Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1865-05-13
TALES AND SKETCHES.
THE LITTLE NalS FAKE.
And What Came of 1t.
By CAROLINE +. PRESTON.


opera to nghtl Der Fr1eschutz, on my life.
Just what I've been wanting to see--I guess
! I'll go. But hold on my boy; there's the
| question of supplies-l must investigate my
! cxchequcr."
Edmund Hastings drew his wallet from
its repository, and opened it-disclosing
| seventy-fve cents in postal currency, two
horse railway tickets, and three postage
stamps.
The pos.essor Of this treasure looked up
| blankly.
Seventy-fve cents !" he CALCULATED. "That
! would barely pay for seat in the dress
| circle, and it would never do for me to be
seen there. What would Mary Kidder say,
! if in viewing the house through her opera
glass, she would espy me there That
would dish me completely. AS it is, think
there's fair chance of making her Mrs.
Hastings. Her eight thousand would ena-
| BILE me to live very comfortably"
! A knock at the door interrupted the sum-
ming of his brileiant prospects.
Come in," answered the young man
laziy."
Its letter for you, Mr. Hastings" said
the servant who entered.
"All right lay it on the table"
The servant did as required and left the
| room.
"Wcrdcr who it's from" said Edward,
indifcrentlt. "Lct ire gee what it is like"
He took up the niissivs ard quickly drop
ped it with a gesture of disgust
Pooh how vlliainously 1t smells of on.
| ions and tobacco! A dirty yellow envelope,
too, with the address running up hill. III
be afraid to open it, if soap and water
weren't close at hand.
! Curiosity finally overcame his repugnance
and he opened the unpromising billet.
1t read Is follows:
MTsTuR HASTINGS Sur, it's yur bill fur
washing | sind you, sur, and It's very much
| want the money, bein' as two of my chill
ders is sick, and its nine dollars, sur, which
you have pade me anything, sur, for two
months an hope you won't maik me waite
any longer, for it's tired of waiting l am
I'll come for the money to morrow mornin',
punctooal, and l hope you'll have IL retldy,
so no more at presint from
BRIDGET MURPHY.
mo more from Bridget Murphy" re-
peated young Hastings. "Wel, | should
think Bridget with the small B had said all
:hat was necessary. BY the way it's rather
an interesting question where I'm to get the
nine dollars this interesting female expects
! to receive Can l expand my seventy five
cents to nine dollars by a trick of legerde-
main My quarterly allowance doesn't fall
due for six weeks, and the governor has
decided aversion to advancing funds"
He pordered moment and then starting
with bright idea and exclaimed.
"Egad, have it. I'll offer myself to Ma
ry Xidder at once. She can't refuse me- I
tlatter myself my figure is not to be met
with every day"
lie arose and surveyed his handsome fig
ure compacentiy in the mirror.
"Well, here goes" he said after pause.
"Let me see-Tl write to Bridget first
! I'll tell her I'm on the point of marrying
wealthy young lady, and will settle her lit
! tie bill Immediately afterwards, and give
her a present besides. must be very po-
! lite"
lie wrote the tor five minutes, producing
| the following note:
My DEAR MADAM: CThat will tlatter herr
am expecting 10 marry rich young lacy
I very soon. As soon as | am married | will
pay your little bill, and to pay you for wait
! ing | will make you handsome present be-
sides. You may call for my clothes on next
| Monday morning.
EDMUND HASTINGS.
"Now for letter to Miss Kidder That
| will take me longer"
| After some time our hero finished a note
| which it would be cruel TO reproduce here.
| Enough to know that it eloquently portray
! ed the passion that consumed his heart aud
! irtimatng that if his suit was unfavorably
| regarded, he would be carried off by some
withering disease, if indeed, in his despair,
lie was not tempted to putan end to ex-
istence:
Il guess that will do the work." he
| thought, 'at any rate it ought to-"
lie enclosed the notes in envelopes, stamp
them and rang for the servant.
put them in the post" said he, indolent-
| ly. Unfortunate Hastings In his careless
ness he had unconsciously put the notes in
to the wrong envelopes, so that the declara-
ton of love went to Bridget Murphy, and
toe promise to pay was duly received and
opened ny Miss Mary Kidder. Of this mis-
take Edmund Hastng was blisstully igno-
rant till the next mornings mail brought
the following reply from the young lady.
MIR EDMUND HAsTINGs-SIR | have to
acknowledge the receipt of a very singular
note from you, written as / observe, yester-
day. In it you inform me that you are expect
ing to marry a rich young lady. ought to
feel fattered that you make me confident
in so delicate master. | trust the young
lady-do l know her 2-possesses other
qualities in addition to her wealth, for l can
hardly suppose that this alone would be
sufficient to insure her husbands happiness.
You must excuse my writing so plainly;
but you would not have confded in me il
, you had not supposed felt an interest in
your welfare. There is another part of your
letter that do not SO well understand. You
say, ''when am married | will pay your
bill" l am qaite unconscious of having
/ any bill against you. Nevertheless, l can
not but applaud your honest intentions and
sflntegrlty OF purpose. trust you will moi
consider it indeicate in me to request the
' acceptance of the amount Of this BILL what
$ ever it may be. You will perhaps be kint
I enough to invest it in some appropriate
: preselsT'7or this young lady whom you ar
i expecting to honor with your hand. Will
!, it you will be kind enough to offer my bes
p wishes for her happiness,
"There is another allusion which / bnt
. equally difficult TO understand. You say
you will call for my clothes as usual OF
next Monday Now, Mr. Hastings, wha
should want with your clothesl could'n
wear them, you know. Perhaps you mea
thaf thav ehn,lH ha ronsi6ared a sacuritv n