The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-01-20
go, well, you needn't believe me

admit seen 'er before was that she
lived bit out of the town, an went
by train night an mornin'.'
''Well, I met 'er again the next
mornin', an 1 spent the rest of the
week with 'er, for I was 'avin' my
'olidays at the time. 1 spent lot of
money on 'er, too, one way an an
other. 1 bought 'er hice creams an
choc' c'lates, an 1 paid for 'er 'avin' 'er
fortune told by the gypsies. They
said she d marry a good-lookin' young
man with hauburn air, an she said
afterwards it was very funny they
should say hauburn air, for my airs S
that colour, as daresay you'll ave
noticed"
Mr.. Scarrett paused a moment here
to relight his pipe, and I made re-
ply that was polite rather than truth
full.
81 think even the longest eaded
folk lose their 'eads at the seaside, !"
he went on. II know I lost mine,
for that same afternoon there was a
chap on the sands takin' fortygraphs.
E wanted to take us together, said
we'd make the prettiest pictur' ed
ever took. She seemed inclined for
it, an so we went in an were took,
'er a sitting down, me standin' up.
A bob it cost me. I thought It
was cheap at the time, but-well, it
was the maddest thing I ever did. Of
course, before the week was out I'd
reg'lar proposed to 'er, an that al
though I knew 'er father was only a
joiner an 'er mother took in sewin'
Perhaps you'd think as when I
got back to the shop an began work
again l should come to my senses
and back out, but not bit of it. l
was 'arf orr my dot about 'er, an I
used fairly to look forward to Sun
days, when 1 took 'er walks. Very
soon 1 started goin' to the 'ouse to
tea. Although they was what you
would call in 'umble circumstances,
they was very respectable, an they'd
a nice front par1or where me an Pol
ly used to sit on the sofa.
"Well, things went on pretty
smoothly-1ike for some time, an
then, one fine mornin' old Flint sur
prised me by tellin', me ed niece
a-comin' to keep 'ouse for i'm, is old
missis gettin' too old to do much, an
as she'd 'ad fancy heducation e
said she'd be able to give us and
with the books.
"Well, it was a bit of a novelty
this, to ave lady clerk, bat when I
told Polly she didn't 'arf seem to
like it.
She'll be wantin' to firt with
you arf er time, I know she ses.
an then, Of course, She made me
promise not to carry on with 'er.
Girls is awful jealous one of another.
AS for me, I never thought of nothin'
of the sort, for the fact was I'd got it
into my 'ead she wouldn't be up to
much, for old Flint an missiles were
not what you could call good lookin'.
"Owever, as things turned out, I
was mistook for once, for though she
wasn't anyways equal to Polly, yet
I've seen far worse-lookin' gals. She
was big an tall, with black eyes
fine eyes they were; an from the
very first she seemed disposed to make
'erself hafable. Of course l always
did the polite to lady, but wasn't t
more than polite, though I could see
she was ready enough to take on an !,
what is more, it struck me that old
Flint 'ad no objection to it either, for
whenever e found us chatttin' e said
nothin'.
II soon found I was right about
this, for one day e actually asked me
if I'd come to tea the followin' Sun
day. AS luck would ave it, Polly
couldn't see me that day, and 'er
mother an 'er were goin' to see a
haunt who was ill, an so I said I'd
be very pleased. Of course 1 didn't
tell Polly.
1t was lot better evenin than I
expected. We'd rare spread, chick
en- an am, all sorts Of cakes an jams,
an Loo was reg'larly toffed up an
looked better than l thought it posi-
Bile. After.tea she played for US, an
she could play, all the latest comic
songs, an 1 gave 'em When my air
began to curl 1t fairly knocked
'em, the old chap especially.
"'You must come an sing for us
again, Joe, e ses, when was goin'
Me an the missis is very fond of a
bit of real good singin' an Loo will
always play your accompaniments.
"a day or two after that the old
man draws me aside very confidential
like.
"'Joe, ses e, that niece of mine
is a fine player on the pianny, amt
she?"
Very fne,' ses 1.
CAN she's nice girl, too, ses
e, next.
Very nice, ses 1.
"'An ell be a lucky man what
gets 'er, e ses.
"To this 1 said nothin', but my
'eart jumped, for it occurred to me
what 'e was driven hat. A day or
two after e comes to me again.
''Joe,' e ses, after bit, there's
somethin' I want to say to you this
afternoon, an as I'm plain man L Il
say it in plain words. It's this-me
an the misses ave took fancy to
you, an we want you to marry Loo.
She's we'll worth marryin', for when
we're gone she'll ave all there is.
Now, if you'll say yes I'm ready to
make the business over to you, for
I'm thinkin' of takin' things a Bit
easier, an you can be married direct
ly. Come, what do you say?'
"Well, 1 could only stammer an
'um an 'aw.
"Ah, / see I've taken you by sur
prise, e ses, SO I'll give you bit tc