,"
It's Ike this ere" he exp'aine1. "a
friend cf mine He laughed depre-
catingly. "a pertikler friend o mine
wants to 60 urtin a lady"
Then" said tie wi-ov, why doesn't
he?"
e don't know ex1clly w to give 'er
int
A youthful customer appeared at this
juncture and was served with = ounce
of acid drops. Thin the widow re urned
to the t b2ccO end Of the unter.
"Are you sure she d-esn't know?" she
inquired.
'E-er-asn't told 'er." Tha captain
mopped his brow with the rcd handke--
chief which had put the crows to fl ght.
"She might guess" she sIeg sted.
Does e go an see her often?"
Bout four times a day." he col
fessed.
''W'y doesn't e arsk 'er right out?"
don't kl ow egzakly 'Ow to do It,"
said the captain in a muffled voice.
There's lots CT ways" sad the W dow.
/ la ing hr e W. on unter AMI
resting her chin upon her han Is. Cant
you think of a way. captaln?" There wa
provoking geam in h-r black eyes.
"Wot" he asked ustfully ''wul b.
the u u2l th'rg?"
"Lor', captain I 'avent been through
it undred times" She shrugged her
plump shoulders.
"'E thinks a horful deal Of err" he
said. solemnly. e might tell her that,
mightn't e?"
Yes" she agreed. Certainly g
might"
Mr.. Brown, the sexton, came in and
twaddled about the crops and the par
sons new pony. After waiting five min
utes the captain bowed and took his de-
parture.
"Tu never ave the art to say it," he
muttered to himself. III ave to give It
| up"
All next day he kept away from ths
village and smoked from his store. "Pu
| never go there no more" he vowed. 1T
amt no manner Of Use" But in the afr-
ernoOn he went
| wondered wotever ad appened to you"
Did you, now?" he said with delight,
did you?"
"I was wantln' to ask you for some
think. too"
"Marrers?' he replied, promptly "or
peas? Or
mo, mol? She laughed. advice"
"AyI" His knees trembled. and he look
ed round for the shop chair.
ITS gone-to be mended, she told him.
! NTH
| come inside, captain?"
| you're very kind. am" he said,
! rervously. She lifted the counter-fap,
and he followed her into the cosy little
parlor. He felt, he told Brother Jack
| afterward. as If he was riding on a lee
shore In a gale, with a weak bow an
| chor.
| Anybody could be very comferable
| re-" he remarked when he had sat for
a minute or two on the sofa.
IF they got on with me-" suggested
| the widow.
Nobody couldn't 'elp that" stated tho
! captain. with conviction. II don't be-
lfeve you wasn't never out Of temper in
| your life"
Nonsense, captaing' She sat down on
| the other end of the sofa Pm out Of
temper now"
''Ahr said her admirer, uneasiy.
IT'S about a friend of mine, an a gen
tleman"
"'E ought to be ashamed O. 'isself."
said the captain, ferociously. ''Wots e
! bin an done?"
"'E don't do nothink" said Mrs. Riley.
"only 'angs about. That's Were 1t Is"
| The captain dropped his cap suddenly
and picked 1t up again.
! "'Asn't e given er no 1nts?' he de-
manded.
1T depends on what you call 'lnts."
Sent her marTers. say. an suchlike?"
| Yes" she admitted. i believe o
| as"
Come to see 'er reg'lar?'
"Sevral times a day; but stlr'-She
shook her head over unnamed defcien-
cies.
Maybe" said the captain. tremulously
&" ed like to make 'isself a bit clearer, II
| e knOwed er mind
low" said she. innocently, rs e to
| know If e won't arsk err,
| Couldn't she give i'm q 'int?"
| Not" the widow said firmly, unless
she was quite certain that e wanted
| one"
"She might reckon on that" assented
| the captain, with unmistakable emotion.
Mrs. Riley studied the fioor-cloth In
! tently. Then her gaze wandered up the
! opposite wall, until 1t rested upon
| bright-colored calendar, with q picture at
| the top, protesting to represent the bal
| cony scene from Romeo and Juliet
| AS Romeo had only the tip Of one toe
upon the ladder, there wore obvious rea-
sens why he should put his arms round
! the almanac Juliets neck.
That is avery pretty picture" said
the widow, with a becoming blush. The
| Z, III