Judge — November 26, 1881 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

GOOD ENOUGH. © wowas, 19 our hours of ease, Uncertain, coy and hard to please—" 1 she sobbed, “ you love me not.” “Why so ay, precious little pet. ‘ Bocause,” she naively answered, To tell me so, and lovers don’t forget.” UL Ab, then I kissed ber lips, and cheek, and brow, ‘And hagged her closely to my Sunday vest At last released —" There, that will do just now, She blushing said; “ why, you beat all the rest! DOLLY DAWDLE. very sur,” ” quoth you've forg) INCLINED THAT WAY. A STORY FOR BACHELORS. BY “BRICKTOP. Tort McGupcron dreamed dreams wool and a yard wide ” that night. At last—and with only a litle trouble, too —he had managed to get upon the downy # of fortune; at last he was about to marry heiress and become independent of the work- aulay life he had been living for fifty years. Why had he not thought of it before? That morning at the breakfast table he fuir- ly beamed. His fellow-boarders noticed it, and wondered what had happened to him. His landlady, Mrs. Wax, noticed it, but she knew what had happened to him. As a general thing he was gruff or wholly silent at the table, but now he actually sein- tillated with good humor and talked cheerfully on the various topics of the day. The boarders reasoned among themselves regarding the wonder, and finally came to the conclusion that he had lately fallen heir to a fortune, feeling certain that nothing short of money in considerable quantities could bring about such a change. They noticed it at the store, but of course they all knew the secret. And he knew that they had all seen him out walking with the heiress, and rather expected to be chaffed a little on account of it. But he felt so good that he could stand that sort of thing. In- deed, he felt that they would all know it sooner or later, and so there was no use of fighting very shy. But Mr. Tripper, his employer, was the first to say anything about the matter. “MeGudgeon, I was never so surprised in my life as I was yesterday. Why, you have been working for me twenty-five years, and I never so much as heardof your even squinting ata woman; but there I saw you like a beau of twenty, tripping along with a butterfly on your arm, bright as a flower in early spring. What does it mean?” “Oh, well, it is never too late to mend, you know,” replied McGudgeon, smiling and try- ing to blush, “Ah! then you have an idea of mending, have you?” asked Mr. Tripper, smiling. “Well, to tell you the truth, sir, I have; I am tired of living alone.” “What!” “ And I am tired of working year after year for just enough to rub-and-go on. “What is that you say? Have you con- THE JUDGE. cluded to give up work?” asked Mr. Tripper, ping towards him, with a look of anxiety. ‘T have, sir,” he replied, calmly, “And she “She has sufficient for us both.” Mr. Tripper gave a pri 1 whistle. “ An heiress, eh?” “Yes, sir. But you don’t blame me, do you, sir? “But it is so-so det ish sudden. Why, who would ever have thought that even a for- you towards it, if Going to get mar- tune would have intluen it was held by a woman? ried, eh?” “And settle down?” MeGudgeon nodded. ‘But are you going to leave my employ?” “Yes, sir, for [ think I have worked Jong zh. If 1 can marry a fortune it is much better than slaving all my days and then ne to get one. “ Setually going to leave me?” *¥ ca; sir. “Why, Mack, I shan't know how to get long without you. You have been with me r since I started business.” “T know it, sir, and I have no fault to fi only that it is right for a man to do better | whenever he has an opportunity, even if has to become a Benedick.” “Well, yes, but" “So you may as well look ont for another book-keeper,” he said, dipping his pen into the ink. “When do you propose to change?” “In just one mouth from to i “Whew! Well, that és sudden, I must say. Who would have thought it?” and the old merchant went back into his private office bowed and thoughtful, while MeGudgeon re- turned to his books, glad that the i so easily bre Tom Tripper was called in and told news. “We must look out for another book- keeper,” said the old gentleman, “for Mack is going to marry a fortune and leave us eu e had been en, | the | “Well, dad, I wouldn't bother about it until the danger gets a trifle more threatening,” | said Tom, with a peculiar twinkle in his eye. “What do you mean? Hasn't he just told me that he is going to leave us?” “On account of marrying a fortune “Certainly. What are you laughing at, sir?” “T was not laughing, sir. “Tsay you was. What do you know about the matter, anyhow?" he demanded, sternly. “Nothing much.” “Nothing much! Do you know the lady he is going to marry?” ‘Yes, I have met her once or twice. “Is she rich?” “She says she is.” Old Mr. Tripper looked steadfastly at his rapid son for a moment, and from something he saw in his expression he made up his mind | that he knew more than he admitted. “Tom, you are anass, Keepasharplook- out for a book-keeper to take Mc’s place,” he finally said, waving him from the room. “The old fool,” he mused, after being left | | it, after alone, “if he had come to me I would have doubled his salary rather than to have parted with him. But what the devil was Tom laugh- ing at?” The entrance of a brother merchant drove | the conundrum from his mind for the time. During the day ‘Tom Tripper and several of the salesmen took occasion to congratulate McGudgeon on the swell he cut the day be- yre, and upon the escort of such a charming young lady. He took it all in good part, neither admitting or denying that there was a likelihood of anything s the affair, although the smile he wore gave him dead away. But was there ever a Paradise without a cactus in it? Was there ever a rose without one or more thorns? Well, somehow, not fre- quent]; Just before finishing the labors of the day srious coming out of | and what a joyful day it had been to him in his mind!—Tott MeGudgeon received a letter, It read as follows: Dear Sir: Do not go too far with Clara Queen, you walking with her yesterday, and she appeared tots apread for conquest; you seemed to be swallowing th Dai. to be wealthy, hut she isn't worth th back has been foiled so mat She proten! Jothes on h She is an adventures times in a rich hus. band that she has at last bee bound to take up Ww all, The woman she ti hoping to get hi ather than none at Js with is capping for her, nk on a long board bill, and gives ber the use of her parlor, ete.; allowing her to call it her the servants around as thon; were her own, Why, even y ady, Mrs. Wax, knows this to be true, and if you doubt what Tam writing, ask her. I trust you have not to give her a bold upon you, for she is desperate, wouldn't he to sue you for breach of promise. Back water and get from the rocks as far as pos- sibleis the advice of a friend by the name of St Sur —Iean make good all I have sald, and in ¢: grape-vine twist on you I will come to Sts. house, and to arenoush Mrs. Wax wrote that letter, but she got a | friend to copy it. ‘After reading it he staggered and fell back into a chair. What a rude awakening! Whata fall from the balloon of bliss that he had been sailing in all that day! Could it be possible? V i, a disagreeable turn in the dr he had been luxuriating in all these hours? And Mrs, Wax knew all about her, did she? Confound Mrs, Wax; he would never go to her to find out; he would sift the matter him- self, and know whether he was about to be taken in or not. Clara Queen a fraud! Could it be? [To BE CONTINUED. J From what we hear of patent medicines, when one looks at one of these “ Before and After Using” cuts, it is rather doubtful some- times which is which. ‘A Goop name is better than riches, we are told. John Smith may be a pretty good name, but we'll take the riches, please. “No, gentlemen; I never drink,” said the man with his feet crossed and his elbows on the bar. And as he spoke these words—he smiled. comicbooks.com °