The Nevada County picayune., 1907-11-21
THEIR POINT r
 OF VIEW

What stunned them most was his way of telling them this quite natur- ally, as if it was nothing unusual. It was just as if he had been in the habit of announcing every day of his life that he had matrimonial intentions.
 The idea of his thinking of getting marrIed!" almost wept Mrs. Atchison that evening to her husband Why dldh you tell him he was foolish in- stead of just sitting there! Derrick's a mere boy yet-he's so awfully young,'
 Hes 28," commented Derrick's father, grufIly, biting his cigar and | froWniug.
 Tt seems just the other day that he was playing marbles and wearing out his stockings at the knees" said Mrs. Derrick, tearfully. T just came to be- lieye it' It seems too ridiculous Why can you imagine Derrick-that ire. sponsible boy-at the head of a house held z'
 Flat corrected Atchison, with the suspicion of a grin No, l cant say that l have a picture of Derrick pick ing out q good steak on his way to the train to be sent up or frequenting in- telligence offices l don't believe he'd know steak in it's natural state from sofa cushion or have courage to face cook in search of a job It seems funny to have boy you've taken across your knee and spanked talk about getting married
 T don't suppose We can stop him, cither said his mother, sloomilE. Hes awfully set in his ways. And to think that he's going to marry girl I've never laid eyes on but once. It seems so unnatural, somehow, Ho fmisht have considered me little. He knows it takes ne so long to get ac- quainted with strangers. I'm sure there were lots of nice girls around home here 1 expect she led him on. She had on a brown dress the day saw her and l never did like brown. She not at all his style of girl.
 Grace Little,' said Derricks fath CT. meditatiyely. q never heard of her father don't believe he can amount to much in his line"
 "Ne doubt she just worked Derrick into proposing" said Mrs. Atchison, twisting her handkerchief. She is probably one of the scheming kind and thought she'd never again have such a chance. A boy as handsome as Derrick and with as good a s.s3Ny and cyerything-h has always gone in such good society-oh, it's a scheme clear through, He says she is only p, but I've no dou.t shes years older. l suppose she is wild with joy at hay ing landed him. And her mother-oh, l can imaene how complacent her mother must be these days at having got her daughter settled at last, How she will talk to the neighbors and en- joy herself Horrid, designing, ordi- nary people"
 But we don't know them" ventured Atchison, with a lame attempt at jus tiCe
 T don't want to.' flashed Mrs. At chison. 'I suppose that's where Der rick is gone HOW since dinner. All these years in his ow. home and now he deserts us for Grace Little's moth CTS hodse, They've simply hypnot, ized him, My boy never would treat his parents so If he were not bewitch' ed"
 "StHl. it's the natural thing to get married" said Atchison. Its done every day"
 He said that l must go and call on the Littles," said Derrick's mother. I'd rather be killed! l simply cant stand having to listen to that woman gush over Derrlck and congratulate herself that shes to have him for a son.in-lawi She'll be so full of her triumph that she'll talk nothing else. I'll have to smile and pretend that l like it US a big feather in any girls cap to marry Derrick
 Hes fine chap" admitted his father" even if lie is my own son.
 Several days later Derrick's mother went in state, haughtily tolerant to call ou Grace Little and her mother, who bv arts and wies had lured her only son into their net and now sat trium- phant over the sacrifice. She began telling her husband about the call be- fore Ee got inside his own door that evening.
 T never was so indignant in all my lfe!s Mrs. Atchison said, excitedly. DO you know what that woman did? She had the nerve actually to weep to shed tears--ove the sacrifice oi her daughter. She didn't seem to ap- preciatc what she was getting at all! She said Grace was so young and she hadn wanted her to marry for years vol but that Derrick was so impetuous and persstent-her very words She did admit that he was nice young man but she did 1t in grudging way. She didn't talk about a thing but her daughter. You'd have thought that was all that mattered! She almost congrat'