Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-07-05
An Unexpected
Match
By F. A. Mitchell


Harrisonville and gave out that he
proposed to settle there and grow up
with the town" Prospectively this
would require long residence, for the
town was already 100 years old and
for half of that period had been ret
regarding. Besides, Mr.. Crowell was
already grown up. However, Mr..
Crowell complimented Harrisonville
by settling in it. and the inhabitants
felt kindly disposed toward him. 1t
must be confessed that he added moth
ing to the beauty of the place, for his
legs were very short. his body very
long, his neck longer still in proper
ton, while his whole person was sur
mounted by bullet head.
Mr.. Crowell attracted the attention
Of the young people by writing arti-
cles for one of the two newspapers of
the town, to which he signed the name
''The Magic Lantern" The attention
attracted was one of derision, for the
articles, though somewhat original,
"OiO AhSASdtiNC VI lhC dodSC, OUlS
step in where angels fear to tread"
But Mr.. Crowell was talked about, and
that Is what many persons crave.
One morning Mr.. Crowell met Miss
Jennie Alderman in a store. Jennie
was pretty girl. and CrowelTs coun-
tenance beamed with admiration.
Whether she was frightened at his
ugliness or overmOdest. she turned her
back upon him. Harrisonville was not
so large place but that Crowell might
often meet Miss Ackerman on the
street, and when he did so there was
always on his expressive countenance
that same look of admiration.
The youl,g man made no secret of
having been enthralled by Miss Ack-
erman's beauty. He sounded her
praises not only orally, but wrote
them up in thinly disguised articles
for the Harrisonville Eagle over the
pseudonym of The Magic Lantern
One day Miss Ackerman met Mr..
Crowell on the street. She passed him
with her nose in the air. The town
was not large one, and she soon
came to the outskirts. 1t occurred
to her that she would visit a cousin
Of hers who lived a short distance up
the road There were two opinions
as to why she decided on this visit at
this time. Some said that it was to
get rid of Crowcll, whom she feared
she would meet if she turned and went
back into the heart Of the town. 9th
ers declare that she went on for the es-
pecial purpose of giving her admirer an
opportunity to join her without being
observed.
Whichever Of these two opinions is
correct, one thing is certain-Crowell
followed her, and when she reached a
point where they were alone he step
ped up beside her, doffed his hat and
begged her to permit him to say few
words to her.
She told him that he might say a
which she would be obliged to him if
he would leave her. He replied that
she had made him ineXpressibly hap
py and when he had said the few
words he would depart He then pro
ceeded to tell her that he had worship
ed her silently-which took no account
Of his encomiums printed in the Eagle
that his whole being was bound up
in her and that, repel him as she
might. he would continue his secret
worship.
What Miss Ackerman's reply was is
not known. for she was more reticent
than the gaTulous Mr.. Crowell, who
repeated every word he had said to
every one who would listen to him. but
small boy reported that he frequent
ly met Miss Ackerman going to or from
her cousins and she was usually ac-
companied by Mr. lCrowell. Gradually
her friends ceased to twit her about
her misshaped adorer, and in time
some of them began to wonder if she
had not taken pity on him and was
admoniShing him to desist from sound
ing her praises, especially in the Eagle.
Some thought that she had reminded
him that it had been all very we'll for
Dante to write poems about Beatrice
OF Petrarch to sound the praises of
to give vent to his feelings for his
lady in the columns Of a newspaper,
even though her name was not men.
toned.
Whatever was passing between the
two, no one for a moment suspected
that Miss Alderman had any other OBJ
ject than to curb her garrulous lover
and prevent his making himself and
her ridiculous. She was known to be
tender hearted girl, and it was taken
for granted that she would not say
anything to hurt the poor mans feel
ings, but would endeavor to show him
by kindly words he was making fool
Of himself.
One day the citizens of Harrisonville
were startled by a rumor that Mr..
Crowen and Miss Ackerman were
engaged. Miss Ackerman's intimate
friends pronounced it malicious SIAN
der upon the lady. Mr.. Crowell de.
H.