Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-04-17
AN AWFUL HOLE.

hard, held his breath and opened the
door,
There was only one other in the room
corpulent parsonage. with a shiny pate
and a quick, jerky action. He glared in
quiringly at the newcomer.
What do you want?' he said, with an
air that spoke of something in store for
the visitor, behind it.
We'll. 1-you-we-that is. Rose, YOU
knoW-ask- yOu-thOught [ might
Hal barked the old man savage
t ch:~ GU want to become my S0n-'n- law
The young man stood first on one leg
and then on the other.
''Weu,' he returned. falteringly. 4
suppose I'll have to be if | marry Rose
The old man regarded him with a curl
Gus smile.
''1ncome?' snapped he.
"Er-one hundred a year, trembled
the incomer
''One hundred year, What on earth's
the good of that? You know very we'll
Rose has been brought up in 4 style that
SIX times that amount wouldn't support
He was a rude old man, and rather
purse proud.
Reggie considered carefully before
speaking this time.
1T seems to me, he said, confidently.
that if you were to advance the other
800 yearly, till [ had it for myself you
know, matters might
Leave the room,' said the old man,
quietly.
Rose bruce was very pretty, and
worth a much more tactful effort than
Reggie had made before her father.
After all, he had done his best, and
though he had made decided mess of it,
he hadn't hoped for anyAling much bet
ter One hundred year was not much
to offer.
Rose left the window as he came into
the drawing room and looked her in
quiries.. She was brown-eyed, slim and
rather hopeful in dispositions: but the re-
suit of the fOrlOrn hope did not disap--
point her, for she had not expected any
thing else.
Poor boy!'' she said. soothingly.
He wouldn't love me at ALL com
planned Reggie. III manage it some
how. though"
How" inquired Rose. simply
Reggie laid five wiry fingers on his left
biceps. and worked his forearm to and
fro half dozen times, staring. pensively
at the wall. He was powerfully built.
Would you mind if | damaged him a
bit?' he inquired cautiously; mot ire
parably. you know, but
'Oh, no, no. not that pleaded Rose,
clasping her hands. He's my father.
after all. Besides, it wouldn't mend
matters at all-rather the contrary"
Perhaps So unused Reggie.
He had exhausted the resources Of his
mind, and fell into abstract silence He
was lovely boy, but not brilliant.
Reggie had read good many stories of
what fellows do under such circum-
stances; but his ideas were thrown out
by the fact that Mr.. bruce kept no
bulldog. All the stubborn fathers in the
tales he had read kept bulldogs, and he
felt that, given the usual material he
sence of a bulldog puzzled him, and
threw out his train of thought There
was terrier, certainly; but it was
rather fond of him than otherwise, and
never bit his trousers. When he wished
to climb over the back wall there was
nothing to prevent him. He explained
this difficulty to Rose.
DO you think you could persuade the
old man to buy bulldog?" he sug-
gested tentatively Il should know how
friends with him by giving him steak
with aniseed oil on it. or else poison him
cut Of the way, to begin with All he
roes in books do that. 1t would give
me q sort OF start, don't you know
''Ull try" said Rose. doubtfully: ''but
| should have thought it saved you
trouble not to have to do all that. Be
sides, he might take a fancy to you at
once and spoil everything. Can't you
think of something else?"
Well said Reggie. after mature con-
slreration. Il think I'll go by way of the
back garden wall when I depart, just as
sort of BEGINNING Ell? Practice is
what | want
And when Reggie's time came to go he
dld make his exit by way of the garden
wall. 1t was dark by that time. and he
barked his shins a good deal. A neigh
'bor's dog charged him as he dropped into
the next garden. He avoided it with
difficulty, and presently made the street.
As he jumped down on TO the pavement
after carefully chipping away some brok-
from ba
man made rude inquiries. and he was
Obliged to give his name and address be-
fore he was allowed to go. This upset
his calculations somewhat, for none of
the books he had read said anything
about policemen IN such Il connection.
However, he felt the attack by the dog
was step in the right direction. It
was only a neighbours dog, certainly, but
he felt more in his element with dogs
than with policemen.
lie made his trousers particularly mud
dy in the escape, for Mr. Druce's spacious
garden was upheaved in every direction
for the purpose of pipe-laying. There
were innumerable holes. to say nothing
of forbidding mountains of smooth yell
low clay. He narrowly escaped falling
into the biggest pit of all. Shiny hole
fifteen feet deep, with an inch or two of
water at the bottom. 1t lay about 400
yards from the house and was concealed
therefrom by strawberries. The sides
were steep ana uilSCdidDIe. IHe HOte III
pressed itself on Regges memory, and
he dreamt of it all night The next even
ing. impressed by his experiences. Reggie
started to call on his fancee by way of
the back gardens again. 1t was a chill,
raw autumn night, and thick drlZZle
fell ceaselessly.
With the aid of a conyen ent plum tree,
trained against the bricks. Reggie clam
bered up, paused for breath on the sum-
nit and dropped on to the dead leaves
and sticky clay beyond. AS he arrived
there a woeful shuttle arose from the
ground beneath his feet He jumped
back pace or two.
Rose has got him to buy that bulldog
after all" he thought dolefully.
"Help!' said voice family.