Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-02-04
Continued.

My dear Miss Jordan if a man
walks in sticking soIes, expecting his
father-in-law's shoes, he is likely to
go Iimpingly. How am to live so
long as Mr.. Jordan lives? l know 1
should flourish after his death-but in
the mean time-there is the rub. Ia
marry Eve tomorrow but for the ex-
pense.'
Is there not something sordid-
began Barbara
I will not allow you TO finish a sen
tence, Miss Jordan, which your good
sense will reproach you for uttering.
I saw at fair booth with outside
picture of a mermaid combing her
hair, and with the face of an angel.
paid twopence and went inside, to
behold seal Topping In tub Of dirty
water. All the great events Of life
birth, marriage, death-are idealtsed
by poets, as the disgusting seal was
idealised on the canvas by the artist;
horrible things in themselves, but in
evitable, and therefore to be faced as
well as we may. need not have gone
in and seen that SEAL but l was delud-
ed to do so by the ideal picture
Surely exclaimed Barbara laugh
ing, you put marriage in false
light?
Not a bit In almost every case
It is as IS described, a delusion and
horrible disenchantment. 1t shall not
be 20 with me, so I picture it in all its
real features. If you do not under
stand me the fault lies with you. Even
the blessed sun cannot illumine
room when the panes Of the window
are dull | am a poor man, and poor
man must look at matters from what
you are pleased to peak of as sor-
did point Of view. There are plants
have seen suspended in windows said
to live on air. They are all pendulOus.
Now I am not disposed to become a
dropping plant. Live on air | cannot
There i enough earth in my pot for
my own roots, but for my own alone
4 see,' said Barbara laughing, but a
little irritated. You are ready enough
to marry, but have not the means on
which to marry
Exactly answered Mr. COyshe. !
have a magnificent future before me,
but | am like a man swimming, who
sees the land but does not touch as
much a would blacken his nails. Lord
bless yOu!' said Mr. COyshe, I support
a wife on what l get at Beer Aston!
Lord bless mel! he stood up and sat
down again, you might as we'll expect
a cock to lay eggs
Barbara bit her lips. I should not
have thought you so practical.
I am forced to be so. 1t is the fate
of poor men to have to count their
Coppers. Then there is another mat
ter. If / were married, well, of
course, it is possible that l might be
the founder Of a happy family. In
the South Sea islands the natives send
their parents periodically up trees and
then shake the trunks. If the old peO-
pie hold on they are reprieYed, If they
fall off they are eaten. We eat our
parents in England also, and don't
wait till they are old and leathery. We
begin with them when we are babes,
and never leave off till nothing is
left of them to devour. We feed on
their energies, consume their sub
stance, their time, their brains, their
hearts piecemeal.'
'Wel!'
We'll repeated Mr.. Coyshe, If
am to be eaten must have flesh on my
bones for the coming COyshes to eat
You need not be alarmed as to the
prospect, aid Barbara gravely. I have
been left a few hundred pounds by my
aunt, they bring in about fifty pounds
a year I will make it over to my
sister,
You see for YOURSELF said Mr.. Coy
she, that Eve is not a young lady who
can be made into a sort of hOu ekeep-
er. She is too dainty for that. Tur-
nips may be tossed about, but not ap-
ricots.'
Yes said Barbara, Y and my sister
are quite different
You will not repent of this deter
mination" asked Mr.. Coyshe. I sup
pose it would not be asking you too
much just to drop me letter with
the expression of your intention stated
in it? I confess to a weakness for
black and white. The memory is so
treacherous, and I find it very like
an adhesive chest plaster-it sticks
only on that side which applies to
self
Mr.. Coyshe, said Barbara, shall we
go in and see papa? You shall be sat
isfied. My memory will not play me
false. My whole heart IS wrapped
up in dear Eve, and the great ambi-
ton of my life is to see heI happy.
Come, then, we will go to papa,
CHAPTER XII.
Another Mistake.
Barbara saw Mr.. Coyshe INTO her
fathers room. and then went upstairs
to Eve, caught her by the arm, and
drew her into her own room. Barbara
had now completely made up he! mind
that her sister was to become Mrs !
COyshe. Eve was a child, never would
be other. never capable of deciding
reasonably for herself. Those who
loved her. those who had care of her
must decide for her. Barbara and her