The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-11-11
CAUGHT AT LAST.

4Ha4 r4ea. -
Mr.. Harvey Thackstop, bachelor
had arrived home from the club, an
was about to retire for the night.
He had thrown off his vest, release
his collar and cravat, and taken o
his boots, but there his divesting pre-
cess had suddenly ceased, and we fin
Mr.. Ihackston sitting upon the edg
Of his bed as motioriless as a statue
holding a boot in either hand, and a
times gazing silently from his boot
to the gas jet, and from the gas jet Il
his boots.
A person might have surmised from
the bachelors appearance that he wa
In doubt whether to complete his df
yestment aad go to bed, or resume
what articles he had already taken of
and sally forth for a little more enjoy.
ment, or that he was racking his brain
bver a question of more serious inter.
est. few words from the gentleman
himself, however, will spare the tor.
ture of conjecture.
80, So" he unused, looking down
upon his boots with n smile of amusc-
ment, and swinging them between his
knees like p%endulums as he spoke.
$50 Ralph has gone-ehp Gone mad,
and been married. Well-well, who'd
have thought itp And I'm the only
one of the club left single. Ha, ha!
What a grand triumph this is tor me.
The last! The only man of the whole
lot who had the power to resist it.
Ha, hal You're quite n hero, Harvey.
my boy! They all said you would go
drst, but you didn't Several of them
vowed that they would be the last ones.
Several OF them had the impudence to
VOW they never would be married.
But they have all succumhed at last.
Love, the c%onqueror, has levelled them
all like reeds under the soythe, or ten
pins before tho bowling-ball. / stand
alone, the only survivor of the dread
full carnage. Poor Ralph! Goueland
he was captured so helplessly. Amelia
Weatherston's bright eyes and hand
some curls were too strong for him.
much as he used to profess himself in
vulnerable 10 a score of Amelias. Ha.
ha! What q helpless bit of clay a man
seems to be. with a pair of black eyes.
a beautiful face. and q cluster of curls
confronting him."
Mr.. Thackston hero stopped swing
ing his boots, and transferred his at
IGNITION suddenly to the gas Jet.
The flame of love" he soliloquised,
bis metaphor probably inspired by the
dancing gas-light-"the flame of love
has devoured them as chat. and here
I sit a self-coaceited salamander-a
gloating victor, Your turn now,
Ralph said to me. parting at the club
Tonight. Yes. my turn, / know. but
! turn that will be totally devoid Of
event. Not so,' they all said. You're
no more %love-proof than we are, Har-
vey. You have had will enough to
stick it out to the last. which must
have been extreme torture, but you'll
succumb, lever fear Never! Never!
have lived a bachelors life too long
TO r%elinquish it in the very zenith Of
glory and delight.
"Whatl Surrender liberty for slav-
cryl Give up my jolly life, that owns
not even the shadow Of authority. for
that welded bliss which holds for the
Innocent victim tho gloomy prospects
OF rigorous system, punctual hours,
spicy breezes, occasional h~air-dress-
ings. cradles, soothing-syrup, and
much else too ~distracting to think of!
Step from Elysium into Bedlam! light
the thought makes me SILVER. IL /
should take such a mad step my con-
science would torture me to the grave.
70 be playing false to my club, to my
nlght-key. and to the general principles
OF good fellowship. Some people think
my sentiments rancid. Let them. I
have been called q woman-hater. /
anu not. can revel in a woman's
smile and sweet talk as well as any Of
thenl. / can look upon a woman with
~ much true admiration as any OF
them. but I can admire her from the
praad height Of irnpartiality. and while
saysng with the fatal hook. prove the
iacs snar ! am al extremely hard fish
eassA Oh no-Fm not a woman-
hasfr- Inn d man Of common sense
that's What I an. 2
MisA this e reflection, Mi. Thack-
kssan aarssf his boots into a ri ar
rxFssa hsssSeI in his n~ight-costume,
NJ u1s Lie gas, and went to bed.
= zsE days subsequent, Mr.. Harvey
IAxekssoa was enjoying his summer
Sssr4saoa among the most fashionable
ercss ns Newport society. Handsome
and wezathys courteous, iovial. and
Eenerons ID the highest degree, Mr..
Ihackston always created a marked
Impression IN whatever society he
chose to enter. "a
AZ Newport he was in his glory.
Ihe jolly. happy-go-lucky, frec-and-
EASY neatlx. the stately bellies. and the
haunting coqucttes. all fIocked around
niIn. the former 10 revel In his eharm-
ING company. and share his magnfi-
cent wine. fI}e f<an latter ~ n.a-H