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Show TOM JENKINS. 189 old face as he told over and over again how he found it. We all shook hands and honestly congratulated him upon being comfortable in his old age. "Tom became a target for scheming mothers. The widow Thompson, who had two daughters, 'set her trap to rope him in. Tom was soon touched by the divine afflatus, and it inspired him like stout, old wine; he became frolicsome, went to the dances, slicked down his hair, dusted his clothes and wore 'biled shirts.' "The engagement was short, and Tom entered domestic life with the youngest of the daughters. He told his friends he was old and set in his ways, and as her character was not yet formed he would train her up to suit him. For a few weeks they seemed to enjoy home life. How she did put on style! New dresses, new bonnets, and all sorts of new fangled things for her throat. Her love was a matter of profit, you see. " One morning he awoke to find himself deserted. It was soon noised around that Mrs. Jenkins had run off with a sporting man of the town. Tom being distrustful of banks, kept his money by him, and one bag of the precious stuff disappeared with her. " It was a hard blow to the old man; he fell off until he was as thin as a lath, and walked around with his hat on the back of his head mumbling incoherent words. The neighbors thought he was a trifle loony. " The runaway couple went to Denver where the gay Lothario appropriated the bag of gold she spirited away from the old man, and skipped the country. He has never been heard of since. " After many days Tom received a note from his wife reproaching him for not searching for her; she had only |
