Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-01-02

SagSlng TOr the
Solway ports, and likely to pass too
near the wolf. But with two young
people, one boy and the t'other girl,
in the stern of a boat-that'S my job,
Dicky, being as | have said, a man OF
experience from my youth u%p--though
navfn' never, as it We're, proceeded to
extremities before priest or parson."
What do you NEAR by not proceed
In to extremities, Billy?" demanded
Dick Finnan. not at all well pleased at
Billy's description of him, but attempt
Ing to put an innsbruck match to his
pipe to hide 1t.
why, always lightin' out for for
eign parts the day before We felt that
We must ak the girl to marry We,
Dicky! That's what l mean," explain
ed the man Of experience from his
youth up.
Il saw nothing wrong in the boat!"
said Dick. failing to light up for the
third time, and stamping the rem.
nant of the match into the sea-weed
as If it had been the fault of Messrs.
bryant and May.
Wrong? No-who talked O. wrong
you old fool, Dicky?" cried Billy; ''only
these two young 'uns are f1xin' it up
to get married."
Married." gasped Dick; "christen-
ed, We mean, we red-headed Fenian.!"
Married, l said, Dicky. And they
don't know 1t yet, that's the beauty Of
it," chuckled the mar Of experience.
1T minds me of little Molly Molloy
that | used to hold the hand of in so.
She tied up wild a ships carpenter
owing to my being lost in the passage
to Milford-fell overheard in the
night twas reported by the second
mate-a great friend Of mine. There
was fine MORNINGS. they say-head-
aches all through Tipperary!"
Still Billy Bryan mad not proved
his case. At Glebe End Cottage Dick
Finnan had known too many come and
go. His little girl knew better"
After Vic Norris. indeed, who could
hope to succeed?
But Billy only shrugged his snoul-
ders, and poured. forth the full bou-
quet of his wisdom like a wine-cask
from which the spigot mas been re-
moved.
With girls We never can rightly
tell" he said; otis not as wild us. OF
a dozen girls in a row a mar will take
the %prettiest or the one that gives his
narves a tug like usin' the curb for the
first time to a FESTIVE beast. Or may
bes he will only take the one he can
get, If the rest won't nave him Or,
as like as not. the one that flatters
him the most. But at all events, he
Will know the one he wants, and will
nave her is he can.
Nov with a woma 1t is Just con-
FRO h }m{cn r. isn't f11 L~-l~1--. .A 49,
want-praise be! Or little Molly Mol
10y would never have fancied me
(though she married the ships car
penter. after all). It isn't the clever.
est. 'Tisn't even the one she fancies
most-at least not at first. No, it's
the one that nobody wants ner to have
the obvious misfit, the rolling stone,
the lad that nobody thinks good for
anything. He's only got me-" she
says. She tells herself BLESSINGS on
her true little Christian sowl) that
she will make a man Of him yeti And
that's. what our Vida is a-1xin' up wild
herself that she will do with this doc
tors young spaleen!"
"But Philip Calmont is no good-for-
nothing" said Honest Dick. who also
could stick up for mis- friends; The is
worth his wage anywhere, and can do
a good days work with any man l
have seen him!"
Granted" said Billy, "but he has
no right trace to MS fingers and Is
past the. age to learn one. They only
keep him on at the pits till they get
a mar in Vic Morris's place. He is
only gummed on there, and the gum
is cheap stuff, too"
Dick signed. He liked Phil, for
which liking he had his reasons.
81 am rale yexed We dinna TAX to
the lad, Billy" he said, "Phil's a good
boy, considerin' mis- upbringin'-for
his kindred are lighter than the
thistle-down. But he has aye been
grave beyond his years. Are we to
forbid the laddie the hoose?"
Billy held UP his hands in astonish-
ment at the simplicity Of his c~o-parent.
ITS little We are yet in the road
of learnin' about women" said Billy,
severely; forbid him the house! Is
1t that We want our bit lass to fly I'm
through the roof like a rocket up a
chimbly? Is that how We would nave
her to be leavin' us?
No? Well, then. sit down, Dicky,
and set your brains a-steep. The
question is just how We are to keep
the bit lass lei to us-so that she
may look in Of a mornin', or set things
to rights while We take turns at the
telescope in the afternoon. To tell
you the truth, Dicky, I have been
thinkin' it over for some time. | saw
from the first that she looked as cold
at the engineer chap as frozen Austria
liza mutton wnen 1t comes from the
refrfgerators. How did | know? Why
by little Molly that loved me, but
married the ships cobbler (me havin'
been lost ~overboard). No, Dicky Fin
nan, Vic Morris was never the man
not II ne had been stuck all over with
~life-saving medals, Victoria crosses
and such-like, like a man-in-armoulr in
a museum. But at this one looks-to
see If he has wet his feet. And makes
him mind about the comforter about
mis- neck when he goes away-stands
On tip-toe to tuck It in. T'other night,
she took out a pair OF your socks,
Dfcky, and made him march upstairs
and change. And tonight l saw ner