The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-12-22
HOW | FOUND
MY WIFE.
BY PETER OUNCE.
- n are married?"
v " Yes, / answered.
nand to thu smnntnnt
BY PETER OUNCE.

little woman in the world"
"Of course you think So" said my
friend; but l cannot understand how
one who was such confirmed cynic
as yourself could be so easily caught.
Pray tell me how it was!"
And so, with my feet on the old desk.
and myself cozily ensconced in one of
the huge armchairs with which every
lawyers office is or ought to be
adorned, told my old friend, Harvey
Burt, how l found my wife
"You know, Harvey, that 1 was, as
you say, a confirmed cynic, sneering
at all womankind. loving to firt with
them. it is true, but only to kill time, or
for a little amusement. When the hot
weather came on, / did not care a fig
for Long Branch or Saratoga; | had
been to Newport and the Springs, and
by the way, they bore you horribly:
and SO l began to look about for some
quiet spot where / could have a
months fishing and shooting The vii
lage of N attracted my attention,
and 1 went at once, rejoiced to think
that might have quiet and peace, no
matchmaking mammals, with marri-
ageable daughters, no extra toilets for
a dinner; but a quiet home, where l
could do as pleased.
IN, you know, is on Long Island
Sound, and l rejoiced in the prospect of
boating and bathing, without the nui-
sances that infest a fashionable water
ing place. But as the numbering old
stage drove up to the door of the Aker-
man House, the only hotel in the place.
4 saw at glance that my dream of
peace was dispelled. Young women!
Bah! Haryey-and such young women.
assure you that was eyed and COM
mented on for at least an hour by three
or four amiable damsels, who were on
the lookout for something new
went to my room and made ready for
supper, as they styled it, and had the
honor of an introduction to several of
them at the table. One attracted more
than passing notice, and in the even
ang found myself flirting with Miss
Hall, after the most approved fashion.
Such a girl, Harvey! You never saw
the mate for herr'
WAS she your diYinity?"
mo, my boy. Don't interrupt me.
No, she was not; but she was the most
self-satisfied young woman 1 ever saw
rather good-looking, gifted with a
tongue, and a correct knowledge of its
use-believing firmly in what Thackeray
says OF Becky Sharpe, That any
woman with a knowledge of herself,
and a little common sense. and per-
sistence, may marry whom she likes
This was Miss Halls creed. TO make
a long story short-we flirted all the
time, and until we We're the talk of the
mouse. But began to tire of the game
and to wish for something new.
"One night, as rowed Miss Hall to
the village, We met a party of three
coming up with Tim, our porter-two
ladies and a gentleman-one was an
invalid. Harvey, that face. with its
look of utter WEAKNESS, haunted me-
There's no use to describe it. 1t
wouldn't bear it, but l thought it the
sweetest face ever saw. 1t was more
than week before l saw it again,
though had been dreaming of it con-
tinually.
One night, as came in from a bath.
on entering the hall, saw pair of lit
Tie feet, in red slippers. Laugh if you
VIII, you rascal. but those slippers, or
rather, their contents, finished me. As
advanced l saw the same face-the
invalid was at last able to be down
stalrs-and l was introduced to Ella
Denton. OF course l dropped Miss
haI, thereby causing much scandal
\ had thought to win an easy victory
WIN the newcomer. but the cool way
IN which she repealed my attentions
put me at my wits ends, and made
mental vow to drop flirting. BY what
particular process / came to that con-
ciusion it would be difficult to explain.
1 trled everything. felt myself falling
an love, and suppose that showed it. |
proposed on a weeks acquaintance,
ana was quickly refused. Nothing
Naunted, | determined on change of
Dase' l asked her to consider me her
Iriehd-and only that, for life-a true
friend. | got that foothold, trusting to |
kindness and little attentions to win, |
out all failed
saved her life. Harvey, taking q |
coid bath, and spelling a suit of clothes |
~ her behalf, and got coldly thanked |
in return. Then 1 tried the letting |
alone process, and that was the most |
complete failure of all. 1 announced |
my departure. She was sorry-valued |
ane as a friend, and all that sort of
euihg, but nothing more. Pique was
mingled with despair in my mind; 1
Iiu not want to give her up. had said
: was going, and must go. proposed |
again and got mo- for an answer. I
.owed that ! would set out at once for
alaska. She told me that II really did