Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1905-09-01
Chapter II.

Trot, the second member q the old
ma - nursery, came TO us Q year after
little Phil. and in rather romantic man
ner. size WAS not OF our kith and kin
at all. but the orphan daughtsr Of man
to whom our Peggy had been engaged
when she was . very young girl. They
had quarrelled on some foolish pretext or
other. and then parted for ever, each
believing the other u be entirely at fault.
He went To India, and she did not hear Of
him for years, until she va quite Q
middle-aged woman. when one day she
wss summoned to his death bed Ia Lon
don hotel, where = trxgic ecldircissemenf
took place. and they found that each had
been the onAlove Of the others life He
ier her mo o.--. Ia brink .p.- Wow,
appointing a cousin OF hs, Colonel Matt
lsnd, joint guardian with her, and from
that day Trot had been the sunshins Of
ol:r lives
Is, what tantalixing anomaly Of char
scter We four pronounced marriage hat
ing, thoroughly self-satisfied old maidi
were seized with the absurd and most rep
rehenslbls mania of matchmaking the
heads humping together on the nursery
floor, | should never lie able to exp!air
or understand. were l to puzzle over tho
matter To the day Of judgment. think
Hut certain II Is that the mania did seizs
us and never left us from that hour
and the desire of our hearts, gaininf
strength with every day, was that ia
nets hoy AMI Peggy's girl should fall des
perately in love with one another
make very early match of It, and ill
for Us before We died the old nurs-r,
where We had all been reared. Our de
sire seemed to color every trivial act OF
the chIllreu's lives; we watched their
constantly with eager ste ,lthy eyes; W,
were continually nodding aud limiting
nareuvrlng with foolish faulty t.
bring about q dawning consciousness OF
our wishes. We made Trot call Phi
my little husband" and Phil dub Tro
my pretty wife; we made her wear
rlng-very reluctantly purchased out o.
the boys pocket money-before she
knew the first three letters of the al
phabet; and yet all our plotting snt
tender suggestions did not in the Iaas
prevent lrot from sna ching any covetec
treasure from the hand OF her little hus
band whenever in ant greed prompted
or Phil from kicking his pretty wife,
out OF his way. and even tramplint
upon her PROSTATE form, in moments O
excitement.
And, when at the age or fourteen no
. symptom Of the tender passion wa
discernlb!e ~ the boy. when one day il
our very hearing he spoke in brutaly
sighting way of the being he shoulC
have worshipped, called her "a wretchec
muf Of g,rl" Der iuse she could no
climb "a stone wall which scarcely af
forded grip enough for cats claw
hen she replied. with crimson cheeks
sot swimming ewes, that she "hateC
Pm that size would rather die twent,
tmfs than marry a boy who woulc
catapult a poor robin on Ip window-sil
Hud when 10 rrtorted 0itl singing vul
-ariiN, DIS finger, outstret DO d from hn
nose. Marry me. iud.ndl Just wa.tul
] ask yuI first, m~,!' we came maui
mousiy 10 the conclusion that sona
hing must be done. CO.. orr dcar.,l
wishes woul be- hop.l,,,'y frustrated
" 'rrict. we terifci wts tns hsil rem
''l I'm iAci' the only .n-.iy % DE- trirC
,u tr'arnt-tld tine .o, DO, coutse. .hou.,
'r .'e O boz io make .ae 100 .F'. VIZ coII
ro,. in any clse. have lei lro' 50, fo4~.
V''r "i too dependent u"op n ~.
Ice question OF Phi's ciun4tion ant
Subsequent '>'ahll~nrirut lu ilfrua, 80
90 ten m"'teI amous Us before. W. ~
schemes FIR giving ttr boy a diversity
course, AMI afterwdri le..il. o. 30 clop,e
Tor himself q profession tina would 1--WE
pc for hf, uniOu'te.l .ut-; bit,
most unfortunately. Just ~ TO- vnr,
me- when We wanted o.. the 81 10 sum
g money We hal sci a~ti- for
pnrp 81 "as s'vep, away ~ tue o. -
"i 'he bauA Ia which It had bee. s..
tositct.
Arter q lon drsc,s -, orr.ol.r- ...t,r
We ,i...i.i..t,
49, Wy " ''''''ce her 10 P'r' viii TN
'O'' g" '''''9''"'' SAID.
'e'''%' "e' e''' i've H"I
-, '.',u''''' ''''''S' ne me re-. a
~ sun S''e'V invested Won. "
''.'' "e' ~ P'"''o' ''r son Win "a
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