Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1919-07-03


for home. Later he confessed to Bill
what he had heard.
IL see now why you wanted to go
and get engaged" he said. 81 didn't
know that was what IL was like before
cause, OF course no one but your
girl would ever tell you all those
things Gee. but she thinks you are
just perfect. don't she, Bill? ] don't
suppose she ever noticed those freck-
les on your nose"
So II was that the elder cousin gave
the younger what he regarded as a
sound sage piece of advice. There
are girls" he told him, "who will want
tou to do all the Gathering, all the
kidding. They may be the most fas-
clnating kind. But they dfl't make
the best sweetheartS and wives They
expect too much and instead OF help
ing a fellow up the road to success
they just hinder him. That's why
fell for Bella. | suppose ! might
have met lots iof girls that were pyet-
tier and all that. but | figured that
Bella appreciated me and that that
was what would help me to success"
Steve grew to manhood and Bill and
Bella were married, and moved far
away to the West, and though the two
cousins did not see each other for
many years, Steve always remembered
the good advice that Bill had given
TO him. He had been his boyish ideal
and somehow though he never saw
him, he imagined that he was still in
his business and family life out there
in the West living up to this ideal.
there were girls aplenty. There
was Ruth OF the Titan hair and the
perpetual banterlng laugh and there
was Matty, blonde, with dropping eye
lashes and imperious manner, and
there were Daisy and Sally and Wv
ian and Gertrude-perhaps others.
II may be that Steve was engaged to
some of them. but never once did they
compare Steve, who was cast in the
same proportions ms Cousin Bill, to the
great Napoleon or Hamilton, never did
they tell him that ne was the dear
est man In the world, the best and the
bravest. though somehow they man
aged TO exact from him numerous pro-
testations as to their angelic and
seraphic qualities Steve had just de-
cioed that the girls like Bella were
girls of the past, that the girls OF his
generation were not of the doting
kind.
Still, he remembered BilPs advice
and Bill was still in the back of his
mind his beau ideal"
Then Steve got little stenographer
who was fresh from the country where
she had taken CORRESPONDENCE
course. And she had nice blue eyes
and hair as straight as Providence had
made 1t and-weIl, Steve had her In
his employ for month before he ever
thought of her as a possible Bella.
Then one day absolutely sans CO.
quetry, sans calculation this little
Flora Graves said; "AIr Miller |
never knew man with such Il good
business head in my life, and I've seen
good many men, because | used to
watch the customers In my uncle's
hardware store where | kept the
books I'm sure you're going to
make great business man.
Bill looked up, He noticed that
the girls eyes were Of pretty blue
and that they were round.
"But I'm not very good looking he
suggested and Flora surprised but still
sans coquctry answered: "Well, you're
not so very tall, but you're well built.
Napoleon was small and vet he had
ability. You've got better shaped
head than Napoleon"
There was little delay, and on their
wedding trip they went TO the western
town where lived Bill and Bella II
was to he n surprise-Steve liked sur
prises-and they Glanced TO arrive in
the town on the same train that BIZ
ana Bella were taking from little
shopping trip TO the nearest town.
They were behind Bill and Bella.
but do you think this hat is be-
coming?' asked Bella. who was no
longer quite so 1.-THE as she had been
a dozen years ago.
Perfectly charming my dear said
Bill, YEARLY, You are charming in
everything. often say that with
wife ms handsome as you"
THAT was rather poor pie We had
for dinner at the hotel" interrupted
Bella II noticed you ate yours fast
enough. hope you didn't like It bet
ter than mine
1T wasn't patch to yours was
the tired reply. You are the hes,
cook IN the world. | have often told
YOU that had great deal more than
most men To be thankful for. hope
you know appreciate"
Steve and Flora inst STAYED right on
that train when Bin and Bella got or,
and when they got.o at the next stop
they turned around and went back
again. Steve told Flora he had
changed his mind about stopping OF
there; that he had important business
20 attend To and week later when
they took their heated honeymoon
they went far from Bin and Bella.
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Doctor johnson in Paris