Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1901-05-17

extraordinary, that when | am so pune
tual myself. everyone belonging to me
should be perfectly unable to under
stand the value of time, or come to
their meals at the proper hours. l
am sure, when l was a girl, my man.
ma would have"
What her mamma would have done
in a similar state OF things Miss Mar
jorie never knew, for at that moment
the door opened. and a corpulent, red
faced. good-humorcd looking man en-
tered. closely followed by a stupid
looking boy of Il. The young lady
subsided into 2 graceful attitude upon
the sofa: the boy established himself
at Miss Nariories elbow, and began
an indiscriminate assault upon the eat
a5.es; b,.t Mr. II gnum dutifully sup
plied his wife with a cup Of tea and
plate Of bread and butter before be-
ginning his own meal, which he took
at the small table which always stood
beside her easy chair.
well. my DEAR he said, cheerfully,
how has the world used you to-day ?"
AS usual" was the whining reply
"The neuralgia any better?
NO, my dear
And the headache?'
IS bad as ever
Dear. dear" said Mr.. Magnum,
sylhpathiz-Igly.
Mrs. Magnum sighed and leaned her
head unOn her hand.
She was the invalid of the family.
From early morn 10 dewy eve she
sat in her velvet chair; and during
nine months Of the year, before fire
hot enough TO roast an OK. The at
mosphere OF the paTlor was so sitting
as to make a stranger feel faint after
breathing it for five minutes at a
time: but Mr.. MagnUm and his son
and daughter inhaled it contentedly
enough. Miss Marjorie, indeed, was
constantly troubled with giddiness and
determination Of blood to the head;
but she was only a companion, and no
one paid much attention to her all
ments. unless they were of an Obsti-
nately intrusive kind. So, through the
sharp winter the double windows of
the parlor were closed and padded, and
list was nailed around the doors, and
sand bags laid at every crack and crew
ice. lest a breath OF cold air should by
any chance steal through; and the in
valid. basking before the piledup
CRATE ,dozed and ate, and drank. through
the short days and long evenings, till
the light and heat of summer forced
her to live little less like a sala-
mander and a little more like an ordi-
nary human being.
Mr.. Magnum was a retired ironmon-
ger. who had made money enough out
of his pots and kettles to leave them
forever in his fifty-fifth year. 1t had
been his fathers business before him,
and he had star ed therein at the age
of u with the snug sum of one thou
sand pounds as pocket money, to say
nothing of trade connection extend
ing half over the Black County. Yet,
in speaking OF the earlier part OF his
life he was accustomed to allude to
himself pdthetica!y as poor or
phan," and to hint mysteriously at ter
rible hardships undergone by him
leaving you to infer that those hard
ships had been surmounteu by him
alone, without the slightest aid The
story had a somewhat ludicrous eff
feet when you gazed at the face of the
narrator, and heard the putting signs
:,
ever to interlard it. Certainly no one
looked less like poor orphan" than
he.
Tea was at length over. Mrs. Mag
mum nestled herself into the easiest
corner of her easy chair. Julius went
out; the fair Kitty began to crochet,
and Mr. Magnum read the daily paper
laboriously aloud. If any one listen
ed to political speeches and stock lists
it was not Miss Marjorie. She sat in
a far corner of the room, ostensibly
engaged in correcting a French exer-
else of Miss Kitty's, but really think
ing of time and a person far. far
away.
At last Mr.. Magnum put down his
| paper and turned to his wife, with the
air of one who has a secret of import
| ance to reveal.
My dear. who do you think l met
at the works to-day?"
How should | know" replied Mrs
Magnum, somewhat testify. "Somc
horrid ironmaster, | presume"
mo, my love-quite different per-
son. A banker. You must remember
hearing me speak of him. Mr.. COwley
of Mecklenburg Square
Miss Marjorie looked up, flushed and
agitated, from her drawing, but no one
needed her.
"Mr. Cowley," replied Mrs. Magnum
slowly. Eyes, remember hearing yor
speak Of him. What Is he doing here?'
You would never guess. my love
He has a house"
I'm this neighborhood?"
Eyes, v-ithin mile of u.s."
But what house can there be t.
let so nea.. know of none. Do you
Kitty, darling?"
No. mamma"
eyes you do, both OF you" reptile;
Mr.. Magnum, triumphantly. only i
is just the last house any one in thei
senses would think of taking. 1t il
Hollow Ash Hail."
What" exclaimed Mrs. Magnum
from among her cushions.
'It is true, my love- Cowley has TAX