The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1916-06-22
THINGS WENT WRONG

Miss Edith took the keen interest In
things and people-particularly PEG.
ple-that young ladies of eighteen Of.
ten Go. So that accounted for her
going down into the basement where
Thomas Watts was clearing away the
ashes from the furnace and making
his acquaintance.
Thomas was sort of odd-job man,
OF English birth. almost elderly and
of squat figure. He had made his
appearance on the street early in the
summer with little push.cart, q sickle
and a rake and he trimmed the lawns
(Which are not large) on the street for
minimum consideration of fifteen
cents. With the approach Of winter
he asked such Of his patrons as had
furnaces to allow him to tend them
shake down and feed in the morning,
feed and bank at night, seventy.five
cents per week. and ashes removed
an extra twenty-five cents. Miss
Edith's papa engaged him for the full
program and Miss Edith at the first
sound Of shoveling went down and in.
terviewed him.
She asked him q fine variety Of ques.
lions. He did "fairish to middlin'. az
you might say" with his furnaces.
mo. miss. amt married. O. course"
he said in response to the next Ques.
ton. "Not as yet. I 'ope to be. but
I'm not we'll enough orr. Hive got .
lydy back in the hold country as I
walked bout with, but she SEES to me.
she ses: Thomas. wen marry Him
goin' to stop takin' in manglin'. Him
goin' to ave 'ouse o. me hown an
'usban' as as got is bit o. money
In the bank So I come hover ere,
but some'ow I never seem to ave no
luck"
For some weeks the family heard lit.
tie else from Miss Edith than accounts
Of Watts and his touching romance.
"Her name is Sarah Jane 'iggins and
she 'as carroty air" said Miss Edith.
isn't 1t perfectly lovely? And they
have been engaged now for more than
seven years-as long as Jacob worked
for what's.her-name."
She did help him according to her
poor little means.
"Thankee kindly, MISS" he would
say, as he pocketed her donations. 1T
shows your feeling art an hevery lit.
tie 'elps. as the sayin' is. Him a-goin'
to tell Sarah Jane about this
Don't mind about that, Thomas"
said Miss Edith. But you might give
her my love and tell her that think
you are-a-a nice man and that she
ought not to insist upon house Of
her own If you could take her to nice
little fiat"
mo fear, miss. Hill tell 'er that, {"
said Thomas.
One day q very rich man came to
Miss Edith's house. He was so rich
that he owned an entire fiat building
all by himself. Miss Edith told him
about Thomas In her enthusiastic way
and he seemed interested and when
she had finished he said: "Well. my
janitor is going to leave me at the end
Of the week and I wouldn't wonder IL
this friend Of yours suited me very
we'll. my dear. He would have a nice
coy little set of rooms in the base.
ment, big enough for Sarah Jane and
him, and he ought to save enough out
Of his wageI to put a bit in the bank.
Send him around to see me"
OF course, when Thomas became the
janitor Of the Arethusa he could not
attend to Edith's fathers furnace any
more and Miss Edith had to go to see
him about Sarah Jane. For some time
Thomas talked to her very freely, but
he said that he would have to wait
and put by a bit O. money before he
sent for his sweetheart. Then as time
passed it seemed to Miss Edith that
Thomas rather avoided her. He was
evasive in his replies when she did see
him. She taxed him with his unfriend-
illness and he protested fervently that
1t was imaginary on her part.
"You see, MISS" he said, "owso.
hever might wish to ave a bit Of a
chat I've got job O. work to do an
the work as to be done. Howin' to
your kind Instrumentation I've got
this siterwation han I've got to show
as 'ow deserve it."
Miss Edith thought that was very
nice of Thomas. but she was not sure
that it explained why he was so ret
tcent about Sarah Jane. The explana-
ton of that came one morning when
passing the Arethusa she saw Thomas
coming out clad in new suit of CLOS.
~ black. stiff new hat and necktie
as blue as his eyes. On seeing Miss
Edith his face instantly became as
red as the brick in the cottages oppo-
site.
"Why Thomas. how smart you are
this morning." exclaimed Miss Edith.
"You can't be working. You look al.
most as IL you were to be married"
Thomas grew still redder in the
face. well, MISS" he stammered at
last, that there is my hintentions."
"Why, has Sarah Jane come? Oh.
why didn't you tell mel" said Miss
Edith.
"Well, now. MISS" said Thomas.
mot to deceive you, it amt Sarah
Jane. It's q young lydy Hive been
waikiki hout with ere. 'er name bein'