Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1917-10-18
PLOT DIDN'T WORK
By ANDREW PHELPS.

and Agathy Wharton, nineteen years
old and the daughter of Mrs. Wharton,
was swinging in the hammock under
an apple tree.
II want to ask you," queried grand
ma, whats the matter with Agathy?
Here she is nineteen years old and a
goOd-looking girl, and / can't under
stand why she hasn't had an offer of
marriage yet? Doesn't she like men,
as q rule?"
"Agathy is very hard girl in some
respects" the mother replied. "She
takes likes and dislikes at almost the
first glance"
daughter, you know it's all arrang-
ed for Agathy to go down to Cuba with
me. I wanted to talk with you about
the question of love. Suppose she
should meet on the steamer a young
man who filled her ideal-a young man
whom I could recommend in every way.
Would you oppose it if she fell in
loveT
"N-o," was the slow reply. "But /
should want you to be sure that he
was all right"
"Then, will tell you something
which I have kept back. I have dis
tant relative whose name is Charles
Burton. In fact, he has made my
home his home for the last year, while
getting ready to graduate as civil
engineer. He is model young man in
every respect, and about twenty-five
years of age. I like him so well that
/ am going to leave him something IN
my will You know / am going to leave
Agathy something and, if they should
fall in love and be married, they would
have quite a fortune to start life on"
"That would be nice, but how will
they meet?'
"Why, he's going over with me. You
know am going on business, and shall
not stay long. don't want Agathy to
know anything about him until we
have sailed; and then I will introduce
them"
When the day of sailing came Grand
ma Nelson and Agathy Wharton were
almost the first persons to go on board.
Grandma cast an eye around and she
discovered that Mr.. Burton was also
an early bird.
It was the second day out, and no in
PRODUCTION had taken place yet, when
Grandma Nelson got ready to spring
her trap. While Miss Agathy was
seated on her steamer chair on deck
the crafty old fox took from her steam
4o10 che nod I'D
the occasion. 1t did not take her quite
half an hour to wind it up and see
that it started off in good fashion.
Then she made several experiments as
to how far away the ticking could be
heard. When satisfied about this she
went on deck and hunted up Miss
Agathy It gave her quite shock to
find her talking rather Familiarity with
a gOOd-lOOking young man whose age
was about twenty-five. Only three
chairs away sat Mr.. Burton. He was
looking very solemn. \Grandma Nelson
gave the girl sign to follow her.
When they had reached the cabin, she
held UP her finger and whispered:
keep cool, Agathy! We are in very
great danger, but keep COOL"
swell, I am COOL" was the cool re-
ply. "Are we going to be blown up by
a submarine?"
GAS bad as that, Agathy. Some one
has placed a clockwork bomb in my
trunk and, at a set moment, it will
blow up and sink the ship and all Of
sYoh 70
place the bomb is beyond me, but you
can hear the ticking of the clock
What shall we do?"
"Why, that trunk must 60 overheard
without delay" calmly replied the girl
"But we dare not touch it! You go
chair from where you are sitting and
speak to the young man in it. Tell
him to come down here at once, as
there is work here for a brave man.
was looking at him the other day and
he is the stuff Of which heroes are
made
Agathy turned without a word and
assembled to the deck. Then she walked
straight to the young man whom she
had been sitting beside when called,
and said to him:
"There Is a clockwork bomb in
grandma's steamer trunk, and it may
explode in minute. She wants the
trunk thrown overheard to avert a
great disaster"
Certainly, certainly" was the reply,
and he followed her to the stateroom.
Grandma opened her mouth to pro-
test that it was the wrong hero, but,
before she could utter a word, the
trunk was picked up and carried on
deck, and q heave overheard sent it
floating away on the green pillows.
"And that trunk contained all my
wardrobe and what am to do without
it, Heaven only knows. Why didn't
you bring the young man I told you
tot"
"Why, that young man with red hair
and a cast in one eye!" almost shouted
Agathy, with hands uplifted in horror
Tho rod boo6od U0uno man pra6TJ-