The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-11-19
MATTERS OF SHARES,
BY GEORGE BEARDsiiaY.


passed the hat Sunday mornings for contri-
buttons. He was said to start the ball roll
ing by dropping in the same quarter every
week; he was able to keep up this pace even
through the grasshopper years.
Young Perkins, representing his father,
an absentee landowner, rented the deacon
q piece of ground for one season, which the
deacon planted in corn, with few acres
OF potatoes on the edges of the field. The
potatoes being on the side, so to speak, the
deacon could never bring himself to take
much serious thought for them-especially
not for Perkins share, or for dividing with
him at ALL
''Oh!' he would say; ''they won't amount
to much-how's your folks"
But young Perkins told him to market his
one-fourth and remit the proceeds along
with the corn money. When the Nebraskan
sent the draft, however, he quite overlooked
the receipts from the potatoes. As Per-
kins, senior, was counting on this item to
exc out enough to pay back taxes on some
thistle lands, he babe his son remember
the potatoes until spring. The young man
saw the deacon and logged his mesnory.
oh said the deacon, with an innocent,
amused laugh, '.they didn't amount to much.
l left EN- all in the yard one night, and
your share froze!'
Now, the deacon had a buxom little grand
daughter that took the eye of every stranger
that sojourned in Plattevile. She was the
apple of the deacon's eye. From the day
she was Is he was ever on the lookout for
proper sort of a match for Marion. Being
wrapped up in the little church, which he
had helped establish, he very early con-
ceived the desire to have Marion marry
young preacher, when the proper one
should heave in sight. This hope was fixed
past revision when Marion's two elder SIS
tiers, after vexatiously long careers as maid
ems, had finally plucked very desirable mat
rimonial prizes from the pulpit.
People got so they teased Marion about
preachers, and every time Il new one came
to town, if only for an exchange, her neigh
bors winked and said: Now, Marion!"
Of course Marion came to abhor the very
idea of a minister being her husband. If
one came to the house She slipped out and
around the corner to tell AIollie how much
20 entertain one. she was fidgety and her
face splotched with red bushes.
At length, when Marion was 10 and
plenty old enough to get married." lanky
young sprig by the name of Minton, just
| Matched from Theologuehood, began minis
terng to the spiritual needs of the deacon 3
church in Plattevile Minton was clean,
promising youngster, for all his greenness.
He had certain gift for public speaking
| pleasing voice with a silvery ring, and
rather fine eastern accent that limited of
| family The only flaw in the boy was that
| he now and then palmed off DR.. Lyman Alb
| bolts sermon for his own. But as he had to
cover half county, he was kept busy trav-
cling, and really hadn't much time for writ
ing sermons. Anyway, that was a little mat
| ter.
Thus, with Perkins there We're two eli
| gible young men thrown on the town at
once Mothers began to look alive. 1t is
never safe to make call in Platteville with
out taking an appetite along. Mere po-
likeness requires that you make room for at
least a piece of lemon pie and glass OF
milk But Minton and Perkins soon found
that if they went to see girls with moth
ers who We're any kind of campaigners at
all they had to go prepared to eat a lord
MAYORS dinner Marion had mother who
was cut out to abet the scheming deacon
in the lassoing of the prominent young min
| ister. Other mothers put their best foot for
ward to trip Perkins, and the two cubs lived
on the fat O the land. The preacher OF the
Gospel was merely looking for wife. he
had theory that ministers ought to be
married right off; there are so many things
| none but the minister's wife can do And
he was more than willing to let girls mann
ma take the burden of the woolng on her
own shoulders-prcss the button, pull the
string and do it all. He was too busy saw
ing souls to have any time left Tor losing his
own by really falling in love.
/ },nl IL
work to keep him out of the hands of the
Philistines- nothing, in fact. save his good
taste, his true heart and his solid young
in love- Since the Vaccinations of some re-
PEELED him, and since Marion's mother and
grandfather were hot after Minton, and
since Marion herself evinced rather naive
| " frank preference for himself, it was
Marion that Perkins fell in love with
won't hear of it, said the old man to
Bob Perkins. "NIarion's too young.
but l love her said Bob.
so does Mr.. Minton. And, since you
press me, Mr. Perkins, may say that,
while | like you very much, indeed, have
decided that il Marion marries anybody
very soon it shall be my friend, the young
minister"
What! Against her own wishes?' cried
the indignant Bob.
"Pshaw! She's our girl, and we simply
throw our influence in Minton's favor. As
for her wishes, she doesn't know her own
mind. How's your folks, Mr., Perkins,"
Perkins turned on his heel and went
away. He was angry. Two nights later he
and Marion departed in the dark of the
moon, and two days later still presented
themselves for the parental forgiveness,
trusting much to the old mans good heaTt
"And where is our girl, sr?" the deacon
demanded, very harshly, pretending not tc
see the covering daughter.
'She is my girl now" Perkins proudly
said, returning a kindly smile for the old
mans severity. The deacon had known all
the time that he would throw up his hands
and welcome the runaways when it came
to the test. He had known all the time
too, that he would have to win over the
girls angry mother. His glasses slipped
down over his nose, he put out his arms as
for child, and Marion fell upon his bosom
well still keep our share of you, my
Bird" he said.
Your share!" said Bob Perkins. with I
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