Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-06-02
But you won't have them, mademoislle.

l
How dark it is getting in this cavernous
old hall. Shall ring for lights, Uncle
Chester !? and, by the way, have you
! written that letter of introduction to Mr..
| Thorne 2"
All in good time, my boy-all in good
time" said the old gentleman, depositing
his huge silver bound spectacles in
their case. ''You young people are all
in such desperate hurry. Tell Betsy to
carry lamp into the library, girls. And
Minnie, where is my gold pen ? | won't
be very long about it, and then Well have
nice long evening to gossip about Jacks
prospects"
While Mr. Chester sat in his cosy red
curtained library, revising the letter which
he had been writing to his old college
friend Jabez Thorne, of Thornville, to the
effect that his nephew, John Lacy, was in
search of an eligible piece of land, and
wished to settle down as a planter in that
vicinity, and requesting Mr.. Thornes aid
and cooperation in the selection of the
| same, Minnie opened the door.
I" Papa, there is some one down stairs
who wishes to see you Immediately, for
one minute"
Very annoying y said the old gentle
man. "Just as [ was finishing up this
letter Of Jacks However, I can seal it
up afterward. Minnie, suppose you glance
over it, and dot the is and cross the t's;
I'm not so much Of penman as l used
to be! !"
And old Mr.. Chester pushed back his
chair and rose from the antique oak table
to attend to the claims Of his urgent guest
Olive Chester was brushing out the
heavy braids of her luxuriant black hair
before the dressing mirror Of her own
apartment, two hours later, when Min
ME ran in, with countenance comically
divided between dismay and delight.
My dear Minnie, what has happened %
exclaimed the elder sister, dropping her
hair brush and letting all the raven tresses
ripple down unheeded over her shoulders.
" I've won the diamond seeve-buttons
Olive But, oh ! | didn't mean to. What
would papa say if he knew it-and cousin
Jack, too %
Sit down, you wild little elf,' said
Olive, gently forcing her sister into a
chair, "and explain this mysterious riddler'
"Well, you know papa left me to look
over his letter to Mr.. Thorne-and he
was detained longer than he eXpected-al-
most an hour in fact, and I couldn't help
amusing myself by writing a parody on
the letter."
A parody p
Yes-you remember somebody was
telling us, what beautiful daughter Mr.
Thorne had-so [ wrote that Jack was in
search of wife, and had heard of Miss
Thorne, and wanted to settle in life, ard al
that sort of thing. In short, wherever
papa had written land, or estate, I wrot
wife Wasn't it fun ~ calculated the lit
tie maiden, her eyes dancing with mischief
"But you know | never once thought
of sending the letter +; only wanted t
read it to Jack when I went down stairs
Well, signed it, with great flourish
of trumpets, and just then who should
come in but papa and the stranger. o
| Ao1 To \,
letter was sealed, and safe in Jacks pocket
book, and Olive, it was the wrong letter =
The wrong letter ?'' -reo.1
" 1t was rather dim Highland papa.
eyes are not so keen as they were wont tt
be-and my impertinent missive was gone
while the real bona fide letter lay there
amongst a heap of discarded papers. Ant
| hadn't courage to confess my misdemean
ors, papa is SO opposed to my innocen
little jokes-and Jack is off with that in
describable letter | shall certainly wiz
the sleeve-buttons, Olive, but what tor
nado there will be, when my mischief Leaks
out p
And Minnie looked so bewitchingly love
ly in her alternate paroxysms of terror ant
laughter that Olive grave elder sister though
she was, had not the heart to lecture hel
as roundly as she deserved!
The crimson sunset of the next evenine
shone radiently into the special sanctun
of the worthy old Jabez Thorne, of Thorn
| vile, Justice of the Peace, and chairman
all the agricultural meetings for tel
t miles around. 1t was no scholarly lookin,
library, like that of his ancient conrad
; Chester, but square light room, with fou
uncurtained windows, and ornamented Will
numerous black framed engrayings of priz
: cattle and giant turnips. He was seatet
in leather cushioned armchair, lookinl
over the files of an agricultural journal, tt
find some coveted information Of the sub
ject of 'phosphrtes" and the ''super-phos
; pilates" when servant brought him
card and letter.