Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1903 — A Matchmaker [ARTICLE]

A Matchmaker

©BAR BROTHER JIM: Thia 1* a verry dice place, and I am enjoyin’ It accordingly. We are •boat a mile from the village and tljepoad la good and Mlaa Laura and I Crlve over twice a day. Mlsa Laura ta me drive aumtlmes, but she's •Trade He get the horse- his name la Vbe Dook—out of the stile of driving that women prefur. And when I tlten up on the lines and The Dook strikes • lively cllpp, she says ‘Steddy, Tommy,’ and then I have to pull him la. But she Is a nice girl notwithstandln’. Bhe baa the prlttlest brown hair, and Bach depe darke eyes, and such a •weet way of speekln’. And they tiave a butlful home. Its on a hill and you can see miles around It. From my window I can catch site of the lake thru a gap In the bills. It’s a verry nice lake tho not depe enuff to (drown me—and Laura’s father owns It They say he la prltty rlqh. Mr. Rnmmldge—he sells books In the village and lets you borrow them for too acuta a day—says Laura's father Is a vllage Creeses. It tells about Creeses somewhere in a book and he was the richest man In the State, but I think lie la dead now. I gess you must hare beard about him. He was a hystorykal carackter. I wish you was here, Brother Jim. We’d have grate times. Laura's most as good as a boy for bavin’ fun. Thare I beer her callin’, epo Dook Is a-champln on his bit •nd waitin’ Impashent at the cassel •alt That’s the way Laura talks. She’s most as good as a play actor, '▲unt Emmyllne says Lauras romantick. Bo I must close. Write Just as soon as you hear from papa and mamma. From your loving brother, “TOM.” James Thornton, rising young attorney, smiled over this epistle and laid It away carefully in a pigeonhole of bis desk, whence it would be taken •nd inclosed with his next letter to the absent parents across the sea. There was a long gap between brother Jim, aged 27, and brother Tom, •ged 12, and this gap had seemingly llrawn them closer together. To broth*r Jim, brother Tom had never seem•d the aggravated nuisance that little brothers usually appear in the eyes of Older brothers. Jim had looked with •mused tolerance on Tom’s wildest pranks, and as for Tom—well, there were few heroes pf childish romance that did not suggest his clever big brother. And Tom had been left In ffltn’s care while the father and not •varstrong mother went abroad for the letter’s health. It was a hot summer, end Tom was convalescing from • severe case of measles, and so Jim thought It wise to pack him off to a little village that nestled In the woods •f the upper Hudson, where he was sure to receive the best of care at the borne of a superannuated bookkeeper mt the firm of which James Thornton ,was the newly admitted junior member. And it was from Bookkeeper Barclay’s home that Miss Laura Garman had fairly kidnapped him. True, She wrote a model letter to Jim, In Which she requested the loan of hia young kinsman, but before his answer could be received she had him Installed at Greycrag, and In a position to add his petition to hers. Hs was such s delightful boy, she wrote, and he would make the hours at Greycrag seem so much less lonesome. Saving for the presence of a .maiden aunt she was quite alone there, Qber father and mother having gone to California to take an Invalid sister •f the latter. Besides she was sure the altitude of Greycrag was quite certain to hasten the return of Tommy’s Strength. Bhe hoped this was not taking a liberty, but she had never seen a boy who charmed her quite as much—perhaps because he reminded her of a little brother who had passed away In hia seventh year. What could Brother Jim do? He wrote a qualified acceptance of this letter of invitation. She must promptly return Tom when she tired of him. Bhe mustn’t tolerate him if be proved to be rude or unmanageable. And he ■would ask it aa a particular favor If She would at once communicate to him any Infraction of conduct of which Tom might be guilty. “Being so very much the youngest of the family.” he wrote, In conclusion, "I fear that we fall to realize bow thoroughly he Is spoiled. No doubt you will find this out very soon. The moment you do, kindly return him to Mr. Barclay, to be left until called for." Mias I Aura Garman briefly acknowledged Brother Jim’s letters, promising to faithfully abide by all tta conditions, and thanking Jim for acceding to her request So Brother Tom was ensconced In the Garman household, and, aa his many letters set forth, was having the time of hlsYlfe. At least half of each epistle wai given up to this theme, while the other half was devoted to the charms of Miss Laura|, “She's Just the one girl for you. Vim," he wrote In one of hia daily screeds, for Tern had become quite a letter writer. It may have been fxrooght about by hia weakened health end possibly took the place of some more boyish occupation, bat It was true that he had Brother Jim hustling In the endeavor to keep up with hia (rosy correspondent. “Ton’d make a stnnntn couple. Don't think Ime foolln. Laura likes me so well that Ime pretty sure she would like you

too. On my account, of course. Can’t you come down for a day or two?” And Brother Jim, greatly amused, would thank Brother Tom for his kind wishes for bis matrimonial welfare, and assure him that It would be quite impossible for bim to get away just at present. And then one day the letter with the familiar bandwriting was a little bulkier than usual. When he opened the envelope a photograph dropped out It was the portrait of an unusually pretty glrL Of course, this must be Laura Garman- Brother Jim looked at the portrait long and earnestly. Brother Tom wasn’t so far wrong when he praised this gentle-faced girl. Brother Jim placed the photograph on the desk, where he could use It as confirmation of Brother Tom’s praises, and then picked up the letter. “I’ve bin fishing for bullheads In the pool,” Brother Tom began, “and cot two —and one cot me. It didn’t hurt mutch and Laura tied It up with her handkerchief. Ide know about bullheads horns next time. lam sending you Laura’s picture. She don’t know It I begged It from her yesterday. I want you to get It framed up nice and charge It to pa. Then when she says, ’What did you do with my plctelioor, Tommy?’ lie aay Ime getin’ It framed. Can’t you come up and see a fellow, Brother Jim? N. b It don’t Hater her.” But Brother Jim seemed In no burry to have the framing contract carried out The picture lingered on his desk Just where he could catch sight of it whenever be chose to look up. “Dear Brother Tom,” he wrote In reply, “I am sorry the bullhead horned you. No doubt If you were a bullhead you would have done the same. I remember having some experience with bullheads myself, but there was no charming young womans handkerchiefs to bind my wounds. By tin* way, that portrait you sent to have framed reflects credit on jrour taste. Miss Laura deserves all your praise. She Is a beautiful girl—and I am sure ”V> Is as good as she Is beautiful.” Two days later Brother Tom’s reply was received. It was but to the point. . "Brother Jim,” he wrote. “I showed your letter to Miss Laura. My, how she blushed. Say, can’t you come up next week? There’s going to be a big church picnic. Come sure.” Brother Jim scowled darkly. Then he chuckled. What a boy! The Idea of hia showing the letter. What must the girl think of the liberty he took? Still, there wasn’t anything really rude about It. But he must be more careful when he wrote hereafter. Then he sent Tom a short note, In which he said It would be Impossible for him to attend the church picnic. A few days later Brother Tom wrote In a somewhat melancholy tone. He wasn’t feeling quite so well, he guessed he missed his mother—and his father, too, and maybe he was homesick. He wanted to see Brother Jim so much. But If Brother Jim couldn’t come, would he send his photograph. It would be some comfort, anyway. Brother Jim was considerably alarmed over this epistle. This precious young brother mustn’t have a relapse. That would never do. So he hastily wrote an encouraging note to Brother Tom, In which Brother Tom was advised to cheer up and be a man —and with the note he forwarded bis photograph. The answer came back promptly, and It was again to the point. "I shode your plcthoor to Miss Laura and she liked it She made me mad tho when the said you was better looking than me. N. b. I told her it flatered you. Can't you come up Saturday?" Brother Jim scowled again and laughed again. Really, this scalawag of a youngster wasn’t to be trusted with anything. Still, If Miss Garman had any sense of humor she must find him amusing. Then he looked up suddenly at Miss Carman’s portrait, and It seemed as If a smile was hovering about the pretty mouth. And then came another disquieting letter from Brother Tom.

“There’s a fellow hanging round hete that I don’t like,” Toni wrote. “It seems Mlsa Laura met him aomewhere and ha came to sea her cos ha found out her father was away. That’s the way It seems to me. He’s got snaky eyes and a little black mustash and ha laffe a grate deal. I don’t reely think that Miss Laura likes him much. But he’s got such a way of smilin’ and sayln’ soft things. Im going to look after her the best I kno how, but. I wlsht I waa a little older.” Two days later another disquieting letter reached Brother Jim. “That fellow la comln more than ever,” Tom Informed him. *T think there must be something fasslnatlng about him, causa Mias Laura don’t seem able to tall him ha ain’t wanted here. Ha la In a awful hurry, too. I guess ha ia afrade her father will come home unex peck ted. lie bet my life ha la no good. I with 1 could talk to sumboddy. But there's no use speaking to Miss Laura’s aunt. All ahe thinks about la housekeepln and hired girls. N. b. ha called me a cab twice agane.” The very next day brongbt the third disquieting letter. “We wore out riding to-day,” Brother Tom explained, “and I was gettin’ In the little seat behind and I guess ha dltoPt kno how sharp my ears la. Its Ilka that with measela sum times I spoaei Annyway 1 beard a lot that ha said and what do you thlak? He

wants Miss Laura to ran away and 1 marry him. You ought to have heard him beg her. Ain’t It a shalm? Butch a nice girl and nobody to abo her what a mlsatake she Is making. Annyway I know the fellow Is afrade**of her father, cos he said as match —and somebeddy ought to find out about him rite away cos Its Frlduy nlte he wants her to go.” Brother Jim looked at the letter long and earnestly, and the frown on his handsome face deepened. Then he pulled a pad of blank telegraph messages from a drawer. e * e * a a a They are waiting for him at the village station, Mlsa Laura In the pony phaeton and Brother Tom on the platform. And Brother Tom grabbed him and drew him to the phaeton. “Thia Is my l»lg brother, Miss Laura,” he cried, with a tremor of pride, and Brother Jim found himself bundled In beside the pretty girl, while Brother Tom sat up on the little seat behind. “We have been expecting you so long and so anxiously—at leiat one of us has,” said the pretty girl, with a quick blush, “that It seems quite Impossible that you are really here — doesn’t It, Tommy?" “He looks real to me,” replied the smiling Brother Tom, as be landed a heavy thump on Brother Jim’s broad shoulder. And how delightfully pleased this pretty girl seemed! Was it an assumed delight? He looked around at Tommy and caught him grinning. And what a charming little feast they had, and what a delightful little mistress of the household the fair girl made. And after dinner Brother Tom drew Brother Jim away from the lovely presence and took him for a stroll to the little lake. “Well?” said Brother Tom, as they trudged down the shadowy pathway between the trees. “Well?” echoed Brother Jim. “Nice, Isn’t she?” “Very nice.” “Did I make It too 6trong about her?” "Is this a confidential conversation?” Inquired Brother Jim, with a short laugh. "It la,” Brother Tom replied. “And not a word to be repeated to any third party?”' “Not a word.” "Well, then,” said Brother Jim, “you didn’t make It strong enough.” Whereat Brother Tom landed a heavy blow from a puny fist In the midst of Brother Jim’s waistcoat “Good old Jimmy!” he cried. And then It was that Brother Jim put a heavy hand on Brother Tom’s shoulder. “See here,” he gruffly said, “where Is that black-mustached fellow with the snaky eyes?” “Oh, I just made him up,” said Brother Tom. And Brother Jim suddenly laughed. —W. R. Rose, In Cleveland Plain Dealer.