St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-01-19
WHY A BOOK.KEEPER
MARRIED
BY Wilson Thayer Stanley.

THE interesting discussion carried
on in the Book-heeper lately, as
TO why book-keepers do not marry
has awakened in me a desire to relate
to you why I did not marry as a
book-keeper, and if you find it worth
publishing, go ahead.
/ had passed the flower of my
youth in the employ of large manu-
featuring concern and had worked my
~,say to the position of book-keeper,
when the trade combinations, or
trusts" began to- be formed all over
: the country. For four years l was
kept on the anxious seat. and then
at the age of 2s found myself the
recipient of letter from the firm ad-
vising me that as the factory had
been disposed of to the trust, there
would be no necessity of commanding
my services after the 18th, and that
with regrets, good wishes, ETC.. they
remained sincerely mine.
Beware. the dog" l read mechan-
ically, with vague comprehension
of its import, as q short time after
this l passed before the carriage gate
Of an elegant,- commodious mansion in
a pretty suburb of the city, where l
was taking a walk. My mind was full
of my prospects, or rather. lack OF
them, and I suppose that my appear
ance was no more cheerful than my
thoughts.
Suddenly my reverie was broken by
n cry from the house. Run for you
life. the dog is loose" called young
girl, coming out of the conservatory.
Then / saw cutting across the lawn
toward me large vicious-looking
bulldog, his red eyes seeming ready
to start from their sockets and the
hair about his neck bristling with
rage that was burning within him.
/ felt the blood leaving my face and
a shiver ran over me.
That to run would have been but
TO change the place of the struggle
and to give the dog the advantage of
n rear attack, and that the light walk
ing cane I had in my hand was use
less in such an emergency. were facts
that flashed rapidly through my mind.
So. dropping the cane, | took from my
vest pocket with fsverish haste little
penknife and opened hs two-inch blade.
With a bound the dog cleared the
low fence and with another he came
straight for my throat. Jumping aside
with an agility of which I had hardly
known myself capable. made a wild
,unge at Him with the knife as he
rassed me. 1t struck him in the side
and broke off short at the handle,
leaving the blade in his body. Kip
ming off my light overcoat. j threw 1t
nyer nv arm just IN time to receive
his second attack. His jaws closed
o,.r my forearm and the force of his
Loan threw me to the ground. His
hold never relaxed. Rolling over and
over I managed to grip his throat
with INV free hand, and. throwing all
The force of which | was capable into
the effort, i gradually choAed him
into insensibility-
An this had transpired in SO short
a time that as l was getting up from
the ground the young lady whom l
had seen coming from the conservatory
had lust reached the fence.
Are YOU hurt?. she gasped, breath
lcssly.
Not at ALL" replied.
"But you are covered with blood.
"Tbe other dogs. | answered. Ia
conically, with an attempt at facetious-
ness which she seemed not to notice.
"Oh, hope you viii forgive me-" she
cried. ut was all my fault. i WANTED
to see you run, and 1 sent Jack to chase
YOU. i had no idea you would stop TO
fight him, you looked so spiritiess' or
that he would attack you on the street.
lam SO sorry-but you will forgive me,
won't you?"
II assured her that did. fully, think
ing meanwhile how rarely nature com.
bined that lovely tin, Of red hair, with
such velvety black eyes; the combina-
ton that Titan loved, that Eugene Sue
described so charmingly in his wan
dering Jew. and that Lew wallace
copaed in .sThe Prince Of India.
NV reflections were interrupted by
the sruff voice Of . tail. gray-whiskered
and fierce eyebrowed GENTLEMAN whom