Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-08-13
TRU N X WAS
HIS CUPID
The Editor Tells How 1t Won Him
His Wife.

VI lIS luuh vi one Vi the euiJOIS Cduie
in for lot of guying. 1t was small
very old-fashioned trunk, and it had
seen so much service that it required
four heavy trunk straps TO hold it to
gether. The man to whom the trunk
| belonged, who took the joshing all in
good part, got back at the jolliers with
| this:
Don't you fellows bother your heads
| about that old box. It's getting pretty
| old and disreputable looking, I'll admit,
! but I'm not going to make any attempt
| to lose 1t until it falls apart, and then
| I'm going to put it's old bones away
and keep 'em busted. That old trunk
won me my wife"
They demanded the details of him
then, and he supplied them.
when first took hold of the county
weekly in my town." he said, my per
sonal effects didn't much more than
half fill that dinky little old trunk.
But for all the slenderness of my
means and my wardrobe the prettiest
girl In the town, the daughter of the
best-off citizen of the place, wasn't any
too good for me to pay my court to.
used to call upon her two or three
evenings week, but was only oRe of
about half a dozen young fellows in
the town who also were calling upon
her right regularly, and all of them
were heap better off in this worlds
goods, or at any rate in prospects, than
| was at that stage of my life.
20 10 hn+
exactly see how stood with the girl,
but l wasn't going to permit myself
to be frozen out by the others until
got the direct word from her. She was
pretty cordial in her treatment of me
and when | happened to find other fel
lows calling upon her when l visited
her home she generally let it appear
through the crafty little ways that
women pick up as soon as they quit
wearing their hair in braids that she'd
just as lief I'd outstay the other fel.
lows as not.
Il seemed to be making as much If
not more progress than any of the
other suitors, but as l wasn't making
much more than a bare living out OF
my paper l wasn't in any shape to pro,
pose, especially as the girls father was
extremely comfortable financially.
well, anyhow, the frequency of my
visits and the cordial welcome l al.
ways got from the girl aroused the
jealousy of the other suitors naturally
enough, and one evening after I'd been
caller at her house for about year
they put up job on me.
Il was seated on a lawn bench in
front of the house with the girl-it was
during the summer-when the wagon
of the towns leading grocer drove uL
in front. The driver of the grocery
wagon hoped from his seat, went to
the rear of the wagon, loaded my trunk
that little battered trunk that afford
ed you SO much amusement-ontoh his
shoulders and walked into the yarC
with it just as my young lady's dao
came down the front steps On his way
to his lodge meeting.
MY rivals had kidnapped the trunk
from my room and sent it to the home
of the young lady in the grocery
wagon, with the idea, of course, of put
ting me in a foolish and measly light
before her and her father.
Whats this?' inquired the ole
gentleman as the driver of the wagon
at nay command, dumped my little ole
trunk on the lawn.
Il asked the driver how he'd hap
pened to fetch my trunk to that place
and he confirmed my suspicious by in
forming me that he'd been instructed
so to deliver it by number of riva
suitors. The old gentleman cooked up
his ear at this.
Its not my fault, as you can see
SIR l said to the girls dad, for fell
pretty cheap even under the circum
stances. hope you fully understand
that | wouldn't have hand in any
thing so idiotic.'
That's all right, son-perfectly al
right observed the fine old boy, eyins
me shrewdly, and then casting his in
quiring gaze over in his daughters
direction. You and Mary had anything
to say to each other yet?'
AT that, of course, felt about as in
do q htSAiiCoo AhSAhScbi NoE
in a snowstorm, and Mary herself
didn't seem to be laundering to exhibits
any conversational powers.
because, my boy, the gentleman
went on, still eying me in kindly
sort of way, whenever you and Mary
get ready to say something to each
othe.-and / wouldn't be surprised bun
no
hey, young 'uns?' winking in father!y
sort of way at me, why, you might
Just as well have your trunk at this ad
dress-leastwise until build house
for you-as anywhere else; eh, son
what do you think about it?' and he
tapped me in a paternal way on the
leg with his cane, chucked Mary under
the chin and went his ponderous way
chuckling to himself.
Which is all of the story. or nearly
Mary had promised herself to me be
fore the old gentleman had more tina
half way reached Lis lodge meet.ng
and before the evening was owe
blamed If she hadn't looked up at II
in shy sort of way and asked me /
LuGIS "clth eihy oSNho AL lhdL II
| of mine that needed darning! So tbs
| Joke was for sure on the chaps wht
| had thought to be funny by sondin
| that dinky little trunk Of mine to M
sweethearts home, and have reason
to know that some Of them are kick
ing themselves yet