Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-05-01

dHgcT, Ms lOr NY Scil, Dttdiuc d mio-
chieyous boy
On my tenth birthday Uncle Henry
came on from Denver to visit us. He
is very rich, and as | was his name
sake he was very kind to me-so kind
that he gave me crisp $40 bill. 1t
wasn't long after this-before ma
could bank it for me-that thought
of a great scheme one night In bed.
The next morning I astonished the
folks-first by getting up in time for
breakfast, and secondly by saying:
Mamma, l want to invest my So"
OF course everybody looked at me
and laughed, and ma said she guessed
she'd "see herself" But l coaxed and
leased until Uncle Henry interposed:
"Now, Grace, gave him the money
and he shall have it. He won't waste
it; he's got some scheme in his head"
How Uncle Henry must have loved
me to say that! But | got the money,
although l had to pass cross-examin-
alton about my plans first. | kept
num-" however
Now l must tell you my plan. You
see, Charlie was "a years old, and, Of
course, in love. His girl, Eva Cutler,
was just a ''peach'-that's what l
called her-Charlie called her a "dew-
drop" or something like that. Well.
my room leads from Charles, and
the door between Is always kept open.
On the nights when he returned from
a visit to Eva he always came up two
stairs at a time and unen crept into
my room leads off from Charles, and
always was-apparently. Oh, yes,
and one night he came over, and, lift
ing my hair from my forehead, kissed
me, whispering: Dear little fellow,
how happy he'll be some day" I think
he was crying just little. We'll, af-
ter visiting me he always went into
his room, and for an hour or two walk
ed back and forth muttering "Darl
ing" and "Dear" and other such non
sense. Sometimes he ratified off whole
stories about what she had said and
done. One night-that Is what made
my plan possible-he had exclaimed:
"Oh, would give a hundred dollars
If somebody would make me propose"
OF course, Charlie didn't mean to in
sinuate that Eva was worth so little
he was only speaking fguratiyely.
SO after breakfast | started down.
town and was soon talking with
salesman in Heath 4 Dow's. You
know they sell all kinds of electrical
goods. The fellow laughed at first,
but when | showed him my money he
was more attentive, and | made ar
engagements to have a small phono-
graph sent home that afternoon on a
months trial, for which | paid $40 in
advance.
How anXiously | waited for dark
ness My phonograph having come all
right, | went to bed, having previously
tucked it behind Charities bureau,
with the receivers ready to take in ev-
cry word. About II o'clock Charlie re-
turned home. lie came up three stairs
at time that night and after visiting
me he commenced. couldn't have
asked anything better:
'"My dear little girl, If you only
knew how | love you Oh, my dear
Eva, can l ever ask you? Oh, Eva,
don't you, can't you love me-" When
| fell asleep, an hour later, he was still
talking and pacing back and forth.
But fortune was to favor me still
more-she was to crown my scheme
with success, for the next morning,
Charlie confded to me that Miss Cut
Ter" was to come to our house that
evening. That would make just the
opportunity l desired, so was happy.
That night let them have the par
lor to themselves until began to fear
Charlie might begin making love to
her. Then l pushed my photograph
into the parlor. They seemed a bit
vexed, but when told them wanted
them to hear It they laughed, and
Charlie told me to fire away" So l
placed the machine against the wall,
started it, and left the room. But
there was a keyhole in the door. When
the first word burst upon the quiet
ness Of the parlor Charlie and Eva
were sitting on the sofa. His arm
was-well it was very near her. |
don't want to tell on Charlie. At the
second word he made for the phono-
graph. A dozen words had escaped
before he reached it, and Eva had rls-
en- and was blushing and smiling.
Then Charlie tried to stop my phono-
graph, but he didn't know how. So
the words rambled on.
my dear little girl, If you only knew
how love you oh, my dear Eva, can
| ever ask your Oh, Eva, don't you,
can't you, love mel" Then Charlie
glanced at Eva, and, well, won't tell
you just what happened. But l didn't
blame Charlie, because she did look
Just beautiful and l didn't blame her,
either, because Charlie is a splendid
fellow.
Then l slid into the parlor. They
didn't notice me at first, but when they