Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1865-11-24

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fortune; it was browning and roasting
equally and well over the bright, clean
hearth, basted with its own iiuice, patient
victim to the fierce white heat Of rejoic-
ing and victorious fire. If there was
/ brownie who watched over the kitchen of
No. I6 St Margaret lane, that brownie had
! been there during Susan's day-dreain. At
1 tending to the browning of that filIet of
veal. The domestic fairies had been busy as
crickets, stirring round the potatoe, and
blowing out chance angry puffs of gas
which the evil principles sent to scorchthe
INTENDED fllet. .sa siI
Ten minutes past four and Mrs. Thomp-
son not back! No wonder; for look,
qulck, ,tretful showers was speckling against
the windows. The good old lady had
been caught, no doubt by the ram, and
kept under shelter -ya
When, five minutes later, her eyes rose
once more to the looking-glass, mot from
vanity, but by mere aecident,) she almost
screamed, for she saw in it the reflection
of tall, neatly-dressed old gentleman in
a blue coat and brass buttons, who stood
at the foot of the stairs and Just within
the shadow Of the doorway, his eyes bent
upon her. Now, Mr.. Dobbs did not turn
loft to the left and 90 into the seullery to
wash his hands at the tap, as he might
have been expected to do, but he came
Islowl up to the window without speaking
Susan's heart beat nineteen to the dozen.
Was he going to scold her aunt for being
out at such critical time? No; he did
not speak, but walked TO the fire, looked
at the veal, hemmed twice, coughsd, and
then returned to Sussn's chair. The sec
lond time he stopped, and lifted her hand
with a grave politeness. 'tH
"Susan," he said, evil YOU accept me
as a husband! There. don't Auttar vour-
lseR! will come down again in ten min
utes, and hear your answer. Goodbye
ltill then" And upstair, he went. y
While Susan still sat there. red as da-
lmask rose, trembling, confused. astonish-
ed, heightened, the front door ereaked.
and down came Mrs. Thomnson. all in q
iaurry. p
.sOh, Susan. I've been kept bv Door
creature as / saw fall in a fit iust by St.
Margaret Moses. land Mrs. Jones cot him
to the door of the rnilkman's at the corner.
and undid his shirt-colIar and waistcoat to
give him air, and what should we find un-
Ider his waistcoat but a large nlaeard. ON
which was written, Don't bleed me; give
me brandy and water: which we did, and
just as he had taken it up came a police
man, and said he was rogue, and had
soap in his mouth to make it look like
foam; and just then the rascal gets up,
leaps over truck, and runs of, and Mrs.
Jones" 4ls.
But Susan, unable to bear the delay
any longer, burst out with her story; to
which her aunt listened with staring eyes,
uplifed hands, and open mouth.
at was Mr.. Tompkins, depend upon it,
lmy dear"
/ "No, aunt, it was master-it was indeed.
1 knew him, because he spoke to me in
the shop when / came in. Oh, dear, aunt,
he'll be down directly. What shall do g'
"Do, dear! Do whatever your own
heart tells you to do. Think of your fa-
ther and mother, and what you gain and
what you sacrifice. Oh dear me, hope
!. master is not going mad. I'll leave you,
dear, and shut myself in the area out Of
hearing, and you must call me when he's
Igone. Lawks, do think l hear him
coming. Mind you say yes or no, or he'll
be angry"
Solomon himself could not have given
wiser counsel. The good old body shut
lfed off to retired corner of the coal
lhole and Susan, blushing and tremulous,
settled again, or pretended to settle, to
her work. In that swift moment what
thousands of kind and generous, and self
denying thoughts shot like express trains
through Susan's little head! Poor father,
mother getting old; William Brown, her
old sweetheart, that wild sailor, who had
ceased to write to her, and who was now
lying at Quebec, too late repentant criP-
pied and penniless, sick, and perhaps dy-
ling. With Mr.. Dobbs' fortune, what fairy
dreams of good she might realize.
"A fOiC0 SAO huo"f nun OOhiAAu HOi
chair, said:
'Susan, will You have me for Il hus-
band !''
She hardly knew how to answer, but,
dropping her patchwork, she answer naiv-
ely, in low but firm voice:
eyes, sir, if you please"
Then there came calm kiss upon her
| forehead, and hand clasped hers.
"You shall never repent that word, Su-
, san" said Mr.. Dobbs. 81 will be good
: and true. You must do no more work
lin this place. Remember, you are to be
r my wife. Good bye, dearest "
When Susan dared to look round, b,
| was zone. But it was no dream, for ther,
{ was the identical Nav bouph she haC
\ lbronpht from Colchester. blooming in tn,
Isx-oot hIna ;,,c, <,,,ar tha ,,,orfIa,,iace. Su