The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-05-04
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MT. Josiah Magstaff made Il pretense
OF being something in the city. This
he die purely as a hobby. because he
had realized . large fortuna out of
timed pork: but, finding his idle retire
ment rather monctonous. he began to
go to the city again with the earliest,
n only reached home at night when
most people would have thought of So
ing to bed.
What his occupation consisted of no
one knew, not even his wife and family.
and no one who knew Josiah MaSstaff
cared to ask.
WagStaff was the autocrat of his own
home. When his brow appeared puck
cred the whole family trembled; n
1T was very puckered just now. so hat
Mrs. Wagstaff. and the three Misses
Wagstaff, and Master Timothy. aged
fourteen, sat nlutely round the break
fast table at the prospect oe a coming
storm.
Presently the pork king looked Sc
verely at his eldest daughter, Kitty,
who sat facing him
kitty" he began, lowering his coffee
cup into the middle OF his saucer with
mathematical precision. Your conduct
has astonishcd and amazed me. LAST
evening a youth can call him lit
tie else. although he's twenty-five
called to see me. and actuallly-yes,
actually asked for my permission to
marry you"
Kitty got very red and began to
our the pieces of bread and butter on
the plate before her to avoid the gaze
of the others.
"Of course 1 should have granted his
request could he nav satisfied me as
to his prospects,. He is one OF those
writing chaps. and turns out novel;
cites in the same way as my machinery
used to turn out sauaages. Writes love
stories and all thai sort OF thing and
he gave me the names of some of the
periodicals to which he assured me he
was Il regular contributor. and 1 may
say that l would not allow one of them
into my house.
but that is not the greatest trouble
which you have been the means of
fall in love with a supplemented idiot.
whose sole ambition is writing senti-
mental trash. but l actually find you
reading OF these edriveling rags
the publicat;on~of which any sensible
government would at once suspend"
Mr.. Wagstaff had produced a copy
of a journal from the depths Of his
pocket, and laid it on the table with
a sneer, which he might have bestowed
pom a clerk who had dared to ask him
for a raise in salary.
II found this i'm the pocket of your
macintosh last evening. The name.
'The Lovers Companion is.xe1y APP
propriate. and. no doubt. your lover.
Herbert Grant. is a contributor to it,"
Yes, he is, and he makes 900 pounds
a year by writing, at any rate replied
Kitty doggedly.
We'll, let him go IN making it. but
you shall not add to the success of such
in mind, my girl. hat if l catch you
reading sue pif1e again I shall not
only stop Your pocket money, but take
Very stringent measures to prevent
your reading anything but your bible
II catechism in future. AS for this
forget all about him the better. for such
a MO will never have my sanction"
Kitty looked perilously near crying,
n when Mr.. Wagstafr paused the
family began TO breathe again. But
Wmothy. the Wagstaff son: and heir.
of whom great things We're expected
later on, was up in arms at his sis
ter's discontinue.
II say. !. ater." I've said. IT'S a bit
rough u sis. because when she wrote
to the editor for advice he told her to
stick to hey loEel through thick and
thin. and that her pater would lnuckle
undo. IL her chap was a really decent
young man. And Grants all that,
can tell you. Why. l saw him knock a
cad Town yeSterdaA. because he made a
joke abou his height and asked him
if it was cold up there"
Timothy, leave the room," said Mr..
Wagstaff. who had paied somewhat. in
a voice of thunder. When I wish you
TO he master here I'll say SO. n now.
kitty" he SAID when the lad had closed
the door behind him, II ask you If you
dared to drag the family Eame. into "a
paper like chat by Writing to the ed
!to1."
s.T l,,rl IA fol-o n ,,N,-. IL, ,,l.~. -.
ever the editor didn't know who /
wac confessed Kitty.
Very Welt. 4 will say no more about
It this tilre, but hear in mind my
warning, that's all"
And Just then Nj. WasstaN discov-
ered that he had five minutes In which
TO catch his train. so hurried from the
r,.>m n'ur.: la the relief of his ASSEM-
bal offspring.
Yhe editor nc The Movers. Companion