The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-09-22
How Mr.. NickersOn
Was Won


|
people for generations. One of them,
who admired Thackeray above all au-
thors, named his only son Pendennis.
Pendennis was an honor to the name.
He would read no authors except those
who were only appreciated by crit
ical few lie was rich in his own
right and had no need to labor-just
the man whom girls looking out for
love in a chateau are disposed to angle
for. Among those who angled for Mr..
NickersOn was Miss Lydia Marble,
and she angled methodlcally.
Miss Marble believed that the girl
| Mr.. Nickerson would wed must be In
tellectual and by all means literary.
Having procured a list Of his favor
tie authors, she glanced over some of
their works (she was much bored In
doing so) and admired them in Mr..
Nickerson's hearing. Nickerson was
charmed at the discovery, He had usu-
ally found his girl friends devoid Of
good literary taste. How refreshing to
meet one who could sympathize with
him in his likes and dislikes!
Miss Marble went to the mountains
for the summer, and Mr.. Nickerson
followed her. He carried with him
"Muchmore," book by new au-
thor that critics of the highest grade
pronounced a wonder. There was no
plot. NickersOn detested all except
realistic novels, but the English in it
was simply perfect. Nickerson gave
the book to Miss Marble, who seized
upon it with we'll feigned avidity,
though she was much chagrined at its
| length.
Now, the stories Miss Marble most
loved and the stories Mr.. Nickerson
most detested were detective stories.
Unfortunately, she had just got her
hands on 1.-THE Mystery Of the Munro
Murder" q maze out of which the
real culprit emerges In the last chap
ter, having done the murder at the
| bottom of well with a gold tooth
pick The book was incased in a
flaming red cover and easy to be rec
ognized. Miss Marble felt that great
care was necessary in order that Mr..
Nickerson should not stumble upon 1t
while she was reading it. She first
SKINNED "Muchmore," making notes
upon certain points; then she was ready
for keen enjoyment with 1.-The Mystery
Of the Munro Murder"
There was at the hotel where Mr..
NickersOn and Miss Marble were stay
ing pink checked, blue eyed little
girl, so demure that 1t seemed butter
wouldn't melt in her mouth. Her
name, Kittle Cloverleigh, was as gen
tie sounding as she was gentle looking.
Miss Cloverleigh cast longing eyes on
the intellectual Mr.. Nickerson. He
had noticed her as a delicious bit Of
flesh and blood who, If devoid Of in
tellect, was surely very klssable. One
Imornlng Miss Cloverleigh went to the
Marble rooms and there on n table
saw copy of 'Muchmore," with notes
in pencil. Miss Cloverleigh, believing
in the aIage, "AlPs fair in love and
war;" appropriated the notes and
learned that Miss Marble had gone to
the cliff to read. The cliff faced the
hotel from across valley about a
mile wide.
Miss Marble the evening before had
noticed in a periodical a criticism Of
"Muchmore" by one of the most critical
critics of the day. Armed with Miss
Marbles notes and study Of this
criticism, which she did not under
stand, she sought Mr.. Nickerson, who
was reading a review called '"The
Critic of Critics" on the piazza She
began to scintillate with opinions on
his favorite novel, "Muchmore." Nick
erson was astonished. Miss Clover
leigh's simple beauty had attracted
him, now her subtle analysis of book
that no one could quite understand
charmed him.
On the piazza was a small telescope
swung on tripod used by the guests
of the hotel to look at the neighboring
mountains. AS soon as Miss Glover
leigh had impressed Mr.. Nickerson
with her powers of criticism she pro-
posed that they should amuse them
selves with the telescope. She soon
turned it to the cliff.
why, l declare" she exclaimed, ''if
there isn't Lydia Marble?'
Indeed" said Nickerson. "What is
she doingT
Reading. The book has red coy-
err wonder what book 1t is?'
Miss Cloverleigh turned the glass
over to Nickerson, who looked at the
unconscious Miss Marble sitting on a
rock devOuring book which from Its
cover he readily recognized as 1.-THE
Mystery of the Munro Murder"
"Shes reading that detestable detec-
tive story" he exclaimed.
rs she?" replied Miss Cloverleigh.
81 don't see how she can read such
trash"
At that moment Miss Cloverleigh-
possibly she thought he was through
with the instrument-trled to look
through 1t and their cheeks rubbed
against each other. Both drew away
and, both mistaking the others inten-
tlons, again attempted to put an eye
to the telescope. The result was an
other meeting Of cheeks.
This was the beginning of change
in Mr.. Nickerson's attentions. In vain
Miss Marble endeavored to attract his
sympathy by her book talk and ad-
miration for literary style and that
exquisite handling of the English Ian
guage without which no book could be
to her taste. The pink checked Miss
Cloverleigh had captlvated him and
there was no detaching him. Miss
Cloverieigh, having put in an entering
wedge, dropped book talk and resorted